Tera Term is a versatile and widely-used terminal emulator that supports various communication protocols such as SSH, Telnet, and serial port connections. It is particularly useful for developers working with embedded systems, including those involving microchips, because it allows for easy communication and debugging of microcontroller units (MCUs) via serial interfaces.

In the context of microchip development, Tera Term can be used to interface with microcontrollers, send and receive data, and monitor the output from the MCU. This article will guide you through the process of setting up and using Tera Term for microchip development, providing practical examples and sample commands to help you get started.

Examples:

1. Setting Up Tera Term for Serial Communication with a Microchip MCU:

   • Step 1: Download and Install Tera Term Download the latest version of Tera Term from the official website and follow the installation instructions.

   • Step 2: Connect Your Microchip MCU to Your Computer Use a USB-to-serial adapter if necessary, and connect the MCU to your computer's USB port.

   • Step 3: Open Tera Term and Configure the Serial Port Launch Tera Term, and you will be prompted to select a new connection. Choose the "Serial" option and select the appropriate COM port corresponding to your MCU. Configure the serial port settings (baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits, and flow control) to match those of your MCU.

   Example Configuration:
   - Baud rate: 9600
   - Data bits: 8
   - Parity: None
   - Stop bits: 1
   - Flow control: None

   • Step 4: Establish the Connection Click "OK" to establish the connection. You should now be able to send and receive data between Tera Term and your microchip MCU.

2. Sending Commands to the Microchip MCU:

   • Example Command: To send a command to the MCU, simply type the command in the Tera Term window and press Enter. For instance, if your MCU is programmed to respond to the command "STATUS," you can type "STATUS" and press Enter to receive the current status of the MCU.

   STATUS

3. Receiving Data from the Microchip MCU:

   • Example Output: When the MCU sends data back to Tera Term, it will be displayed in the terminal window. For example, if the MCU sends temperature data, you might see something like this:

   Temperature: 25.3°C

4. Automating Tasks with Tera Term Scripts:

   • Example Script: Tera Term supports scripting to automate repetitive tasks. Below is an example script that sends the "STATUS" command every 5 seconds and logs the output to a file.

   ; Example Tera Term Script
   ; Send STATUS command every 5 seconds and log output
   
   logfile 'status_log.txt'
   while 1
    sendln 'STATUS'
    pause 5
   endwhile

   Save the script with a .ttl extension and run it in Tera Term by navigating to Control > Macro and selecting your script file.