Recommended ModulesLink Products
RealTerm is essential for debugging serial communication with these industrial modules
RS-485 Transceiver
- Up to 5000VDC isolation
- ESD protection ±8kV
- 256 nodes on bus
- -40°C to +105°C
RS-232 Transceiver
- Up to 5000VDC isolation
- 250kbps data rate
- ESD ±8kV, Surge ±4kV
- -40°C to +85°C
Digital Isolators
- Up to 5000VDC isolation
- CMTI >100kV/µs
- Data rate 150Mbps
- -40°C to +125°C
Version
2.0
File Size
772 KB (ZIP)
Platform
Windows
Interface
GUI
Overview
RealTerm is a feature-rich serial terminal program designed for engineers who need to debug RS-232 and RS-485 serial communication. Unlike simple terminal programs, RealTerm provides advanced display modes including hexadecimal, binary, float32, and mixed ASCII/hex views - essential for analyzing industrial protocol frames.
With support for hardware flow control (RTS/CTS, DTR/DSR), non-standard baud rates, and comprehensive data logging, RealTerm is the go-to tool for serial communication debugging in industrial environments.
Key Features
📊 Multiple Display Modes
View data as ASCII, Hex, Binary, Int8/16/32, Float32/64, and mixed ASCII+Hex. Essential for protocol analysis.
⚙ Hardware Flow Control
Full RTS/CTS and DTR/DSR hardware flow control. Monitor and manually control signal lines (RTS, DTR, CTS, DSR, DCD, RI).
💾 Data Logging
Log all received and transmitted data to file with timestamps. Capture communication sessions for offline analysis.
🔄 Non-Standard Baud Rates
Support for custom baud rates beyond standard values. Essential for proprietary industrial protocols.
Quick Start Guide
- Download and extract the ZIP file to any folder
- Connect your RS-232 or RS-485 USB adapter to the computer
- Launch RealTerm.exe from the extracted folder
- Go to the Port tab and select the COM port number for your adapter
- Set baud rate (9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200 or custom)
- Configure parity and stop bits to match your device (8N1, 8E1, etc.)
- Click Open to start receiving data
- Switch display mode on the Display tab: Hex for raw frames, ASCII for text, or Mixed for both
Common Serial Settings
Serial Configuration for Common Industrial Devices
| Device Type | Baud Rate | Data/Parity/Stop | Flow Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modbus RTU Device | 9600 / 19200 | 8E1 or 8N1 | None |
| RS-485 Sensor | 9600 | 8N1 | None |
| PLC Serial Port | 9600 / 19200 | 8E1 | RTS/CTS |
| GPS Module | 4800 / 9600 | 8N1 | None |
| Debug Console | 115200 | 8N1 | None |
Compatible with ModulesLink Products
Use RealTerm to debug serial communication with ModulesLink Modbus RTU gateways and I/O modules. Monitor raw Modbus RTU frames on the RS-485 bus to verify timing, framing and data integrity.