Quick Answer
Writing a custom serial driver can give you maximum control but costs weeks, or months, of development time, requires ongoing maintenance, and breaks whenever Windows updates. TALtech’s WinWedge delivers the same result — instrument data flowing into Excel or any Windows application — in less than an hour, with no code and no maintenance burden.
The Build-vs-Buy Decision for Serial Data Collection
Every quality control engineer, scientist or technician who needs to collect data from a scale, balance, meter, analyzer or other RS232/USB instruments eventually faces the same question: write it yourself, or use existing software. Even if you are an excellent computer programmer the hidden costs of a custom solution add up fast.
This post lays out the practical comparison so you can make the right call for your situation.
What a Custom Serial Driver Actually Requires
Building a working serial data collection solution from scratch typically involves:
- COM port management: opening ports, handling port conflicts, managing multiple instances
- Serial protocol implementation: baud rate negotiation, parity, flow control, timeout handling
- Data parsing: stripping headers/footers, splitting delimited fields, handling variable-length strings
- Application integration: DDE, clipboard injection, keystrokes, or direct API calls to Excel
- Error handling: reconnects on cable unplug, handling garbled data, logging failures
- Windows compatibility: testing against Windows 10 and 11, 32-bit vs. 64-bit, UAC permissions. What about maintenance for future versions of Windows?
A robust, production-ready custom device driver with error handling and multi-instrument support typically takes over a month to several months for an experienced programmer after the exact specifications have been defined. Then it needs to be maintained whenever Windows updates or the instrument firmware changes.
What WinWedge Handles for You
TALtech’s WinWedge software handles every item on that list through a configuration interface rather than code:
- COM port setup: dropdown menus for port, baud, parity, data bits, stop bits
- Parsing: string filters, field splitters, prefix/suffix stripping, numeric extraction
- Output: either keystroke simulation (with tab/enter auto-advance) or DDE to Excel (with direct cell targeting),
- Multi-instrument: multiple simultaneous WinWedge instances, each reading a different RS232 or USB device. (WinWedge Pro also supports Ethernet-connected devices)
- Error recovery: automatic reconnect, configurable timeouts, event logging
Setup time for a typical single-instrument configuration is 15–30 minutes. Complex multi-field parsing with multiple instruments takes a few hours at most.
What is more WinWedge is only $399* for the standard version and $499 for the Pro which has additional features such as:
- Support for Ethernet-connected devices as well as RS232 and USB;
- Support for more enhanced input data parsing, filtering, formatting and math functions to support more types of devices.
*The $399 or $499 cost is a lifetime license for a single PC. If you move the software to a replacement PC in the future there is a discounted “transfer” fee. There are also extremely generous discounts for multi-user licenses
To make set up even easier TALtech provides a Quick Start Guide and set-up videos on its support pages.
WinWedge also comes with free support by phone (215-847-5836) and email (support@taltech.com). If you need help connecting to your serial device the Quick Start Guide has many suggestions for common connection issues. In addition, TALtech support staff are always available and happy to help during business hours (EST).
TALtech even provides free support for users trying the Free Trial Version of WinWedge.
Where Custom Code Still Makes Sense
WinWedge is not the right answer for every situation. Custom code is worth considering when:
- Your instrument uses a complex proprietary protocol. (Although WinWedge Pro does handle most device data outputs and control commands including binary formats as well as Hex and Decimal).
- You need to store data in a cloud database with real-time API calls rather than just entering the data in a web form (which is supported by WinWedge).
- Your workflow requires extremely complex logic. WinWedge can apply logic functions during data collection (and device control) when in DDE mode. These macros* can apply logic such as— “if reading > 5.0, write to column B; otherwise column C” and “If value from temperature sensor on COM 1 is > 500 degrees send command to WinWedge on COM port 2 to turn on pump”. (*such as VBA macros in Excel and other DDE supporting applications with their own macro language).
For standard lab and factory data collection into Excel, Access, or any Windows application or web form, WinWedge eliminates the need for custom code in the vast majority of cases.
The Real Cost Comparison
- Factor | Custom Solution | WinWedge
- Initial setup | 2–4 weeks dev time | 15–30 minutes
- Windows update breaks | Common | TALtech handles
- New instrument support | More dev time | Reconfigure in minutes
- License cost | Developer time | $399- $499 one-time
- Free tech support | No | Yes, unlimited
Frequently Asked Questions
*Q: Can WinWedge handle instruments with complex multi-line output formats?*
Yes. WinWedge Pro includes an advanced input data filter that handles multi-line records, conditional parsing, string matching, and field extraction from complex instrument output strings. Most formats from laboratory instruments, scales, balances, gages, meters and other measurement devices are supported.
*Q: What programming languages does WinWedge work with for custom integration?*
WinWedge outputs data via keystrokes or DDE, which means any application that accepts typed input or supports DDE (including Excel, Access, most Windows desktop apps and web forms) work without any programming.
*Q: Does WinWedge work on 64-bit Windows?*
Yes. WinWedge is fully compatible with 64-bit including Windows 10 and Windows 11.
*Q: Is WinWedge a subscription or a one-time purchase?*
WinWedge is a one-time lifetime license with no annual fees* and free technical support included. (*if you move the WinWedge to a new PC in the future there is a discounted Transfer Fee).
Published by TALtech — makers of WinWedge, TCP-Com, and HID-ScaleWedge data collection software. Visit TALtech.com to learn more or download a free trial.
