COM Port Assistant

There are plenty of devices and hardware pieces that use serial port communication to exchange data with a Windows computer. Some of the most popular examples are the process, quality and audio controllers, measuring instruments and sensors, laboratory equipment, and more. In other words, the RS232 interface COM ports use is pretty popular but that does not mean that diagnosing and fixing connection errors is easy. Fortunately, there are a few dedicated applications available that can lend a helping hand in this matter and one of them is COM Port Assistant.

This particular software tool requires no installation and is ready to use once launched. The one-window interface comprises all the options, with no additional menus and options to deal with. Despite the GUI being user-friendly, the tool is not designed for users that are not familiar with COM port communication. In fact, it is safe to say that previous experience with serial ports and network connections is mandatory to get the most out of this application.

COM Port Assistant is, in fact, a COM port debugging tool that can send packets and files to the COM port to test the connection.

The interface allows you to select the port from a drop-down menu and configure the connection details, such as the baud rate, the parity, the byte size and the number of stop bits. The COM port can be opened and closed with the click of a button.

The lower side of the GUI includes options to send data packets to the target COM port. You have two options here: you can either type in a custom text message to send or select a file from your computer.  COM Port Assistant can schedule periodical data sending at predefined time intervals.

COM Port Assistant is designed to help you test the communication between a serial port and your computer. It is a simple utility that might come in handy to those who frequently use hardware devices that connect via a COM port, as it can help them determine the cause of a connection error.