Interfacing computers, peripherals, and instruments with a serial interface is often difficult. Once connected and configured properly, things work well, but it is not uncommon to lose a day’s labor getting a new connection to work.
The following paragraphs attempt to explain a practical approach to interfacing with an RS-232 interface. An explanation is not made in every case as to why we do the things we do. For those interested, a technical discussion is given after the practical approach has been explained.
In the following discussion, we will use the following communications model:
