RazorGage has TWO kinds of RazorGage. If you get an RG3, you can communicate with Stratus through the latest version of the WorkstationApp. If you have the older RazorGage, you will need to see the page on RGST: https://gtpservices.atlassian.net/wiki/x/VoIFaQ

This purpose of this tutorial is to help you install the Workstation App so that it talks with RG3.

1 Preliminaries
2 Installing RG3
3 Installing Stratus Workstation App
4 Option 1: Software Setup (Linking Workstation App to RG3)
5 Option 2: Hardware Setup (Linking Workstation App to RG3)
6 Obtain the Two COM Ports of the Cable
7 Assign a Port to RazorGage/RG3
- 7.1 If that does Not Work: Manual Method of Setting COM port for RG3
8 Assign a Port to Workstation App
9 Ready to Run RG3 and Workstation App

Preliminaries

Before following these instructions, shut down RG3 and the Workstation App if it is already running on your RazorGage PC. You will need to purchase the AutoList module for your RG3 from RazorGage.

A note to the developer: You can simulate having AutoList mode by setting RG3\Parameters\MachineParameters.json change InDebugMode to “true”

Installing RG3

RG3 must be installed on the same PC as you install the Workstation APP.

You should see this icon (don’t click it yet!)

If you don’t have RG3 installed, please contact RazorGage to obtain an installer.

Installing Stratus Workstation App

You can install the latest version of the Workstation App to use RazorGage. Under [SETTINGS] you will need to select RazorGage as your Tool Type:

Option 1: Software Setup (Linking Workstation App to RG3)

This software has a 14 day Demo, then $135 per seat: https://www.virtual-serial-port.org/

Option 2: Hardware Setup (Linking Workstation App to RG3)

The RazorGage RG3 exposes a form of communication through COM ports which allows the Stratus Workstation App to communicate to RG3. For this reason, you should purchases a split serial cable and a null modem as follows:

A split serial cable with USB on one end, and two nine-pin serial interfaces, both male. Also, a Null Modem in the middle (both female).

You can buy this cabling from RazorGage, or get the null modem and similar split DB9 from these sources:

Null Modem: https://www.neweggbusiness.com/product/product.aspx?item=9siv15664u2466&bri=9siv0gs6619335

Split Serial: https://www.metabee.com/usb-to-dual-rs232-serial-cable-with-30cm-round-split-black-cable.html?campaignid=20842218928&adgroupid=&keyword=&device=c&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAs5i8BhDmARIsAGE4xHxXy9E3Zrw0qP_mECIv4nDtdYt2goFIUMPQiECbHDwGsrVQAWSqY88aAm43EALw_wcB (recommended as it is shorter)

OR this longer Split Serial: https://www.amazon.com/CableMax-Serial-5ft-Cable-Adapter-Windows/dp/B01N0HBQUG

(these links last accessed 1/14/2024)

Connect the null modem as follows:

Plug the USB end into your PC (the same PC running RG3 and the Workstation App).

** DO NOT PLUG YOUR CABLE INTO YOUR PC YET **

Obtain the Two COM Ports of the Cable

When we plug the cable into your PC, it will get two COM ports assigned. We need to record those two number and use them. To do that, the following steps are provided.

With your new split cable NOT plugged in, run the device manager. Type device manager in your windows search bar:

Now click on “Device Manager” shown above, and the following program runs. When it opens, expand the Ports.

With this screen open, now you should plug in your new cable into a USB port. When you plug in the cable, you should see two new COM ports appear in your Device Manager:

In this case, COM4 and COM9 were created. This is important to note. We need to type these two numbers into our settings files.

Assign a Port to RazorGage/RG3

To assign one of the two ports created above to RG3. There are two ways, one through RG3, and if that fails, we need to notepad and edit a setting file. Instructions for both methods follow.

Open RG3, click on Settings, enter the password (5239 in the default case), then go to the Remote Control tab, where you will be able to pick the COM4. Again, this is COM4 in our case, because COM4 is one of the ports added when we added our new cable – see above steps:

From here, you can select the COM port earlier found:

If that does Not Work: Manual Method of Setting COM port for RG3

If the above steps did not work, then you can open Windows File explorer and go to:

C:\RG3\Parameters

From there, right-click on “MachineParameters.json” and edit with Notepad.

WARNING: Editing a JSON file must be done with great care.

In this file, change the RG3 COM port:

Save that file, and next let’s edit the settings file for the Workstation App.

Assign a Port to Workstation App

We used COM4 for the RG3, so we will use COM9 for the Workstation App (your COM port numbers may differ, as per the above instructions).

If you have not installed the Workstation App yet, do that now. Once installed, do the following instructions.

Open File Explorer, and type %appdata% in the address bar and hit [Enter]

From here, go into “GTP Cloud - Workstation”

In this file, set ComPort to 9 and set the PusherType to 4

Save this, and now we are ready to Run the Workstation App and RG3!

Ready to Run RG3 and Workstation App

Now start / restart RG3. With RG3 running, go to the RemotControl tab, and check that the COM port is open:

Now in the Windows Search, type Stratus and find the Stratus Workstation

To run the Workstation App, you will need a Stratus User/Password.

In the next screen shot (after logging in), you can click on Settings (bottom right of screen) and go to the General Tab.

Here you will pick a company and a tool. In Stratus, you need a Tool/Station that you can send cut-lists to. The Workstation App will read those, and show them. For more help on using the Workstation App, see the other GTP Knowledge Base articles.

KwikSnap and Disabling RG3 Retract

If you are using the retract feature in RG3 and you are using the Workstation App, you will get

RazorGage RG3 and Workstation App