Interfacing with scales rs232, GM Series scales, Bonita labs GMB, FLB Forelibra, solved

[dkzz]

Hi all,
I have recently purchased scales for a project to interface with via rs232, I have that working but not as I need it to, the scales manual says it will send continuous data but so far I only get the weight data if I hit the PRINT button on the scales, I have tried sending commands to the scales to get a weight back but I'm just stabbing in the dark as there is nothing in the manual about interfacing with the scales via rs232.

I have opened up the scales and the board is manufactured by a Bonita, to which I have gone to their site and tried to get more info but they do not have anything relating specifically to this product (they list the product on site but have no manual).

Do any of you know where I could go from here?

My last ditch thought is to wire up to the print button and poll it for weight data but I'm hoping I can find a more elegant solution.

Thank you all for reading.

manual is here

[runaway_pancake]

I see where it states, "The RS232 communication port is configured to 9600 Baud
and continuous data stream." It may be a reach to figure that means it knocks out a reading constantly, though. (Place something on a scale, then something else, then it's stabilizing (settling time) and so on. What value there?)

[dkzz]

Thanks for the reply, I may have been too hopeful that it would continually transmit the data, after settling nothing happens unless I hit the print key then the data will show in the serial monitor.

[Paul_KD7HB]

The beginning of the manual tries to warn about how sensitive the scale is to vibration. So, I suspect the continuous data transmission only occurs while the weight value is changing. So, your program will need to save the values being received and watch for a pause in the data, then use the last value that was sent.
Paul

[GolamMostafa]

Try the following hardware setup (Fig-1) and the test sketch to see if there appears anything on the Srial Monitor at 9600 Bd.

Figure-1:

Tset Sketch:

#include<SoftwareSerial.h>
SoftwareSerial SUART(2, 3); //SRX = DPin-2, STX = DPin-3

void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);
  SUART.begin(9600);
}

void loop() 
{
  byte n = SUART.available();
  if(n != 0)
  {
    char x = SUART.read();
    Serial.print(x);
  }
}

[dkzz]

Thank you both very much for your input,

As I previously mentioned I found the OE manufacturer of the device and their website, I found a wechat number and contacted them for support, a very helpful man named Peter from BonitaLabs replied me within minutes and shared some information with me that has got the device to read in continuous mode.

Here it is and hopefully this helps someone else in future.

To communicate via rs232 the commands are 'R' to request data, 'T' to Tare and 'Z' to Zero.

[dkzz]

[dkzz]

[dkzz]

[runaway_pancake]

Did you ask him why that wasn't included in the manual?

[dkzz]

I haven't, It's bizarre that it wasn't as it would make their product a lot more desirable/useful