WedgeLink Software Wedges Lite & Standard Editions - Version 2

Version 2 of the Lite/Standard software editions were released in February 2005, and represent a major upgrade.  In addition to new features, it is now easier for you to choose which software keyboard wedge solution is right for your needs.  Both editions are full featured and the only difference between them is that the Lite edition does not support data parsing.  A fully functional 10-day trial of WedgeLink Lite/Standard can be downloaded so that you can "try before you buy."
 

Download Lite/Standard 10-Day Trial Online Store   "I just installed your software on our PC equipped with a Mettler Toledo ID21 scale connected to COM1.  It really is great . . . it is working like it should." "Having calipers reading directly into Excel saves me so much time." "WedgeLink is a nice product; keep up the good work." "One of the great things about WedgeLink is that it always works with a minimal of fiddling."

When to choose WedgeLink Lite ($89) If the data format coming from your serial device is exactly what you want to send to your target application (i.e., you do not need data parsing). You are looking for an economical solution for transferring properly formatted serial port data directly into Windows applications. Many barcode scanners and other devices can be used very effectively with WedgeLink Lite. When to choose WedgeLink Standard ($195) If the data format coming from your serial device needs to be modified before sending the data to your target application (i.e., you need data parsing). You need to log data and time with the date collected. WedgeLink can automatically add the date and time for every data packet received from the serial device. Many serial devices output extra information such as units (pounds, inches, etc.) and you need to remove the units fields before sending the data to your target application.

Key Features
Serial Communications

• You can have 2 serial devices connected simultaneously to WedgeLink.

• If your computer does not have any physical serial ports, you can easily add 1 or more serial ports with a USB to serial cable.

• Separate parsing schemes can be set up for the data coming from each serial port.

Data Parsing (WedgeLink Standard only)

• 5 independent parsing schemes can be created.

• You can specify which input port the scheme will be applied to.

• If a packet contains a unique string, WedgeLink can select the parsing scheme to be applied to this packet based on the unique strong.

• Each parsing scheme allows you to do the following:

  • Specify a prefix string to add to the beginning of each data packet.

  • Specify a suffix string to add to the end of each data packet.

  • Add the date and/or time to the data packet.

  • Delete unwanted characters or character positions.

  • Insert strings before or after specified character positions.

  • Discard packets that do not contain the specified match string.

  • Replace specified characters with a unique string.

  • Math functions for screening high/low values, finding numeric fields, applying equations, etc.

  • A packet can be identified by any combination of the following:

    • A unique end-of-packet character.

    • Number of characters in the packet.

    • Gap time between packets.

Testing
There are two types of testing built into WedgeLink:  Data Parsing (WedgeLink Standard only) and Serial Communications.  Often the information coming from your serial device is in a different format than what many customers realize.  The testing features we have built into WedgeLink will enable you to get your system up and running in a minimum amount of time.

• Data Parsing testing allows you to simulate the input from your serial device so that you can verify that you have properly set up your data parsing.

• Serial Communications testing allows you to verify the format of the information that is sent from your serial device, and to test the commands that you may need to send to your serial device.

DDE

• Support for both WedgeLink Lite and Standard.

• A more effective way of transferring data to Microsoft Excel.

• Allows WedgeLink to maintain the focus so that it is easier to use the command buttons and hot keys within WedgeLink to send commands to your serial device(s).

Send Commands

• You can specify up to 100 commands.

• You can specify which port(s) are to receive the commands.

• 6 commands can be assigned to the command button on the main WedgeLink window.

• 7 hot keys can be assigned to any of your commands (F2 to F8).

• Specify number of times the command will be repeated.

• Specify delays within commands.

Typical Instruments used by our WedgeLink Customers
You can use any serial device with WedgeLink.  It will work with RS-232, RS422, and RS485 devices.

• MicroRidge gage interfaces

• Balances

• Barcode scanners

• Card readers

• Digital and RS-232 gages (calipers, micrometers, etc.)

• Flow meters

• Force gages

• Laboratory instruments

• Moisture meters

• OCR devices

• Optical readers

• Scales

• Spectrometers

• Torque testers

• Data loggers

. . . Plus hundreds of other instruments and devices can be used with WedgeLink.  If you have a question about a particular instrument or device you are using, please contact us.

System Requirements
WedgeLink is a 32-bit application designed for Microsoft Windows.

• 3 MB of free disk space.

• 1 or more available serial ports.

• Requires Windows 2000 or XP.

• Please contact us if you plan to use WedgeLink with Microsoft Vista.

User's Guide
The WedgeLink User's Guide is available as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file (requires Adobe Acrobat).  The WedgeLink User's Guide is also included with WedgeLink when you download the 10-day evaluation.

 Copyright © 2010 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

Revised July 28, 2010