How to Increase the Processing Speed and Avoid "Input Buffer Overflow" Messages

When monitoring serial communications between two devices, Docklight cannot control the amount of incoming data. Since Docklight applies a number of formatting and conversion rules on the serial data, only a limited number of bytes per seconds can be processed. There are numerous factors that determine the processing speed, e.g. the PC and COM devices used, the Display Settings, and the Receive Sequence Actions defined. It is therefore not possible to specify any typical data rates.

If Docklight cannot keep up with the incoming data, it adds the following comment to the communication data display:

DOCKLIGHT reports: Input buffer overflow on COM1

TIP: Search for this message using the Find Sequence in Communication Window... (Ctrl + F) function.

Docklight will also react slowly to any user input, including a Stop communication command.

If you are experiencing the above behavior, Docklight offers you several ways to increase the data throughput.

- Deactivate all unneeded Display Modes in the Options... dialog

- Use Plain Text Mode instead of "Formatted Text Output"

- If you are using ASCII mode, disable the Control Characters Description option

- Use the "plain text" Log File Format

- Create only a log file for the Representation (ASCII / HEX / Decimal / Binary) you actually need

- Disable the communication windows while logging, using the High Speed Logging option

3.

Use the Communication Filter from the Project Settings... dialog, and disable the original serial data for one or both communication directions. This is especially useful if you actually know what you are looking for and can define one or several Receive Sequences for this pieces of data. These Receive Sequences can print a comment each time the sequence appears in the data stream so you still know what has happened,  even if the original serial data is not displayed by Docklight.