This demonstration was a very good example of how the Etherpad can be used to provide a web page interface to an intelligent serial Device.
For the purposes of the Kyalami exhibition, a short script was written using SAN Peoples SAN Script to read serial information from a Ramsey
Microtech 2001 Belt Scale Integrator, and display it on an HTML page.
The Ramsey Integrator was fitted with one of it's standard Modbus RTU serial communication cards, which was set up for RS232. Ramsey provided
their user manual, which included the register listing for their implementation of the Modbus protocol. An Etherpad scripter was connected to
the serial port of the Modbus card, and SAN People wrote a script to read the registers for the Master Total, Feed Rate, Belt Loading, Reset
Total, Operator Total, and High and Low Rate Alarms. An HTML page was developed using the Ramsey Logo and the necessary fields, and was loaded
on to the Etherpad. The script takes the values read from the serial port, and updates them on the web page on a 10 second interval.
For the exhibition, the Etherpad was connected to a Local Area Network on our booth, and allocated a suitable IP address. The three notebooks
on the network were used to access the Etherpads' web server using their standard web browsers. From the web page, we could see the live
information, and even reset the Operator Total.
Both Ramsey and their customers showed an interest in this demonstration, as this application of the Etherpad effectively allows monitoring
of the scales over a LAN or WAN from any PC without installing any special software. SAN People and Ramsey are now investigating the feasibility
of making the scales set-up and calibration data available over the Internet using an Etherpad scripter.
http://www.electricmotive.com/thermoramsey/
