Instructions for Using the COMDUMP Utility

Serial Hardware Diagnostic

Before beginning, print the diagnostic checklist for reference when analyzing the COMDUMP output.

The comdump diagnostic will tell you if the touchscreen, the serial touch controller, the computer's serial COM port and the associated cabling are connected and functioning properly. Download the  latest version of comdump.exe. You should save the file where it can be accessed easily - either to a floppy or to the root of your hard drive. comdump is a DOS application, so if you are running one of the Windows operating systems you must either boot to a DOS boot diskette or disable the driver so you can access the COM port from a command prompt. The steps below will guide you through the process.

Get to a DOS prompt in the following manner:

• Windows 2000 and XP: Disable the touchscreen driver -
  • Go to the Device Manager
    • Click start, select Control Panel
    • Double-click the System icon
    • Click the Hardware tab, then the Device Manager button
  • Double-click Mouse and other pointing devices, then double-click Elo Serial Touchmonitor Interface
  • At the bottom of the General tab, use the drop-down to select Do not use this device in any hardware profiles (disable), then click OK.
  • Get to a command prompt
    • Click Start
    • Select All Programs
    • Select Accessories
    • Select Command Prompt
  • Click here to continue

• Windows 95/98: Shut Down and Restart in MS-DOS -
  • Click Start
  • Select Shut Down
  • Select Restart in MS-DOS Mode
  • Click here to continue

• Windows Me: Remove the touchscreen driver
  • Click Start, Settings, Control Panel
  • Open Add/Remove Programs
  • Remove MonitorMouse
  • Get to a command prompt
    • Click Start
    • Select All Programs
    • Select Accessories
    • Select Command Prompt
  • Click here to continue

• Windows NT: Disable MonMouse -
  • From Control Panel, click Devices
  • Scroll down to MonMouse Driver
    • If not present, close Devices window and skip to the Get to a Command Prompt section, (next bullet, below)
    • If present and listed as Started:
      • Click the Startup button
      • Click Disabled, then click OK
      • Restart the computer
  • Get to a command prompt
    • Click Start
    • Select Programs
    • Select Command Prompt
  • Click here to continue

• Windows 3.1: Simply exit Windows

comdump Usage

NOTE: All of the following commands must be followed by the ENTER key

To Run comdump from the DOS Command Line

• Change to the directory or diskette where comdump is located:
  • For a floppy:
    • a:
  • For the root of the hard drive:
    • cd\

Execute the Program

• NOTE: comdump can only be run on ports 1 - 4
• if your touchscreen controller is connected to COM1:
  • comdump 1
• if your touchscreen controller is connected to COM2:
  • comdump 2
• If your touchscreen controller is connected to COM3 or COM4
  • To run comdump for COM port 3 or 4, you must know the interrupt request for the COM port. You can find this in the Device Manager:
    • Start, Control Panel, System, Device Manager (for Windows 2000 and XP, click the Hardware tab after opening System, then click the Device Manager button).
    • Open the Ports item, then open the COM port for the touchscreen. Click the Resources tab, then record the setting for the IRQ resource.
    • The command line format for COM3 or 4 is:
      • comdump # 9600 IRQ#
      • where # is either 3 or 4 and IRQ# is the IRQ number that you got from Device Manager.

Here is a sample of the header screen:

Comdump (1.6a) - Elo TouchSystems COM Port Diagnostic

Port:  COM1 (or COM2)
Baud: 9600
Mode: Hex
Hshk: DSR CTS
Type: (Keyboard controls explanation )

Beneath the header area is the data area. No data should scroll when the screen is not being touched. If data is scrolling while the screen is not being touched, see here: data scrolls with no touch. If there is any non-scrolling data on start-up, restart the program.

Data should scroll in the data area when the screen is touched. If not, see here: no data when screen is touched.

The data should look similar to that below, in that it should repeat [55] [54] every ten bytes. If no [55] [54]

[55] [54] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##]
[55] [54] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##]
[55] [54] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##]
[55] [54] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##] [##]

Check the Hshk indication (should be DSR CTS).

• if DSR only
• if CTS only
• If None

Elo TouchSystems drivers will not operate if the DSR and CTS signals are not present (unless the hardware handshaking is disabled - See the Info section for the driver you are using, in the Drivers section).