Serial Terminal Blog
Articles, guides, and tutorials for Serial Terminal.
Modbus RTU Over Serial: How It Works on RS-485
A byte-level breakdown of Modbus RTU on RS-485: frame structure, CRC-16 with polynomial 0xA001, function codes, 3.5-character inter-frame timing, and a worked FC03 request/response you can read off the wire.
Read articleRS-485 Termination and Biasing: Why Your Serial Bus Is Unreliable
Why RS-485 buses produce CRC errors and garbage bytes: differential signalling, 120-ohm end termination, fail-safe bias resistor math, unit-load counting, and daisy-chain-only topology.
Read articleUSB to RS485 on macOS (2026): Adapter Guide for Apple Silicon
Complete guide to USB-RS485 adapters on macOS. FTDI, CH340, CP2102 driver installation for Apple Silicon. Troubleshooting port detection, wiring RS485 devices.
Read articleRS-232 vs RS-485 vs RS-422: Serial Communication Protocols Compared
UART, RS-232, RS-485, and RS-422 explained. Distance limits, device count, noise immunity, and which serial standard your industrial equipment uses.
Read articleSerial Terminal for macOS: Alternatives to screen, minicom, and CoolTerm
Best serial terminal apps for macOS in 2026. Compare screen, minicom, CoolTerm, Serial by Decisive Tactics, and MacTools. Hex view, protocol analysis, USB-RS485.
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