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Serial Editor:
Application screenshot available [.gif format]
The Serial editor sets specifications for serial communications on your system.
Information sent and received through modems or networks must be in a form compatible with the device with which you are communicating. Refer to the documentation packages that came with your serial device to determine appropriate settings.
Baud Rate:
The baud rate determines the number of bits transferred through the serial port each second.
In serial communication, information is sent and received one bit at a time. Since characters are usually 10 bits (1 start bit, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit), dividing the baud rate by 10 approximates how many characters per second (cps) are transmitted.
The selected baud rate must match the rate of the device with device you are communicating.
The larger the value, the faster the data is transferred.
The available rates are: 110; 300; 1,200; 2,400; 4,800; 9,600; 19,200; and 31,250 baud.
The current rate setting is shown to the left of the slider. The default setting is 9,600.
Input Buffer Size:
The input buffer is an area of memory set aside for incoming information in serial communication.
The available sizes are: 512; 1,024; 2,048; 4,096; 8,192; 16,384; 32,768; and 65,536 bytes.
The current size is shown to the left of the slider. Use a larger buffer when working with a high baud rate or when the Amiga is performing many tasks. The default setting is 512.
Handshaking:
Handshaking controls the flow of information through the serial port and the attached device.
The same handshaking method must be set for both the computer and the device to allow communication.
The available choices are:

XON/XOFF
This is the most common method. Special characters called XON and XOFF are embedded in the data stream between the two devices to regulate the data flow.
RTS/CTS
Separate control lines called RTS (Request to Send) and CTS (Clear to Send) regulate the data flow. This method requires a properly wired serial cable.
None
Handshaking is shut off, allowing communication between devices without restriction or regulation. Use this option with caution.
Parity:
Parity detects transmission errors by checking a bit of each character, called the parity bit, for its setting.
The available parity settings are:

None
All bits are used for data. This should be used when Bits/Char is set to 8. No parity checking occurs.
Even
The total number of ON bits in each character should always be an even number.
Odd
The total number of ON bits in each character should always be an odd number.
Mark
The parity bit is always ON.
Space
The parity bit is always OFF.
Bits/Char:
Bits per character specifies the number of bits that are sent through the serial port for each character and the number of bits expected for each character received.
This setting should correspond with the setting for parity. If parity is set to Even, Odd, Mark, or Space, set bits per character to 7 since some systems use the eighth bit of data for parity checking. If parity is set to None, set bits per character to 8.
Stop Bits:
Stop bits are extra bits added at the end of a character to allow the computer to interpret spacing between words and indicate when a transmission ends. This applies to characters both sent and received through the serial port.
Slower processing computers usually require two stop bits. Computers that transfer information at 300 baud or faster generally require one stop bit. If you are using eight data bits, use only one stop bit or you may lose data during transmission.
If you have additional serial ports on your system, you can force the editor to support more than one unit by adding a UNIT command line option or putting a UNIT Tool Type in the program's icon.


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