2018.1

Preferences
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Serial settings group
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Serial port: Select the port of the computer where the Serial input is connected to
(COM1 through COM8).
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Baud rate: Select the baud rate of the Serial input. The baud rate is the number of
bits transferred per second. The transferred bits include the start bit, the data bits,
the parity bit (if defined), and the stop bits.
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Data bits: Select the number of data bits defining the incoming data file on this
serial port. The data bits transferred through a serial port represent the data content.
This excludes the start, parity, and stop bits: these are bits defining the beginning
and end of each unit of transferred data, as well as error detection provided by the
parity bit. The majority of serial ports use between five and eight data bits. Binary
data is typically transmitted as eight bits. Text-based data is transmitted as seven
bits or eight bits. If the data is based on the ASCII character set, a minimum of seven
bits is required. If an eighth bit is used, it must have a value of 0. If the data is based
on the extended ASCII character set, eight bits must be used.
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Parity: Select the type of parity used for error detection. The parity transfers through
the serial connection as a single bit. It is used to verify that each set of data bits
transfers correctly. It is then stripped away before the data file passes through the
rest of the PlanetPress Workflow process. Select None to ignore all parity bits; no
error detection occurs.
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Stop bits: Since most serial ports operate asynchronously, the transmitted byte
must be identified by start and stop bits. The start bit indicates when the data byte is
about to begin and the stop bit(s) indicates when the data byte was transferred. The
start bit is always 0 to mark the beginning of the byte, but the stop bit can be a single
1, or two bits each with a value of 1.
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Time-out: Set the time in seconds the PlanetPress Workflow process waits for the
transfer of bytes in the data file before ending the transfer of this file. On a time-out,
partially received data files are not passed to the rest of the process; the Serial input
resets, ready to receive further data files.
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Job delimiters: Enter the strings that tell PlanetPress Workflow the data file being
retrieved through the Serial input is complete. Each line in the Job delimiters text box is a
different delimiter. You can enter as many delimiters as you want, one per line. The three
default delimiters that appear are three of the most commonly recognized end of a file
delimiters.
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