New Features on this release include

Information below describes the feature changes on VPortPro.

Major differences 2.4/Release:20070707 from the 2.3/Release:20070119 version

New Features on this release include

1. COM Port Redirector and COM Port Redirector Service:
- Implemented the "Disconnecting with the current client and connecting to a new client" mode and setting.

Major differences 2.3/Release:20070119 from the 2.2/Release:20060612 version

New Features on this release include

1. Virtual COM Port Driver:
- Implemented the Data Carrier Detect (DCD) virtual serial port "state".

2. COM Port Redirector and COM Port Redirector Service:
- The "SYNC"/"ASYNC" modes are controlled by the new "Record synchronization mode" setting from the "Configure" dialog.
- The DCD virtual serial port "state" is implemented as follows:
a) DCD is Off (as was before this version);
b) DCD is On (Default);
c) DCD is controlled by DTR (as in NULL Modem Cable). Available only in the RFC2217 mode;
d) DCD is turned On when client connects to server, and DCD is turned Off after client disconnects from server.

3. COM Port Redirector Service:
- Improved the log file output;

The following bugs have been fixed:

1. Virtual COM Port Driver:
- Abnormal termination of the executable prevented correct closing of opened Virtual COM-ports.

2. COM Port Redirector and COM Port Redirector Service:
- Executables may crash when the TCP/IP Client is in the Telnet RFC2217 mode;
- Executables may crash when heavy traffic (with very often connect/disconnect events) took place.
- The "Enable Reconnection" left out of account sometimes that prevented reconnection.

Major differences 2.2/Release:20060612 from the 2.1/Release:20051120 version

New Features on this release include

1. Virtual COM Port Driver:
- Is now operational under MS Windows 2003/XP x64 systems.

2. COM Port Redirector and COM Port Redirector Service:
- Implemented the "SYNC" data transfer mode for Virtual COM ports.
- Implemented IPv6 support. In the Client mode, the software automatically negotiates on which protocol to use (IPv4 or IPv6).
- In the Server mode, you specify the protocol to use.
- Implemented the "pool of COM-ports" option for the TCP/IP Server mode.
- Implemented the "data fork" option for the TCP/IP Server mode.
- Implemented the "Connect if the virtual COM-port is used by another task" setting for TCP/IP Clients (instead of the old manual "UseOpenedComPort=1" setting).
- Setting files, "VPP_half.ini" and "hservice.ini", are incompatible with old ones (of previous versions).
- The list of COM ports may be edited in the "Configure" mode.

The following bugs have been fixed:

1. COM Port Redirector and COM Port Redirector Service:
- TCP/IP connection wasn't always established during the expected connection time.

Major differences 2.1/Release:20051120 from the 2.0/Release:20050429 version

New Features on this release include

1. All components :
- are operational under Microsoft Windows 2003
- all drivers have been significantly renovated and tested

2. ComPort Redirector:
- implemented the "Port Monitor" to trace the chosen serial port
- added the "Start"/"Stop" button to control specifically Server- and/or Client- connections (that is different from the "Connect"/Disconnect" button actions). The "Connect"/"Disconnect" may be treated as "... CURRENT connection to/from this port", but the "Start"/"Stop" must be considered as "... ANY connection to/from this port"
- some trace settings are moved to more natural/expected dialogs/places
- the RFC2217 protocol support option is available without additional manual setting in the ".ini"-file
- for Virtual COM ports, implemented the especial "auto" mode to provide "VCOM-TCP Primary Client"-like behaviour when the opening/closing of a serial port provides the corresponding "Connect"/Disconnect" and "Start"/"Stop" logic

3. ComServ Redirector:
- implemented the MS NT service to provide ComPort Redirector functionality without user logon (and without manual starting the "ComPort Redirector" application)

The following bugs have been fixed:

1. ComPort Redirector :
- fixed some minor bugs

Major differences 2.0/Release:20050429 from the 1.0/Release:20041126 version

New Features on this release include

1. VCOM-TCP Primary Client:
- improved the corresponding driver to be used on multi-CPU machines

2. COM Port Redirector:
- implemented new facility and corresponding driver to support the RAW and RFC2217 modes with physical and virtual COM ports

The following bugs have been fixed

1. Installation:
- the silent installation did not correctly use some saved installation parameters (i.e. the "Destination directory")

2. VCOM-TCP Primary Client:
- sometimes failed to operate with some modems

Undocumented Features

1. COM Port Redirector and COM Port Redirector Service:
- Add manually the "DCD=..." line into the "[VPORTPRO]" section of the "XWP.INI" file to set up the DCD Virtual serial port "state" :
a) "DCD=0" - DCD is Off (as was before this version);
b) "DCD=1" - DCD is On (Default);
c) "DCD=2" - DCD is controlled by DTR (as in NULL Modem Cable). Available only in the RFC2217 mode;
d) "DCD=4" - DCD is turned On when client connects to server and DCD is turned Off after client disconnects from server.

2. Uninhalf.exe utility:
- The "uninhalf.exe -s" command line uninstalls the NT service only.

Known problems and limitations

1. The package has been tested under the following operating systems:
- Microsoft Windows 2003 Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Pro
- Microsoft Windows XP Pro
- Microsoft Windows XP Home

2. 32-bit software programs (developed for the Win32 platform) have only been tested. 16-bit software programs for MS-DOS have not been tested.

3. In the Telnet RFC2217 mode, the Client mode supports the following "usual" Telnet-protocol commands:
- TN_TRANSMIT_BINARY;
- TN_ECHO;
- TN_SUPPRESS_GO_AHEAD.

4. To test the COM Port Control protocol (RFC 2217) commands, the ACORP 56000 Data/Fax/Voice modem and the DIGI One IA server have been used.

5. VCOM-TCP Primary Client:
- Allows creating up to 10 Virtual COM Ports.
- Additional Virtual Com Ports can be adding by purchasing drivers from our sales team.

6. COM Port Redirector and COM Port Redirector Service:
- Allows (together) creating up to 10 Virtual COM Ports.
- Provide the TCP-Client and RFC2217-Client mode only in pairs so far (as well as the TCP-Server and the RFC2217-Server).

PLEASE NOTE

The programs associated in this package may send and/or receive broadcast IP requests. Since such packets cannot cross the nearest firewall/gateway/router, please be sure that these IP requests are invisible from outside your network. We assume that such behavior cannot be considered as "Hacking" or "Trojan horse's action".