Sending data

The input box below the log sends to the port you are currently viewing.

Line mode and raw mode

The Input Mode button next to the input box controls how your typing is treated.

Use line mode for AT commands and most embedded firmware. Use raw mode for shells and REPLs, where the device expects to see each keypress as it happens.

Line endings

In line mode, Tracer appends a line ending to whatever you type. Set which one in the pane options menu (⋯):

• \n — line feed
• \r\n — carriage return and line feed
• \r — carriage return
• none

If a device ignores your commands but responds to the same commands from another tool, the line ending is usually the reason. Devices that want \r\n will not answer \n.

Sending hex

Turn on hex input in the pane options menu to type byte values instead of text:

01 03 00 6B 00 03

Each pair is one byte. Spaces are optional. Nothing is appended in hex mode — what you type is exactly what goes out.

Control bytes

These go out as the real control bytes, so interrupting a running program on the device works the way it does in a terminal.

BREAK and reset

BREAK holds the transmit line low. Many bootloaders and older instruments use this as a stop signal.

Reset port toggles the DTR and RTS lines, which reboots most development boards without unplugging anything.

Both are in the pane toolbar.

Sending a file

To send something larger than you want to paste, use the file sender in the Tools drawer (the Tools icon in the left rail). It streams the file out of the port in chunks and shows progress, with a cancel button.

Repeating the same command

If you send the same thing often, save it as a macro instead of retyping it. See Macros.