DDE server and serial data logger plugin for Data Loggers

Latest version: 5.0.1 build 1126. November 28, 2025.

The DDE Server plugin exports parsed data from our data loggers to other Windows applications using DDE. The plugin acts as a server. External programs connect to it and read parser variables you select. You can publish several variables at once and control how each value is formatted. The plugin supports float and datetime formatting, named topics, and sending data back to a logger via a dedicated DDE topic.

This plugin is useful when you need live data in common tools such as Excel or in a custom process that reads values over DDE. Example: You monitor a temperature sensor attached to COM3. The logger parses the incoming stream and assigns variables Temp_C and TimeStamp. The DDE Server exposes these as topics. An Excel sheet links to the DDE topics and shows the latest temperature in real-time.

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Another example: you run an industrial line where a PLC sends counters via TCP. The logger captures and parses the packets into "Counters.Total" and "Counters.Rate". The DDE server exposes these names. Your production dashboard reads them in real time to update on-screen gauges.

Using this plugin with our data logger software

All our data loggers can host the DDE Server plugin. Typical workflow:

1. Start your logger application (Advanced Serial Data Logger or Advanced TCP/IP Data Logger).
2. Open Modules → Data export → Select "DDE Server" → Setup to view server and section names.
3. Connect a client (for example, Excel) to the server and the section name (group) shown in the setup dialog.

Example of incoming serial data (Advanced Serial Data Logger):

2025-11-28 08:00:00,ID=01,TEMP=23.5,HUM=45.2
2025-11-28 08:00:05,ID=01,TEMP=23.6,HUM=45.1

Parsed variables exported as different values by DDE might look like:

Temp_C      = 23.6
Hum_Percent = 45.1
Last_Time   = DATE_TIME_STAMP

Summary

The DDE Server plugin provides a reliable way to deliver parsed, formatted variables from our data loggers to external applications in real time. It is simple to configure, supports custom formats, and integrates directly, for example, with Advanced Serial Data Logger and Advanced TCP/IP Data Logger for both serial and networked data sources.

Key features

• Real-time export of multiple parser variables via DDE.
• Custom date/time and float formatting masks.
• Support for all our data loggers and different data sources.
• Active variables list to monitor current exported values.
• Named and configurable topics for organized access.
• Optional DDE topic for sending data back to the logger or device.

Download  | PDF manual