Automating Procomm Plus to contact multiple stations?

[gruvn]

Howdy -

I'm in an office where we have gauges set up collecting data. We often have to call these gauges up (they all have modems) and either upload or download data, or query the settings of the gauge.

With all the prompts and commands (and the WAITING), this takes WAAY longer than it needs to. Plus, we have about 15 gauges we need to call up.

I've made batch files before, and am wondering if I can do something similar for PROCOMM PLUS. I'd like to be able to click something, and have a script automatically poll all of my gauges and do a task (ie upload/download/etc).

Can someone point me to an appropriate reference for doing this sort of thing? This is a whole new realm for me - I kind of feel like I'm going back in time!

Thanks!

 

[knob]

I thought I had replied to this message earlier, but looks like I didn't. Do you have existing scripts to do the work now? If not, you can create the basics pretty quickly using the script recorder. I've copied some information about it from my website below:

If you are trying to create a script that automates communications with a remote system and the text is relatively constant, you can make the task easier by using the Script Recorder to create your script. To enable the Script Recorder, select the Tools | Scripts | Start Recorder menu item. Procomm Plus will now monitor all incoming data and your outgoing responses to that data. Start performing the tasks (keyboard-based only!) that you want Procomm Plus to record. Once done, select the Tools | Scripts | Stop Recorder menu item. You will be prompted to save your recorded script; some editing of the script may be necessary. Be aware that if you dialed an entry from the Connection Directory, then your recorded script will be attached to that entry unless you change the value at the bottom of the Save As dialog. When you view your script, you will see that it is composed of waitfor/transmit commands. If all looks well, compile your script and see if it executes as expected. To make a recorded script more extensible, you can take a recorded script and replace some of the recorded strings with variables so that a more general script can be created.

Depending on how your systems are, you can either use the same script for each connection, or have a separate script for each device you need to connect with. You could then have a master script that dials each connection (or runs a script that dials the connection) in turn, perhaps writing to a log file so you can later make sure that you received data from all of the devices.

http://www.aspectscripting.com