The information in this article applies to owners of an RB-420, RB-520, RB-620, or RB-820 response pad who want to use it with Presentation.
You can use Presentation’s “serial input device” feature to receive input from an RB Series response pad. Setting up Presentation for use with an RB Series response pad consists of two steps:
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Setting up the serial port’s parameters such as baud rate, and,
Interpreting the information sent by the response pad.
The version of Presentation described in this document is 0.50, build 06.27.02.
The current models are the RB-420, RB-520, RB-620, and RB-820. For simplicity’s sake, the rest of this document refers to these models as RB-x20 and also assumes that this is what you are using. This is the third generation of these response pads. If you are using an earlier model, everything in this document applies except for the following:
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The RB-400 and RB-600 support only the RB Series protocol and run at 2400 baud.
The RB-410 and RB-610 support only the RB Series protocol and run at 9600 baud.
In Presentation’s main window, click on the Input Devices tab and then on the Serial Input Device push button. The following dialog (screen) appears.
The parity, data bits, and stop bits should always be as shown: none, 8, and 1. The COM port depends entirely on which serial port the response pad is physically connected to; see the “Troubleshooting” section below if you run into problems.
The Rate setting must match the response pad’s baud rate. Take a look at the back of your response pad, illustrated below. You will find three things (from left to right): the Accessory Connector for plugging external peripherals; a set of four switches; and the serial port for connecting your response pad to the computer.
When shipped, all four switches are in the down position. This is the “RB Series” mode running at 19200 baud. If you leave the two rightmost switches in the down position, then the Rate setting in Presentation must be 19200.
Next, click on the More Settings push button. The following dialog appears:
The bottom five settings (CTS control, DSR out control, DSR in control, DTR control, and RTS control) should match the ones shown above. Click on OK to close the Serial Parameters dialog. From the Serial Input Device Settings dialog, click on the Test button. The following dialog appears:
For smoother operation, you may want to turn on the Disable display delay checkbox as shown in the picture above. When you press a key on the response pad, Presentation will display the ASCII value of the byte sent by the response pad in red. This confirms that Presentation “sees” the response pad. The next step is to interpret the information sent by the response pad.
The RB-x20 response pad models support three different serial port “protocols”, only two of which are appropriate for use with Presentation. These are the RB Series protocol and the ASCII protocol. See the document The Various Protocols Supported by the RB Series Response Pads for all the details.
The protocol used by an RB-x20 response pad is determined by the switch settings:
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To use the RB Series protocol, switches 1 and 2 must be down.
To use the ASCII protocol, switch 1 must be down and switch 2 must be up.
With Presentation, we recommend the use of the ASCII protocol.
If Presentation cannot detect a response from your response pad, here is a checklist of things to look for:
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The most common reason is usually an incorrect COM port setting. Double-check which COM port your response pad is connected to. If you are not sure, try different COM port settings in Presentation.
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If you are sure that the port settings are correct, the second most common problem is when an internal modem is installed. Although it is internal, it might occupy the same port (e.g. COM2) that the response pad is connected to. In this case, try a different COM port or, if no other one is available, please contact the manufacturer of your computer for assistance in re-assigning the modem to another COM port.
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If Presentation is receiving data from the response pad but not what you expect, then the connection is established but either the baud rate or the protocol is set incorrectly. Verify the switch settings on the response pad and make sure that the selected baud rate matches your setting in Presentation.
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Another possible source of trouble is the cable. Make sure to use the cable that was shipped with the response pad. If it has been misplaced and you need another cable, you need a modem cable (as opposed to a printer cable). The difference between the two is that a modem cable has all the wires running straight through, whereas a printer cable does not.
Last revision: November 7, 2002
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