Best RS232 Port Loggers: A Comprehensive Guide

Monitoring and analyzing serial communication data is essential for various technical fields, from software development to equipment testing. To streamline this process, RS232 port loggers come into play. These tools - whether software or hardware - help capture, display, and log RS232 data, enabling deeper insights into communication between devices and serial ports.

While hardware-based solutions provide accurate physical monitoring, they tend to be costly. Fortunately, software alternatives offer powerful features at a fraction of the cost. This article explores both hardware and software RS232 port loggers to help you determine the best solution for your needs. We'll cover several reliable tools and explain how they can help you record and analyze data from serial communications with ease.

Contents:

1. Serial port logger software
   • ★ Serial Data Logger by Electronic Team
   • ★ RS-232 Data Logger
   • ★ COM-File
   • ★ Advanced Serial Data Logger
2. Hardware serial data recorders
   • ★ AirDrive Serial Logger
   • ★ RSLogger
   • ★ RSLogger Module
3. Arduino serial data logger

Serial Port Logger Software

If you're looking for a simple and efficient way to capture and display data flowing over serial connections, software-based serial data loggers are the ideal choice. These tools allow users to capture RS232 communication, decode it, and log the data for analysis. Below are some of the best software solutions available.

1. Serial Port Logger by Electronic Team

COM Port Logger by Electronic Team takes the leading position in the market of software apps for serial data reading and recording.

Key Features:

✅ Displays RS232 data in multiple views: table, line, dump, and terminal.

✅ Supports logging from multiple COM ports simultaneously.

✅ Records detailed input/output control codes (IOCTLs).

✅ Emulates data sending to a COM port.

✅ Provides advanced filters and flexible search options for targeted analysis.

2. Free Serial COM Port Logger

Another utility that will come in handy for collecting precise data about RS232 port activity is FREE RS232 Data Logger - open source solution. This free app is written for the Windows platform and works well with Windows XP/7/8, Windows 10 (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows Server 2012, and more.

This program is a powerful real-time communication analyzer that allows you to monitor the data exchange over COM interfaces and understand how your serial ports work. The program has a convenient and intuitive interface that makes it simple to manage your I/O serial ports.

Key Features:

✅ Connect to a COM port and begin serial logging even if the port has already been used by another program.

✅ Record the incoming data stream to a text file from several serial ports at a time.

✅ Sniff real and virtual COM interfaces.

✅ Start/stop serial data logging on the fly.

✅ Work in a virtual environment (VMware, ESX, Citrix XenDesktop, Microsoft Hyper-V, etc.)

3. COM-File

COM-File is a simple serial data logging app that can connect to and log virtually any serial peripheral.

Key Features:

✅ Well for one, it can read and record data from up to 16 COM-based devices at a time, which is rather convenient as you can simply open another COM-File connection window and start logging a new serial port right away.

✅ A friendly multi-document user interface of COM-File app enables you to work with multiple documents at the same time.

✅ On top of that, COM-File software allows logging serial data directly to a disk file. All you need to do is configure the serial communication settings and specify the name of a disk file.

4. Advanced Serial Data Logger

Last but not least software solution in our collection is Advanced Serial Data Logger by AGG Software. This utility processes data packages received via RS-232 ports and records the data to an Excel or Access file or any other Windows application.

The program gives you the way to not only collect serial data from any device in real time but also receive and transmit data via an RS-232 or RS-485 interface with a hardware converter.

Key Features:

✅ Captures and processes data in real time.

✅ Transmits commands via serial port using ASCII or Modbus protocols.

✅ Integrates with other software using DDE, ODBC, and OLE.

RS232 Analyzer Hardware

Logging COM port activity can become a real challenge for users working with serial devices and applications. RS232 data logger hardware delivers a great option to monitor and analyze the activity of serial ports. This specialized hardware empowers users to capture data instantly, record RX/TX channels to output files, and detect serial communication problems on the fly.

Let’s have a closer look at two of the most efficient hardware solutions for serial data logging.

1. AirDrive Serial Logger

AirDrive Serial Logger is a compact device aimed at recording RS-232 data from such devices as COM-based printers, terminals, keyboards, mice, etc. With its advanced time-stamping and live data streaming options, this solution can be applied as both a Wi-Fi hotspot and a Wi-Fi device. You can access this serial logger from a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or computer and find the data log on the webpage it presents.

The hardware analyzer can be a big help in many usage scenarios, including:

✅ Reverse-engineering of data exchange protocols;

✅ Creating backup copies of important data from devices such as terminals, barcode readers, card readers, etc.

✅ Data logging from temperature, pressure, voltage sensors, etc.

2. RSLogger

RSLogger - One of the most popular and functional RS232 recorders and serial loggers

The RSLogger family of devices offers users small and powerful units designed for logging serial bus and RS232 traffic. They deliver advanced features such as unlimited storage capacity that employs USB Mass Storage intelligent backups. The devices allow you to connect to a network using WiFi, Ethernet, or Virtual COM technology.

Users looking for customized solutions will benefit from RSLogger’s firmware update option.

Key features:

✅ RS232 port settings such as baud rate can be set independently for each RX and TX channel

✅ Two-channel asynchronous RS232 on RX and TX that supports recording with a baud rate of up to 230400 bps

✅ Virtual COM port on USB featuring a standard FTDI chip standard, software development kit (SDK), and multiple OS support

✅ Supports customized baud rates

✅ Provides advanced date and time stamping that includes displaying data as a file name, timestamps with 1ms precision, a built-in smart recharge circuit, and a rechargeable RTC backup battery

✅ 512 MB of fast internal FLASH ECC memory circular data buffers

✅ A compact and sturdy aluminum enclosure that is ESD safe and EMI enhanced, compact

✅ Supports a wide variety of standard voltages from 5 to 12 VDC

✅ RS232 ports can be forwarded or split using Virtual COM ports.

✅ A Micro USB connector that can be used with a computer’s USB port or external 5VDC power adapters

3. RSLogger Module

RSLogger Module is a hardware device offering the outstanding data-logging and analyzing capabilities that make it a favorite for many users. RSLogger solutions can transfer data over Ethernet and Wi-Fi. They work with virtual COM ports and have unlimited data storage capacities with external USB Mass Storage support.

Also, this hardware delivers numerous other features that ensure you’ll have no trouble recording serial data, including:

✅ Consistent support for customized baud rates;

✅ Advanced date and time stamping option;

✅ Separate settings for each RX, TX channel, and more.

Arduino serial data logger

Want to find out how to build an Arduino data logger and watch data from an Arduino? Here’s a quick way to do this:

If you can use an SD card in your project, that is an obvious solution to create an Arduino SD card data logger. Some Ethernet shields are provided with an SD Card reader. Or you can add an SD card by using a microSD adapter.

It won’t be difficult to interact with your SD card from an Arduino, as SD cards use a form of the SPI protocol. You only need to make sure it is a slower class. A proven way is to use Class 4 cards and make sure then are 16GB or less.

The IDE comes with an SD Example called “Datalogger”, so you can find a code example there.