Connecting via Terminal Session (Serial or USB)

NetLinx Studio provides a terminal interface to NetLinx devices that support an interactive terminal mode. The Terminal window puts the Master Controller into dumb terminal mode. Anything that is typed on the screen exits through the Master communications port, and anything coming in from the communications port is displayed in the Terminal window.

Use the Terminal window to communicate directly with the Master Controller and to debug devices controlled through the Master communications port.

Key features of the Terminal window include:

• • Paste operations - Text data contained in the clipboard can be pasted into the terminal window. However, text can only be pasted when the Terminal window is connected (online), and only the first line of text in the clipboard will be pasted.

All characters pasted in the Terminal window are not pasted into the window directly, regardless of the current position of the caret. Rather, they are sent out the port to the device just as if they had been typed directly from the keyboard. This means that you will not necessarily see the text that was pasted unless echoing is currently enabled on the device. Also, carriage-return characters are not appended to the pasted text (even if the clipboard text contains one). You must press the return key to enter a pasted command.

• • Terminal communication settings - The Terminal window has it's own dedicated communications settings. The Terminal window does not support:
  • Cut operations.
  • Editing operations within the window, other than to input characters at the cursor (the text in the terminal window actually reflects what has been received from the device. Text that is typed in the window will not appear unless echoing is currently enabled on the device).

Conf iguring Serial Terminal Communication Settings

1. Select Tools > Terminal Session to open the Terminal Window Communication Settings dialog - Serial tab (FIG. 251).

FIG. 251 Terminal Window Communication Settings dialog (Serial tab)

1. Configure the Serial Terminal communication settings as desired. See the

   Connecting to a Master Controller via Serial section

   on page 127

   for details.

2. Click OK to save your changes and close the Terminal Window Communication Settings dialog, and open a terminal window in NetLinx Studio. NetLinx Studio attempts to establish a terminal connection based on the specified configuration.

Conf iguring USB Terminal Communication Settings

NOTE: With AMX's NX Series Controllers (NX-1200, NX-2200, NX-3200 and NX-4200), the USB Gadget Serial driver will need to be installed differently for users running the Windows 8.X 32/64 bit Operating Systems. This driver is required to connect to the USB programming port on the front panel of the NX Series Controllers. Manual installation of this driver will require the user to "Disable Driver Signature Verification" when installing unsigned drivers. Refer to the

Appendix: Installing the USB Gadget Serial Driver

(Windows 8) on page 204

for instructions on disabling driver signature verification and how to install the USB Gadget Serial driver.

1. Select Tools > Terminal Session to open the Terminal Window Communication Settings dialog, and open the USB tab (FIG. 251).

FIG. 252 Terminal Window Communication Settings dialog (USB tab)

1. Select the appropriate USB connection from the Available USB Connections list.
2. Click OK to save your changes and close the Terminal Window Communication Settings dialog, and open a terminal window in NetLinx Studio. NetLinx Studio attempts to establish a terminal connection based on the specified configuration.

Using the Terminal Window

• • You cannot use the Terminal window while a communication port is in use for a file transfer or debug operation.
  • Type "ECHO ON" in the Terminal window to display messages.
  • If the Terminal window becomes unresponsive, close and re-open the window.
  • To leave the Terminal window active for a long session, click the Terminal Locks the Port option in the General tab of the

Preferences dialog.

• • Use the Terminal Options tab of the Preferences dialog to modify the behavior and change the appearance of the Terminal window.
  • To use the Terminal window with NetLinx systems, you must be connected to the Master via the PROGRAM port. Otherwise, you can use Windows Telnet for terminal control of NetLinx systems.

Terminal Window Context Menu

Several of the key functions of the Terminal Window are accessible via the Terminal Window context menu. To open this context menu, right-click inside the Terminal Window.