[ONLINE: program for online connection of laboratory apparatus with personal computers with special reference to the requirements of toxicological animal studies].

Abstract

This paper deals with ONLINE, a program for interfacing laboratory devices with personal computers (PC) via RS-232C. ONLINE was used in our department of toxicology for the evaluation of animal weights and for data transfer from a hematology analyzer to the PC. The program allows simplex as well as duplex connection and supports the programming of communication parameters for the data transfer when using the RS-232C. Files can be generated for the uptake of data up to 100,000 data points. Selected parts of these files can be used for the calculation of descriptive statistical parameters. ONLINE requires a computer compatible to MS-DOS with at least 256 kBytes RAM and with both a serial and a parallel port.