[Implemented] Serial port commands

wcardoso · Post by **wcardoso** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:18 pm

Please, include native commands to drive the serial port in as many OS's as possible. Commands to send and receive raw data, files and strings; and commands like SetDTR to put the individual port signals on or off.

GPI · Post by **GPI** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 6:22 pm

I think, it is a waste of time, because serial is outdated.

RJP Computing · Post by **RJP Computing** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 6:37 pm

No Way GPI.

You are thinking about it totally wrong. I use serial everyday. Some new USB devices use a serial interface to talk on. So it isn't even close to old dead technology. It is just starting to pickup in my feild. So please let this be a feature that is implimented.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 6:52 pm

GPI wrote:I think, it is a waste of time, because serial is outdated.

Then I would have to say you are not working in an industry that actually sees how widely used com/serial ports are used.

I work in the Television industry and every satellite receiver and controller attached to computer control via COM or LPT port. All the video editor/recorder equipment connects to computer or hardware controllers via COM or LPT.
If I want to transfer data back and forth to my GPS it hooks to computer via COM port. If I want to transfer data or program my cell phone, it hooks to computer via COM or LPT port.

Using your thinking, you would also have to say Satellites and Satellite TV is outdated, moti9on control cameras are outdated, Cell phones are outdated, GPS's are outdated.

COM and LPT control lends itself to so many applications it's mind boggling. I would love to see native COM and LPT commands!!!

blueznl · Post by **blueznl** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 8:43 pm

i would like some serial support as well (as well as usb

)

GPI · Post by **GPI** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 10:19 pm

blueznl wrote:(as well as usb )

For USB-Devices you need a driver, no way without it.

thefool · Post by **thefool** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 10:32 pm

i must say that this is needed. Also attached devices to some laptops uses serial interface, as well as other things too.

btW: there should be a new MVCom coming soon!

Psychophanta · Post by **Psychophanta** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 12:38 am

I think this thread is a nonsense, because under certain OSes there is needed kernel wrapper to write/read to physical ports.

RichardL · Post by **RichardL** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 6:54 pm

Hi,
I use the serial port for instrumentation, a lot! Many lab instruments have RS232. I am in a team that creates a lot of products that use RS232 for configuration purposes. Our end users like the ability to plug into a standard serial port and go... no drivers to worrry about.

PCs without serial ports can use USB to serial adaptors, I find these work quite well.

Many microprocessors include simple UARTs. Development systems for processors like the PIC family make it easy to use them by supplying library functions that get invoked by a simple compiler directive. (Same for I2C.)

Anyone developing hardware who wants a bit more I/O speed can use chips from FTDI that allow the PC to open a serial port that then talks USB to the chip in the peripheral. (http://www.ftdi.co.uk) The chip provides a simple memory mapped port in the peripherals memory space. This way the PC can use serial functions to talk to a USB device. 1 MByte / second can be acheived.

There is a lot of life still in good old fashioned RS232

Just for interest...
A month or so ago I had to interface a peripheral via the parallel port which later Windows versions does not allow direct access to. I found a utility that punched a hole in the IO permissions map and manged to use my old GFA Basic program that has commands to read and write from the port. The same would work with Pure Basic.

wcardoso · Post by **wcardoso** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 10:48 am

Psychophanta, there is a RealBasic compiler who has a serial communication component and you can compile apps using it.
This compiler can code to Windows, Linux and Mac without any change in the source code. I think this feature will be a very cool thing in the PB compiler, isn't it ?

DarkDragon · Post by **DarkDragon** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 2:59 pm

I tested the newer MVCom and it is great. There you can get the RI state.

geoff · Post by **geoff** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 8:01 pm

I think, it is a waste of time, because serial is outdated.

It's a sad reflection on the IT industry that we consider junking something, not because it isn't useful, but because it isn't cool, or the latest gizmo.

RS232 devices have been in use for 40 years in every application imaginable. Do we scrap billions of expensive equipments just because they have an unfashionable connection? I'm sure hardware manufacturers would love to sell us new versions of everything we own every 5 years, but what's in it for users?

RS232 can be made to work over 100 metres of cheap telephone cable. You are lucky to get USB to work over 5 metres. Does anyone expect USB to be supported in 40 years time?

Sad.

Psychophanta · Post by **Psychophanta** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 8:12 pm

wcardoso wrote:Psychophanta, there is a RealBasic compiler who has a serial communication component and you can compile apps using it.
This compiler can code to Windows, Linux and Mac without any change in the source code. I think this feature will be a very cool thing in the PB compiler, isn't it ?

??????
If it works on Windows NT, 2000, XP..., then it must include a kernel wrapper to "lie" OS normal user operation.

I've tested MVCOM too. Of course it includes and I/O wrapper if it works on WinNT. It works fine.

wcardoso · Post by **wcardoso** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 5:18 pm

Yes, MVCOM works well on Windows, but what about Linux library ?, or Mac version ?.
I was speaking about a multiplatform version :roll:

Dano · Post by **Dano** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:01 pm

One more vote here for native com port I/O support .

And please not just Com1 and Com2, the multiport solutions are becoming more popular.

If Com65 exiss we should be able to see and use it.

Thanks