Configuring Serial Connection for Handpunch

 

If you have a hand punch without an ethernet adapter, then you will have to connect it using a serial cable. You can directly connect the serial cable to one of the ports on your computer, or you can use a serial-to-usb converter and have the usb cable plugged into the computer, with the other end being the serial cable, into the Handpunch device.                                                 

After connecting your device to the computer, we want to configure the settings on how it will communicate and at which rate. Follow the steps below in order to configure your RS232 settings on your handpunch device.

  1. We need to enter the administrator menu, to do this press (CLEAR) and (ENTER) on the device. If there is an admin already enrolled, you will see a small asterisk * appear. If there is no supervisor enrolled on the device then skip to step 3.
  2. Enter your ID where the * appears and click (ENTER). You will be prompted to place your hand. Place your hand, if you are an administrator or supervisor, then it will verify and continue.
  3. “ENTER PASSWORD” will be prompted on the screen now, you want to enter number 2 and click (ENTER). Keep in mind that when entering the password, no numbers will appear on the screen, however the value will still be there even though it is not visible.
  4. You will be welcomed to this menu by “SET LANGUAGE”, you want to click no to skip through all the other settings until you see “SET SERIAL”.
  5. Once “SET  SERIAL” is displayed on the device, press (YES). It will then prompt (SET RS232). Press (YES) again.
  6. Now it will ask you for the baud rate. You want both devices that are connected through serial to operate at the same rate. You can set the baud to 9600 and click (YES). Common baud rates are 9600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 19200.
  7. Once you enter the baud rate, click (YES) on the screen to go back to the menu or press (CLEAR) to leave the menu.

 

Now that we have completed the configuration on the device, we will need to go to the computer, finish the configuration and get the device connected.

  1. In order for us to determine which communication port we will be using, we will need to open “Device Manager” on the computer to see which port is active. To do this, you can click on your default Start or Windows button, and search for device manager or press the Windows Key + R and type devmgmt.msc
  2. Expand the Ports (COM & LPT) section.
  3. If you only have one serial port and are not using any other devices that include a serial communication, then you will have one port there. It will be labeled as “Communications Port (COM1)”   “USB Serial Port (COM1)”  “Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COM 1)”  or something similar to one of these.
  4. If you have multiple ports and are unsure of which port your handpunch device is, unplug the serial cable from the computer and right click in device manager, and “Scan for hardware changes”. The com port that disappears will be the device. Now that we know which port is our device, plug the cable back to the computer.
  5. Right click on that port and click “Properties”, navigate to “Port Settings” and make sure that bits per second is set to the same baud rate we set on the device. If you set the baud rate on the device to 9600, you want to make sure the Bits per second is set to 9600 here as well. Do not change other settings.
  6. Once you have confirmed and completed all of the above, we can now move to getting the device connected to our software.

 

 

Client/Server

  1. Go to Devices > Configure Devices > Add or Edit depending on if your device has been added before
  2. Once the device configuration window appears, make sure the correct device is under the “Device Type” and for “Communication Type” below, set that to “Serial (COM)” 
  3. Set the “COM port” to the port that you know is the device. For example: If in Device Manager, your device came up as “Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COM 3)”, then you want to click on the drop down and choose COM3.
  4. Click “OK”, if it asks to synchronize with device, choose yes. It will synchronize and poll.
  5. Your device should be connected now and you should be able to poll it.

 

 

Web/Cloud Software (amgwebtime.com)

  1. In order for us to poll the device from a web account, we will need the AMG Web Device Manager. You can download this from our AMGtime Knowledge Base.
  2. You want to log into your web account, go to Devices > Configure Devices > and add or edit, depending on if you have the device already added.
  3. Once the device configuration window appears, make sure the correct device is under the “Device Type” and for “Communication Type” below, set that to “Serial (COM)”
  4. Set the “COM port” to the port that you know is the device. For example: If in Device Manager, your device came up as “Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COM 3)”, then you want to click on the drop down and choose COM3.
  5. After adding the device to your web account, launch the AMG Web Device Manager, log into your account on it, your device should be in the “From Devices” tab.
  6. Your device should be connected now and you should be able to poll it.