Instrument Choice: Bringing WedgeLink Data Collection to Labs and Manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand

A keyboard wedge sits between an RS-232 instrument and a PC. It receives the serial data packet and delivers it to the computer as keystrokes, so the reading lands in whatever field has the cursor: an Excel cell, an SPC data entry screen, a LIMS form, or a custom inspection database. No custom integration or application-specific driver is required on the receiving software.

Instrument Choice carries four WedgeLink options, covering everything from a straight plug-and-play connection to full data parsing and two-way device control.

WedgeLink SP (WLNK-SP-9600-N-8-1): Plug and Play

The WedgeLink SP is the simplest path from a serial balance to a PC. It is a fixed-configuration hardware wedge set at manufacture to 9600 baud, no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit. It connects directly to any balance or scale whose RS-232 output is configured for 9600-N-8-1.

• DB9 male RS-232 connector with a built-in 6″ USB cable; bus powered
• Presents to the PC as a standard USB HID keyboard, with no drivers required on Windows, macOS, or Linux
• No setup software: plug it in and the balance output becomes keystrokes
• Default output of about 72 characters per second, with a configurable 0 to 90 ms inter-character delay for applications that drop characters

The WedgeLink SP passes the data packet through as-is, within its supported character set (ESC, Tab, Backspace, Carriage Return, and printable ASCII 32 to 126). It is the right choice when the balance can be set to 9600-N-8-1 and its output format is already clean enough to use without editing.

WedgeLink AT (WLNK-AT): Hardware Wedge With Data Manipulation

The WedgeLink AT is for applications where the raw output needs work before it reaches the record, or where the instrument does not use 9600-N-8-1.

• Auto Baud Detection or selectable baud rates from 600 to 57.6K, with any combination of none/even/odd parity, 7 or 8 data bits, and 1 or 2 stop bits (Auto Baud requires an instrument that transmits on demand from a Send or Print button)
• Three independent parse groups using match strings, character positions, and Find First Numeric Field to pull only the weight value out of a packet that also contains headers, units, stability flags, or ID fields; groups can be chained to split multiple values into separate fields
• Character removal and replacement (for example, commas to tabs), plus prefix and suffix text and a selectable end-of-packet character such as Tab or CR to move through a spreadsheet or form
• Adjustable rounding from 0 to 9 decimal places
• Date and time stamping in Excel, configured as a prefix or suffix; the stamp is generated by Excel from the PC’s system clock (firmware 1.38 and Setup 1.1.0.22 or later)
• Operator-triggered reads from the built-in front-panel send button or an optional MicroRidge foot switch or hand switch, each configurable to send a serial command to the instrument
• USB powered; the Wedge port presents as a USB HID keyboard that Windows, macOS, and Linux recognize with no driver, and UK/Australia keyboard layout is supported
• One-time configuration with the Windows setup program (Windows 7, 10, 11) and FTDI driver; configuration files can be loaded into additional units, and firmware is field-upgradable at no charge

For a balance that outputs a string such as a stability indicator, sign, value, and unit, the WedgeLink AT can strip everything except the numeric weight, round it to the reporting resolution, and follow it with a Tab so the next reading lands in the next column.

WedgeLink Lite (WLNK-LE-E): Software Wedge for Clean Output

WedgeLink Lite is a Windows software wedge that reads data from any COM port on the PC. That includes traditional RS-232 connections through a native serial port or USB-to-serial adapter, and USB serial connections from balances and instruments with a USB port that appears in Windows as a virtual COM port.

• Two simultaneous serial inputs (Port A always active, Port B optional), RS-232 or USB serial; RS-422 and RS-485 are also supported, with baud rates from 300 to 115,200
• Date and time stamping as a prefix or suffix, and delimiter conversion (commas to tabs or carriage returns, spaces to tabs or carriage returns)
• Output to the active Windows application, to a CSV or TXT file, or to both in parallel
• Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11; licensed per machine, with configuration files shareable across workstations
• Preview Mode with no time limit for setup and testing, plus a 3-day full evaluation
• Includes ComTestSerial, MicroRidge’s free serial diagnostics program for confirming COM port, baud rate, and raw output

It suits sites where the instrument output is already well formatted and a software-only install is preferred.

WedgeLink Standard (WLNK-SE-E): Full Parsing and Two-Way Communication

WedgeLink Standard adds the complete processing toolset to the Lite platform.

• A seven-stage data parsing pipeline: match strings, character-level masking, removal, replacement, math functions, prefix, and suffix
• Five independent parsing groups with packet position targeting
• Math functions: Find First Numeric Field, minimum and maximum acceptable values (out-of-range readings can be withheld or replaced), absolute value, an equation in the form y = a + bx + cx² for unit conversion or offsets, and 0 to 20 decimal places
• Up to 50 configurable serial commands sent from the PC to Port A, Port B, or both, for instruments that need a trigger command before transmitting or accept control strings for zeroing, unit selection, or mode changes; commands can repeat on a set cycle interval
• Two simultaneous serial inputs (RS-232 or USB serial), each with its own comm parameters and parsing, and output to the active application, CSV/TXT file, or both
• Same Windows compatibility, per-machine licensing, and 3-day evaluation as Lite

For a QC station running a balance and a second serial instrument side by side, WedgeLink Standard can collect both, parse each packet, and trigger readings from the PC.