Node tcp socket: Read binary data from Enfora MT4000

Question

I'm working with an Enfora MT4000 device. The device sends data to tcp or udp server when certain event has occurred. Data can be send in binary or ASCII format, but I need to use binary.

Enfora device is configured with AT commands like this:

AT$EVENT=14,0,7,1,1
AT$EVENT=14,3,52,14,1578098

When I configure the device with ASCII, the server receives data in this format:

r        13    0    0 $GPRMC,211533.00,A,3321.856934,S,07040.240234,W,0.0,0.0,120514,2.3,W,A*2B

But, when I use binary, the data looks like this:

$2K�  �Dk����a�H

Anyone knows how Node.js can convert binary data from a socket? I'm trying to do this with a very simple script.

// server
require('net').createServer(function (socket) {
    console.log("connected");
    socket.setEncoding(null);
    socket.on('data', function (data) {
        console.log(data.toString());
    });
})

.listen(3041);

thanks.

Answer 1

The data argument in your 'data' event handler is already a Buffer. By calling data.toString() you are converting that Buffer to a (UTF-8 by default) string. You're probably better off keeping it as a Buffer and using that if you need the original binary data.