Contents - Index - Previous - Next

Key features/Preferences
Here you find the key features of ComTrace, that help you to optimize the recording and examining of serial data!

Hardware Support
Operating System Support
Serial Port Interface - Don't miss to look here (Highly recommended!!!).
Real time Recording
Timestamp
Triggers
Save multiple environments
Multiple display modes
"COM setup/Real port" window
"Measure point/Statistics" window
Print report



Hardware Support:

Any PC with the following conditions...
  • CPU: INTEL Pentium or AMD Athlon
  • RAM: 256MB or more
  • CDROM
  • Hard disk
  • 2 Standard COM ports

    ATTENTION:
    All of the above features affect the final performance of ComTrace!!! The better the features, the better the results!


    Operating System Support:

    Windows 98, 2K, XP, Windows7 (32bit) (others may also be functional, but not guaranteed!)
    Extensive use of Unicode technology (The operating system must support this feature!)



    Serial Port Interface:

    2 x Standard COM ports supporting...
  • baud rates: 50, 75, 110, 134, 150, 300, 600, 1200, 1800, 2000, 2400, 3600, 4800, 7200, 9600, 10400, 14400, 19200, 28800, 38400, 56000, 57600, 115200
  • start bits: 1
  • parity: none, even, odd, mark space
  • stop bits: 1, 1.5, 2

    Attention:
    Open the windows device manager! Look for the interfaces (ports) section. Please set the COM port UART FIFO Receiver Buffers of those 2 COM ports, that you want to use for ComTrace to "Low(1)". Else there may be wrong time values for the measure points, because Windows stores up to 16 Bytes before a data interrupt is flagged! After setting this value, please reboot your system!

    Missing image: ctcomlowuartbuffermini.bmp


    Real time Recording:

    ComTrace is multi thread optimized to give you the highest precision and performance for data analysis. In all cases data accuracy is guaranteed through the multi thread event technology of ComTrace.


    Timestamp:

    Your system's high performance counter is able to down size the resolution to microseconds. If your system has no high performance timer, the resolution will be 55 milliseconds or even better. ComTrace checks for the existing timer capabilities at startup.

    New in version 3:
    Timestamps can now be displayed in the following formats:
    - Absolute time (Local)   --> Example: "20.06.2010 14:39:06,501999"
    - Relative time (Start at 0)  --> Example: "0 day(s)  00:00:00,046867"
    - Delta time (between MP n and n-1) --> Example: "0 day(s)  00:00:00,000133"



    Triggers:

    One of the key features of Comtrace is its "Trigger Engine", which will help to trigger (search) for dedicated events on the data or signal lines, errors or time/date events. You can add up to 256 triggers into the Trigger Panel.

    You can use multiple start/stop triggers in any sequence. So you are able to setup a trigger condition with one or more start/stop conditions for one recording session.

    These triggers are saved to your own environment file, to use it again any time you want.

    New in version 3:
    - Inactivity trigger: Use it to observe and control missing data or signal actions.
    - Alerter function: Create an accoustic alert and/or start your own program, that throws another action for example (send email/SMS aso. ...). You can add different ComTrace variables to this program as parameters.


    Save multiple environments:

    You can save any amount of environment files to your disk, as they may belong to customer sessions or environments. Load, save and edit your settings! These settings also include the port and record file settings.

    The author/ customer fields and the description of the "Environment settings" dialog get printed with the "File | Print report" menu!


    Multiple display modes:

    There are many possibilities to show you the data as you want. Switch to Detailed (vertical), Data Only or Data Dump view. Show characters in USASCII or EBCDIC with or without Control and Command chars, in Hexadecimal, Decimal, Octal or Binary. Drag the columns of the view to get the best result.
    Switch timestamp formats between "Absolute", "Relative" and "Delta".



    "COM setup/Real Port" window

    This window enables you to setup your COM port and (!) to look at the real status LEDs of the serial interface lines.


    "Measure point/Statistics" window

    This window gives you detailed information about the currently selected measure point, the previous and next measure point, and shows gauges for the line load (actual/peek) and the line quality.


    Print report

    The recorded data and their detailed information can be printed out to a printer of any type (laser, ink jet, PDF writer), you've installed as a windows printer. ComTrace takes care of your settings made in the display options of the "Main Screen" and prints your data as shown!

    The "Environment Settings", that you can edit via the "Environment|Settings" menu from the "Menu Bar", can also be printed, so that you can give professional reports to your customers or to your archives of measurement!


    Now you are ready to proceed with the next step "What's in the box?"!

    ComTrace Help Contents