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About CommWatchThis is a GOLD edition feature.

CommWatch allows the label design software to monitor a serial port on your PC for input. Data can beread from a scale or a scanner, and can then be included on printed labels using the CommWatch datasource.

You must configure CommWatch to receive data from the particular device you have connected to theserial port. The configuration defines the communication settings (port, baud rate, etc.) as well as thetermination, flow control, filter and polling options specific to your device.

The configuration data for each device is stored in a CommWatch (.cmw) file that must be specifiedwhen using the CommWatch data source in a label.

Tip: The label design software installation includes many preconfigured .cmw files for the makes andmodels of devices in common use. These files can be edited to match your configuration.

CommWatch SettingsTo access this dialog box: On the Options menu, click Configuration. Click the CommWatch tab andthen click New or select a file and click Edit.

This is a GOLD edition feature.

CommWatch allows the label design software to monitor a serial port on your PC for input. Set thefollowing CommWatch settings as appropriate for your device.

Device: The type of device being configured. If there is no device specific to your equipment, choosethe Generic Device. If you are connecting only a sensor to the port, select the Carrier Detect option.

Port: The port on your computer to which the device is connected.

Baud_Rate, Data_Bits, Parity, Stop Bits, Flow Control: Standard serial communication settings thatmust match the settings for your external device exactly.

Filter: Allows the program to accept a long string from the device, which may contain extraneousinformation specific to the device. The filter specifies the start and stop position of the meaningful datafor the program. For example, if your scale sends additional formatting commands that you do not want,the filter allows you to select only the useful information from the string.

Terminator: A signal to CommWatch to start printing. CommWatch monitors a serial port for input untilit receives a Terminator; then it immediately prints the label. The Terminator may specify a length oftime after data has been received, or it may be a particular character included within the data itself.Terminator options include:

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Time Out: The length of time (in seconds) after data has been received.

CR or CR/LF: Carriage return, or a carriage return and line feed character.

Data Length: A required number of characters that must be received.

Character String: A value you specify.

Polling: If your device requires a signal from the PC before it sends its data, select the polling checkbox, and type the polling string to be sent to the device. Do not include plus signs or spaces unless theyare part of the actual string itself. Enter the string exactly as it should be sent to the device. RequiredASCII control codes (e.g., "CHR(29)") should appear directly in the string with no separation from theother characters. For example: @#$chr(29)%&^.

Configuring CommWatchThis is a GOLD edition feature.

CommWatch allows the label design software to monitor a serial port on your PC for input. You mustconfigure CommWatch prior to using it as a data source in your label.

Tip: The label design software installation includes many preconfigured .cmw files for the makes andmodels of devices in common use. These files can be edited to match your configuration.

To configure CommWatch for use with your PC and external device

1. On the Options menu, click Configuration, and then click the CommWatch tab.

A list of preconfigured CommWatch files appears.

2. Scroll through the list and select the device that matches what you have installed.

If there are no matches, select Generic Device.cmw.

3. Click Edit. The settings dialog box appears for the selected device.

4. Set the CommWatch settings as appropriate for your device.

5. If you have a device connected, adjust the settings appropriately.

6. Click OK to save your changes, and then click OK to return to the design window.

You can now proceed to add a CommWatch field to your label.



Adding a CommWatch FieldThis is a GOLD edition feature.

CommWatch allows the label design software to monitor a serial port on your PC for input.

Note: You must configure CommWatch prior to using it as a data source in your label.

1. Add a text or bar code field by clicking the appropriate button on the Drawtools Bar.

2. In the Data Source box, click CommWatch.

3. In the String Length box, type the maximum number of characters that may be entered for thisfield. Additional characters will not be included.

4. In the CommWatch Files box, click the CommWatch file that you previously configured.

5. If you want to allow the user to change this data for each label printed (vs. allowing only theCommWatch field to change), select the Repeat Prompts check box.

6. Click OK, and place the field in a blank area of the label.

Note: The CommWatch data source can be assigned to only one field on a label.

Linking Database Fields to CommWatchThis is a GOLD edition feature.

CommWatch allows the label design software to monitor a serial port on your PC for input.

You can link database fields in your label to CommWatch in order to use the input value as the key fielddata for the database lookup. For example, you can scan part numbers for use as the key field data forretrieving database records.

To use a CommWatch input value as your key field data

1. Configure CommWatch for your input device.

2. Add a text field to the label and select CommWatch as the data source.

3. On the Options tab, enter a Field Name for the text field.

4. Add another text field which is the key field from the database, and in the Key Field Data box,click Linked.

5. In the Key Expression box, click the name of the CommWatch field.



6. Click OK, and place the field in a blank area of the label.

7. Continue creating the rest of your label, adding other database fields as desired.

When you print the label, the label design software looks to the PC's serial port for its data. Datareceived from the external device (e.g., scanner) serves as the key field data, and results in thedatabase field(s) being populated by the value from the appropriate record.



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