Redirect Serial Com Port To Keyboard

How to Redirect Serial COM Port to Keyboard in Windows

If you have a device that sends data to a serial COM port on your PC, you may want to redirect that data to your keyboard buffer and enter it into any application as if you had typed it on your keyboard. This can be useful for barcode scanners, scales, RFID readers, and other serial devices that need to interact with software applications.

One way to achieve this is to use a software tool that acts as a keyboard wedge between your serial device and your target application. A keyboard wedge is a program that captures data from a serial port and simulates keystrokes on your keyboard. It runs in the background and works with any application that accepts keyboard input.

In this article, we will show you how to use a free keyboard wedge software called 232key to redirect serial COM port to keyboard in Windows. You will need the following:

A serial device that can send data to a COM port on your PC.

A serial cable or adapter to connect your device to your PC.

A PC running Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, or 98.

The 232key software downloaded from https://www.232key.com/.

Follow these steps to set up 232key and redirect serial COM port to keyboard:

Connect your serial device to your PC using the serial cable or adapter.

Launch 232key and select the correct COM port and other connection parameters in the Input tab.

Optional: Select further processing options in the Process tab, such as removing unwanted characters or adding a prefix or suffix.

Select the desired output format in the Output tab, such as plain text, decimal, hexadecimal, or custom.

Press the Start button in the Start/Stop tab to connect to your device and start the keyboard simulation.

Switch to the target application (while 232key runs in the background) and place the cursor where you want 232key to type the data.

Press the data transmission button on your device (usually labeled \"Print\" or \"Data\") to send data to 232key. 232key will type the formatted data at the current cursor position.

You can also use 232key to redirect data from a TCP port or a virtual COM port created by a USB-to-serial converter or a Bluetooth device. For more information, please consult the documentation at https://www.232key.com/documentation.html.

Why would you want to redirect serial COM port to keyboard There are many benefits of using this technique, such as:

You can use your existing serial devices with any application that accepts keyboard input, without the need to install special drivers or software.

You can avoid compatibility issues between different versions of Windows or different architectures (32-bit or 64-bit).

You can reduce the clutter of cables and adapters on your desk or workstation.

You can access your serial devices remotely over a network or the internet, using a TCP port or a virtual COM port.

You can improve the security and reliability of your data transmission by using encryption and checksums.

Serial port redirection is especially useful for point-of-sale (POS) systems, where you may need to connect various serial devices such as barcode scanners, cash drawers, receipt printers, card readers, and scales. By redirecting serial COM port to keyboard, you can integrate these devices with your POS software and streamline your workflow. You can also manage your POS devices from a central location and monitor their status and performance.

Another common scenario where serial port redirection can help is data center networking, where you may need to access and control multiple servers and other equipment that have serial ports. By redirecting serial COM port to keyboard, you can eliminate the need for physical access to the servers and use any application on your PC to send commands and receive data from them. You can also share the same server with multiple users and ensure secure network connections. ec8f644aee