Read from Serial Port

Port

• Port: Specifies the port that the action reads from.

Communication Settings

• Bits per second: Specifies the speed of the serial link in bits per second.

• Data bits: Specifies the data bits for the serial communication.

• Parity: Specifies the parity for the serial communication.

• Stop bits: Specifies the stop bits for the serial communication.

• Flow control: Specifies the flow control setting for the serial communication.

Data Options

• Encoding: Specifies the method that is used to encode the message that is being read.

• Stop Reading When: Specifies the condition under which the action stops reading the message.

• Sequence of Characters is Received: Specifies that the action stops reading the message after a specified sequence of characters is received.

• Characters: Specifies the sequence of characters that tells the action to stop reading the message.

• Include sequence in input data contents: Specifies that the indicated sequence of characters is read as part of the data contents.

• Number of Characters is Received: Specifies that the action stops reading the message after a specified number of characters is received.

• Characters: Specifies the maximum number of characters that the action accepts in the message.

• Port Becomes Idle: Specifies that the action stops reading the message after the port is idle for a specified period of time.

• Time to Wait: Specifies the amount of time that the port can be idle before the action stops reading the message.

• Content Type: Specifies the data content type. The action processes the contents of the message according to this format. For more information, refer to Content Type.

• Data is contained in a SOAP message: Specifies that the action looks for the data to be contained in a SOAP message.

Output

• Save input data to variable: Specifies the variable to which you want to save the input of the action. Enter the variable that you want. Alternatively, you can add a variable.

Action

• Name: Specifies the name of the action. You can replace the default name by entering a new name in the field.

• Description: Specifies a description for the action.

• Run Action: Specifies how often you want the action to run.

  • Always: Specifies that the action runs each time the event occurs.

  • Never: Specifies that the action does not run when the event occurs.

  • Conditionally, based on variable: Specifies that the action runs only when a selected variable meets a specified condition. Use this option in situations in which there is only one condition that determines whether the action runs. After you select this option, you can create the conditional statement in the input box.

    Input box controls

    • Variable: Specifies the variable that you want to use for the conditional statement. Enter the variable in the input box. Click to see a list of recently used variables or click More Variables to open the Insert Variable dialog.

    • [Relational Operator]: Specifies the relational operator to use for the conditional statement. Click the existing operator to display a list of additional operators, and then click the one that you want to use. For more information, refer to Relational Operators. The operators that are available in the list depend on whether you selected Text or Decimal for the Type option.

    • Value: Specifies the values to use for the conditional statement. To add a value, click , click <enter a value>, enter the value that you want, and then press Enter. To delete a value, use the secondary mouse button to click it, and then click Delete. Some operators, such as Is blank and Is not blank, do not require a value to be specified. In these situations, the Value field is not available.

    • Type: Specifies whether the conditional statement is evaluating a text or decimal value.

  • Conditionally, based on expression: Specifies the conditions under which the action runs. Use this option for situations that require more than one conditional statement. When you select this option, you can create the conditional expression in the input box by creating the conditional statements that you want. You create and edit your conditional expression on the Tree View tab. Click the Text View tab to see a read-only text view of the conditional expression.

    Input box controls (Tree View tab)

    • [Conditional Joiner]: Specifies the conditional joiner for the conditional statements within the group. The default conditional joiner is And.

      Click the existing conditional joiner to display a menu that you can use to configure your conditional expression in one of the following ways:

      • And, Or, NotAnd, NotOr: Click the conditional joiner in the list that you want to use for the conditional statements. For more information about the supported conditional joiners, refer to Conditional Joiners.

      • Add Condition: Click to add another conditional statement to the current group.

      • Add Group: Click to add a subgroup of conditional statements to the current group.

      • Remove Group: Click to delete the subgroup. Available when you open the menu from a subgroup.

      • Clear All: Click to delete all conditional statements (including subgroups). Available when you open the menu from the top-most group.

    • : Adds a conditional statement to the group that is associated with that joiner. Visible to the right of each conditional joiner in your expression.

    • :  Deletes the conditional statement. Visible to the right of an existing conditional statement when you point to the statement.

    • Variable: Specifies the variable that you want to use for the conditional statement. Enter the variable in the input box. Click to see a list of recently used variables or click More Variables to open the Insert Variable dialog.

    • [Relational Operator]: Specifies the relational operator to use for the conditional statement. Click the existing operator to display a list of additional operators, and then click the one that you want to use. For more information, refer to Relational Operators. The operators that are available in the list depend on whether you selected Text or Decimal for the Type option.

    • Value: Specifies the values to use for the conditional statement. To add a value, click , click <enter a value>, enter the value that you want, and then press Enter. To delete a value, use the secondary mouse button to click it, and then click Delete. Some operators, such as Is blank and Is not blank, do not require a value to be specified. In these situations, the Value field is not available.

    • Type: Specifies whether the conditional statement is evaluating a text or decimal value.

Error Handling and Diagnostics

• Ignore errors and continue running actions: Specifies that if the action fails, the remaining actions continue to run. When this option is not selected and the action fails, the resulting behavior depends on several factors, as follows:

  The action is within a Group action

  • If you specified Sequentially for the Execute Actions property on the Group action's Execution tab, no further actions within that Group action are run. No actions outside of this Group action are affected.

  • If you specified In Parallel for the Execute Actions property on the Group action's Execution tab, the errors are ignored, and the other actions within that Group action are run. No actions outside of this Group action are affected.

  The action is not within a Group action

  • If you specified Sequentially for the Execute Actions property on the event's Execution tab, no further actions within the event are run.

  • If you specified In Parallel for the Execute Actions property on the event's Execution tab, the errors are ignored, and the other actions within the event are run.

• Retry if failed: Specifies that if the action fails, BarTender tries to run it again.

  • Maximum retries: Specifies the maximum number of times that BarTender tries to run the action again. Available when the Retry if failed option is selected.

  • Retry interval: Specifies the length of time that BarTender waits after the action fails before it tries to run the action again. Available when the Retry if failed option is selected.