A HyperTerminal alternative - Advanced Serial Port Terminal

HyperTerminal software

What is HyperTerminal? HyperTerminal is a program used as a terminal emulator for Windows 7 and other versions of the operating system. It is a communication application that enables users to access devices remotely over an RS232 serial bus, Telnet or a dial-up connection. This terminal tool can connect users to online services such as bulletin boards and send data to serial displays. HyperTerminal is also used when configuring network components such as modems, switches, and routers via the console’s serial port.

Typical uses of HyperTerminal

HyperTerminal is effective for controlling external devices connected to a computer through its COM ports. It can be used to communicate with scientific instruments, robotic devices, and other computers. Data can easily be exchanged with networking equipment, telecommunication devices, and industrial monitoring systems with this terminal utility.

HyperTerminal gives you the ability to:

• exchange data between two computers;
• send commands to a remote machine;
• configure and reset communication equipment such as a modem;
• use the 'Paste to host' command in the View menu to transfer data saved to the clipboard.

Cons of the HyperTerminal

If you plan on using HyperTerminal as your RS232 terminal software on Windows 7 or 10 computers, you will need to obtain the private edition of the application. This is the only version of HyperTerminal software supported by these operating systems. You must purchase the tool if you want to use it commercially.

You can use HyperTerminal as a basic debugging tool. The app’s limitations do not make it a viable solution for serious debugging or exercising control over serial devices. Its lack of functionality makes it a less than optimal solution for performing remote serial communication.

Advanced Serial Port Terminal

Serial Port Terminal is a HyperTerminal replacement that offers more flexibility and enhanced functionality in a terminal application. It is a software application that serves as a HyperTerminal alternative for Windows 10 as well as other versions of the operating system. The program gives you full access to the serial ports on your system and enables you to monitor any data transferred through its COM interfaces.

It is extremely challenging to develop serial applications without proper serial terminal tools. You need the ability to monitor all serial ports and the data that flows through them. This is not easily accomplished with the native functionality of the operating system.

Electronic Team, Inc. addresses the need for a HyperTerminal alternative to Windows 7, 10, and other Windows flavors with COM Port Terminal. The application provides a user-friendly interface from which you can control and monitor all of your system’s serial ports and their connected devices. Serial hardware and software developers choose Serial Port Terminal as an alternative HyperTerminal programming platform.

Ways of using COM Port Terminal

Advanced Serial Port Terminal is a versatile application that provides serial terminal software with which to address many communication challenges. It should be in every serial developer’s software toolbox for sending data over serial connections to facilitate hardware and software testing and debugging.

Some specific uses of this serial terminal solution are:

• developing device drivers for serial hardware;
• troubleshooting communication problems between serial devices and their control networks;
• emulation of data transfer between COM interfaces, their connected devices, and serial Windows applications;
• analyzing and implementing serial protocols, and more.

Features of Advanced Serial Port Terminal

• Simultaneously monitor multiple COM ports. A single monitoring session can be used to observe the serial traffic from all interfaces. All captured data can be saved to a log file in a first-in, first-out basis for easy analysis.
• Emulate data transfer between serial ports and applications with the Terminal mode option. You can send data serially in different formats to test and debug devices and programs. Data can be sent in binary, decimal, string, octal, hexadecimal or mixed formats.
• Multiple data visualizers are available so you can view serial data in a format that suits your requirements. There are four views to choose from: line view, table view, terminal view, and dump. Select any combination of views including all four at once to get a full picture of your serial communication.
• The session playback option lets you conveniently resend data to a specified serial interface. This is an excellent feature for developers tuning their applications by testing how modifications impact the behavior when exposed to the same data streams.
• Modbus sniffing. Serial Port Terminal is fully compatible with Modbus RTU and Modbus ASCII protocols. Additionally to Modbus data, with the app, you can easily catch and log data communicated by RS485, RS422, and RS232 devices.

It is apparent that Serial Port Terminal is a great free alternative for users employing HyperTerminal on Win 7, 10, or other versions of Windows. It offers more functionality than HyperTerminal and is an important tool for serial software and hardware development. It is a synthesis of a serial terminal and COM port sniffer in a single application.