>>>Hi All,
>>>
>>>I look for a serial data reader. I found these products:
>>>
>>>http://www.photologic.ca/serial_logger.htm
>>>
>>>https://www.acumeninstruments.com/
>>>
>>>Does anyone know better models (cheaper, wifi featured or something else...)?
>>
>>What do you want to use it for? Your links show industrial products that are ruggedized and designed for fool-resistant operation. That makes them low volume and expensive.
>>
>>Purely from the hardware side you can probably get something much cheaper in the high-volume Arduino or Raspberry Pi ecosystems. But, unless someone has already packaged the parts and functions you need, you may be looking at assembling parts and cases, and doing some programming yourself.
>>
>>There are various tiny form factor PCs available. Only a few have RS-232 style serial ports or connectivity, although most support USB so you might be able to use a USB to serial adapter. Some links I quickly found on Google, there are lots out there:
>>
>>http://www.tinygreenpc.com/
>>http://www.ewayco.com/100-low-cost-pc-products-low-cost-systems-embedded-systems-servers-lcd-pc-panel-pc.html
>
>There're some industrial computers at a customer candidate. These computers has one rs-232 port and prints outputs to printer. In first I thought these computers are MS-DOS installed computers, install a rs-232 capture tsr to these and catch outputs. But unfortunately they're not MS-DOS compatible computers, embedded systems.
>
>Client wants to follow up these computers from one central computer. I just want to catch up outputs collect them, clear data and show at screen.

Hmm... how critical is the equipment being run by the embedded system? In an industrial plant they might be process controllers, CNC machines etc. and there may be safety implications if these controllers are disrupted. In those cases plant managers are often very reluctant to install any software or attach any 3rd-party equipment. In some cases doing either of those things voids the warranty of the control system or equipment.

Even if attaching equipment is allowed, how reliable does it have to be? Industrial plants are often hot or cold, dirty and dusty, and full of electrical noise. That's why those ruggedized devices you linked earlier are relatively expensive.

If you can't put software on the controller you probably need to use some hardware. You can attach a data logger to a splitter cable e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Female-Serial-Rs232-Splitter-Cable/dp/7107150324 but you'd have to make sure the logger is purely passive so it doesn't interfere with the serial printing. There are various RS-232 sniffers available e.g. http://www.fte.com/products/SerialAnalyzers.aspx but the ones I've found seemed aimed at electronic designers and are pretty expensive.

One idea would be to use a PC that has 2 serial ports:

- one that accepts incoming print jobs and spools them
- the other that feeds the jobs to the serial printer

The PC could be configured to store the spooled print jobs, then upload them elsewhere via WiFi or wired network.