RS232 to Excel. Four methods to send data from RS232 to Excel
Problem scenario:
I would to receive my data from a RS232 (COM) port and send this data to Microsoft Excel for further processing and analyzing.
Requirements:
It is assumed that:
You've configured communication parameters (baud rate, number of data
bits, flow control etc) in the data logger and can receive any data without communication
errors.
Solution:
Our software allows you to send your data from RS232 (COM port) to Excel in followings ways:
Connect RS232 to Excel with help of the Local database plug-in
Advantages:
- Doesn't require to install Excel on the production PC;
- Can create Excel files in background.
Disadvantages:
- Re-creates an Excel file every time and therefore requires rather more PC resources if your data flow is fast;
- Unable to export data from several RS232 port to one file.
Read the tutorial about this method.
Link RS232 to Excel with help of the Direct Excel connection plug-in
Advantages:
- Allows you to place parsed data to any columns and rows;
- Is very useful if you want to watch your RS232 data in a real time environment.
Disadvantages:
- Requires Excel on the production PC, if you'll add charts and formulas to an Excel files, then this link will be very slow.
Read the tutorial about this method.
Send data from RS232 to Excel with help of the DDE interface
Advantages:
- Allows you to place parsed data to any columns and rows;
- Is very useful if you want to watch your RS232 data in a real time environment;
- Excel automatically starts the data logger software;
- Allows to use the data logger on a remote PC (DDE over network is used in this case);
- Allows you to process data from RS232 in Excel with help of VBA code.
Disadvantages:
- Requires Excel on the production PC, if you'll add charts and formulas to an Excel files, then this link will be very slow;
- Requires small VBA knowledge.
Read the tutorial about this method.
Receive data from RS232 to Excel with help of our ActiveX control
Advantages:
- Allows you to process data as you want;
- Allows you to receive unparsed binary RAW data from RS232 to Excel;
- Allows you to receive notifications about program events;
- Allows you to send data from Excel to RS232;
- Excel automatically starts the data logger software;
- Is very useful if you want to watch your RS232 data in a real time environment
- Allows you to process data from RS232 in Excel with help of VBA code.
Disadvantages:
- Requires Excel on the production PC;
- Requires deep VBA knowledge;
- ActiveX control isn't free and requires an additional license.
Download necessary ActiveX control from our site. An example and the help file comes will be installed with the ActiveX control.
Related articles:
- Parsing data from barcode scanner and writing to a log file with a date/time stamp (data at fixed positions, no data packet signatures);
- Processing data from barcode scanner (data at fixed positions, data packets with the end signature);
- Parsing data with help of regular expressions (complex data format, regular expressions, data filter);
- Receiving and parsing data from aircraft engine monitor (usage example, custom data parser);
- Processing data from the lab equipment (simple data format, regular expressions);
- Receiving and parsing data from Garmin Geko301 GPS receiver (simple data format, data at fixed positions, data packets with both signatures);
- Parsing data from the filling machine (simple data format, delimited data, data packets with the end signature, data filter);
- Parsing and processing data from PBX (simple data format, data at fixed positions, data packets with the end signature, data filter);
- Logging and parsing data from an intellectual pressure measuring device (sending requests to the device, simple data format, data at fixed positions, data packets with the end signature, data filter);
- Serial data acquisition in the Checkweigher Management Information System (complex data format, regular expressions, filtering data);
- Serial port data aggregation. Combine a data of two different com-ports (simple data format, data at fixed positions, data packets with the end signature, data filter);
- Weight data logger. Parsing weight data from scales (simple data format, data at fixed positions, data packets with the end signature, data filter).
- Send data to a port from a file (data requests, send data by a schedule).
