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View Full Version : Bug in Serial Plugin, and a problem



dbwagner
January 21st, 2004, 10:44 PM
Using Serial 3.0.15.

I am using some USB-to-serial adapters on my machine (Win ME), and due to the vagaries of the installation process I ended up with COM1, COM2, and COM4. The serial plugin lists COM1, COM2, and COM3! I was able to rename COM4 to COM3 and get around the problem, but if anyone is maintaining this plugin, this is probably an easy thing to fix.

Now for a problem I have with the behavior of this plugin: occasionally a small alert box pops up with the title "SERIAL" and some error text. I didn't have the presence of mind to write down the exact text, but the problem is, serial events are suspended until I click OK on this alert. Obviously, this isn't going to fly for a home automation computer! Is there a way to defeat this alert dialog?

More details if anyone is interested: the port in question is an RS-485 port. There are 4 other devices on the RS-485 bus: three RCS thermostats and a HomeVision controller. I am trying to use Girder to eliminate the need for the HV. So far, I'm having a lot of success: I've written enough scripting to poll the 'stats and even to change their setpoints. Once I disconnect the HV there will be a LOT less traffic on the bus, and I hope that the serial error alert will be very unlikely. But the fact that it can happen at all is somewhat of a concern, since, as I mentioned, this is an automation PC that is not going to have a human operator in front of it (it won't even have a monitor by the time I'm done with it)!

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Dave Wagner

Promixis
January 22nd, 2004, 03:52 AM
Hi Dave, sounds like an interesting project!

The Serial plugin reads the available ports from the standard registry entries at \\HKLM\HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP\SERIALCOMM. If these registry entries are wrong (due to a faulty installation or other), the plugin won't know it.

Please try the latest Serial plugin (V 3.0.16). In the "Receive Message Definition" dialog for your device, choose to "Suppress error messages".

dbwagner
January 22nd, 2004, 07:45 AM
Thanks, Mike. I will try 3.0.16. For some reason, I have the zip file on my HD, but I'm still using 3.0.15!

By the time I'm done with this, I expect to be able to view/change the operational parameters of any of the thermostats in the house from my PocketPC. I'm using the latest version of the httpd plugin, which allows Girder variables to be displayed in Web pages. So far I've had no problems with it.

Dave

Promixis
January 22nd, 2004, 08:14 AM
Please post you code when done. Very cool.

You should also check out netremote.org.