Data Sheet

5Serial Tap

Click on the Tap dropdown and select the Serial tap. Note: you can connect

several Serial Taps to one PC. If necessary, refresh the list of available Taps.

Set the baudrate and click the Listen button to start the data acquisition.

A note on the Serial Tap limitations

Please note that the Tap monitors serial traffic through two independent serial-

over-USB channels. The first channel monitors TX, RTS, and DTR lines, while the

second channel deals with RX, CTS, and DSR lines. Because these serial-over-USB

channels are independent of each other, respective timing errors are always

introduced on Windows and IO Ninja levels when receiving and recording the serial

data and signal state changes.

For example, let's suppose that you are monitoring serial communications between

two interconnected serial devices and both devices have sent out some data at the

same time. One of the USB channels will be luckier and get service first, while the

other USB channel will experience a slight delay in service. IO Ninja, therefore, will

show the data from one of the devices as having arrived first, and the data from

the second device as having arrived second... while in reality, both devices have

transmitted at the same time.

Wedge RS232 monitoring

The Serial Tap allows you to insert (wedge) it in between two RS232 devices. Here

is how this is done.

Let's suppose that two serial devices are interconnected by a serial cable. Let's also

suppose that the first device has a DB9-F connector, while the second device has a

DB9-M connector. The serial cable is, therefore, of the M-to-F type.

To wedge the Serial Tap between these two devices, you will need the second M-

to-F cable: