ScriptCommunicator Installation Guide for Ubuntu Linux

What is ScriptCommunicator?

ScriptCommunicator is a powerful serial terminal and communication tool that allows you to interact directly with devices through various interfaces including:

• Serial ports (RS232, RS485, RS422)
• TCP/IP connections
• UDP connections
• CAN bus

Medical Instrument Troubleshooting

ScriptCommunicator is particularly valuable for troubleshooting communication with medical instruments such as:

• Laboratory analyzers
• Patient monitors
• Imaging equipment
• Infusion pumps
• Ventilators

It allows you to:

• Monitor raw communication between devices
• Send test commands directly to instruments
• Verify protocol compliance (HL7, ASTM, LIS protocols)
• Debug timing issues and data formatting problems
• Log all communication for analysis

Why Test Communication Before Middleware Integration

It is crucial to establish and verify direct communication with medical instruments using ScriptCommunicator BEFORE implementing any middleware solution. Here’s why:

1. Isolate Hardware Issues: Verify cables, adapters, and physical connections work correctly
2. Confirm Protocol Settings: Ensure baud rate, parity, stop bits match instrument specifications
3. Validate Data Format: Check that the instrument sends data in the expected format (HL7, ASTM, etc.)
4. Establish Baseline: Document working communication parameters for middleware configuration
5. Reduce Complexity: Eliminate instrument communication as a variable when troubleshooting middleware issues

Rule of thumb: If ScriptCommunicator cannot communicate with the instrument, your middleware won’t either. Fix the basic connection first.

Prerequisites

Before installation, ensure you have the necessary tools:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install p7zip-full wget

Download ScriptCommunicator

Visit the official SourceForge page and download the latest version:

• Go to: https://sourceforge.net/projects/scriptcommunicator/files/latest/download
• This will download a file like ScriptCommunicator_06_11_linux_64_bit.7z

Extract and Install

1. Extract the downloaded archive:
   • Right-click the .7z file and select “Extract Here”
   • Or use command line: 7z x ScriptCommunicator_06_11_linux_64_bit.7z
2. Move to appropriate location: mv ScriptCommunicator_06_11_linux_64_bit /opt/scriptcommunicator Or keep it in your Downloads folder if preferred: /home/username/Downloads/ScriptCommunicator_06_11_linux_64_bit
3. Make the script executable: cd /opt/scriptcommunicator # or your chosen directory sudo chmod +x ScriptCommunicator.sh

CRITICAL: Add User to dialout Group

⚠️ This step is essential for serial port access:

sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER

You MUST logout and login again (or reboot) for this change to take effect.

To verify you’re in the dialout group:

groups $USER

Run ScriptCommunicator

After logging back in, you can run ScriptCommunicator by:

• Double-clicking the ScriptCommunicator file in your file manager
• Or from terminal: navigate to the installation directory and run:

./ScriptCommunicator

Optional: Create Desktop Shortcut

Create a desktop launcher for easy access:

cat > ~/.local/share/applications/scriptcommunicator.desktop << EOF
[Desktop Entry]
Name=ScriptCommunicator
Comment=Serial Terminal and Scripting Tool
Exec=/opt/scriptcommunicator/ScriptCommunicator
Icon=/opt/scriptcommunicator/ScriptCommunicator.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Development;Electronics;
EOF

Troubleshooting

• Permission denied on serial ports: Ensure you’ve added your user to the dialout group and logged out/in
• Command not found: Verify the script is executable with ls -la ScriptCommunicator.sh
• Missing dependencies: Install any missing libraries that appear in error messages

The application should now work without issues for serial communication and scripting tasks.