ToolLink User Manual
MKS Instruments, Inc.
Page 7 of 30
Serial Interface
The
Receive Mode
parameter defines how the ToolLink Gateway receives serial message packets. The
three supported modes include Timeout mode, Length mode and Delimiter mode.
When in Timeout mode, the ToolLink Gateway waits for an inter-byte delay to signal the end of a
message packet. If the receiver is idle for more than 3.5 byte times (or 5 msec, whichever value is
greater), then all bytes received before the timeout are grouped into a single message packet. 1 byte
time = 10 bits
÷
baud rate.
When in Length mode, the ToolLink Gateway receives a fixed number of bytes as a complete message
packet. The
Maximum Receive Size
parameter defines the message packet size (0 to 64 bytes) for the
LENGTH mode.
When in delimiter mode, the ToolLink Gateway uses start and stop delimiter strings to identify the
beginning and end of a message packet. The
Start Delimiter String
parameter defines the beginning of
a message, and the
Stop Delimiter String
parameter defines the end of a message.
