Serial Communication Resources?

[matapan]

I've read with great interest what others on this forum have done interfacing with devices with serial ports using the network module.

 

I'm about to try having ISY communicate with a device I have that has a serial port - in baby steps. Can someone point me to an online resource which can explain how to take a command to be sent to a serial port and convert the string to what I could send through a PC-based terminal emulation program?

 

For example, I have the string taken from a specification:

 

0100232<1><2>

 

where <1> is a 3 digit parameter, <2> is another 3 digit parameter, and CHK is the checksum

 

After establishing the proper comm parameters between the PC serial port and device (say, 19200,n,8,1), what would I actually send from the terminal program?

 

Sorry about the basic question, but most of the resources I've looked at so far don't really delve into this question.