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**jlikonen** · November 20, 2008, 08:36 AM

I have made some debugging and I have checked that my VB script sends a correct command. It seems that Homeseer doesn't get any characters on the serial port. The situation is now even worse. One of the ports doesn't seem to work with Homeseer at all even though I have restarted HS and Windows. Strange thing is that the controller's own program works OK. This is really frustrating problem.

Jari

**Uncle Michael** · November 20, 2008, 09:14 AM

Where is your OpenComPort command? Is it in a startup script or does it run in the script that is attempting to send data to the port?

What is the index referring to? Is the OpenComPort statement in a loop? Can you post it?

I have found that if I put a short delay (100-200 msec) immediately before an OpenComPort that I get more consistent performance, especially if there are other serial commands preceding it.

**jlikonen** · November 20, 2008, 11:18 AM

Mike,

The OpenComPort command is just before I send a string to the com port. In fact I have several open and close comport commands in my script. Basically I open the com port just before sending data and close the port after reading and I do this every time when I send data to the port. I need to read e.g. 6 temperature values from the controller and I have read them one by one. The scipt is quite complex so it wouldn't be very helpful. One thing is the the controller has a binary protocol.

I don't quite understand how a delay before the opencomport would help. I can understand if there is a short delay between sending data to the port and reading the data from the port.

I tried to look for help in this board and I found a post about .Net Com port API (see http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=123250). I wonder whether .Net Com port API would work in VB scripts.

Jari

**stipus** · November 20, 2008, 11:29 AM

I tried to look for help in this board and I found a post about .Net Com port API (see http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=123250). I wonder whether .Net Com port API would work in VB scripts.

Yes the .Net COM port API is available from VB.NET scripts.

**jlikonen** · November 20, 2008, 11:43 AM

Stipus,

OK, thanks for the info. I tried to modify your example in the remote script gallery but I didn't get it working. I wonder whether you have a very simple example of a VB script how to send data to a com port and how to read from the port. I am not expert at all with .Net Com port API.

Jari

**stipus** · November 20, 2008, 11:59 AM

Just google for VB.Net serial

**Stevech** · November 22, 2008, 03:12 AM

Still interested? If so... here's some code I have used. Utilizes HomeSeer API goodies. Note the "HaveData" call-back in the hs.OpenComPort call. This allows the script to open the com port then go dormant until a line of text arrives - and the call-back function is called by HS.

Code:

 --------------------------------------
const port = 7

Function init()
    dim comport, OpenErr

   on error resume next
   hs.CloseComPort(port)
   on error goto 0

   OpenErr = hs.OpenComPort(port,"57600,n,8,1",1,"GarageDoorSensors.txt","HaveData")
   If OpenErr <> "" Then
      hs.WriteLog "ERROR", LogString & "GarageDoorSensors init() returned " & OpenErr
   Else
      hs.WriteLog "INFO", LogString & "GarageDoorSensors opened on COM" & cstr(port)
      hs.SendToComPort port, "R" ' force the AVR to reset
      call HSupdate("Script Started", "")
      call HSupdate2("Script Started", "")
	  call hs.SendToComPort(port, "E")
   End If
end Function 

Public sub HaveData(s)
	dim code
	dim msg
	
	if mid(s,1,1) = "*" then hs.WriteLog "INFO", "GarageDoorSensors CallBack() s=" & s
    
etc, etc etc
end sub

**jon00** · November 22, 2008, 07:03 AM

If the port is being used by Homeseer exclusively, why not just keep the port open?

I have always opened my ports in the startup.txt and just leave them open. Homeseer automatically closes the ports on shutdown.

**Uncle Michael** · November 22, 2008, 11:38 AM

Jari,
Here's an example that is working very reliably for me. It's possible that shorter delays will work as well, but once I got this working reliably I stopped experimenting.

Code:

Public Sub Main(ByVal Params As Object)

        ' Get status of all Zones

        Dim intComnum As Integer = 6

        hs.CloseComPort(intComnum)     'Close the serial port so it can be reopened to assign a data handling script

        hsp.WaitMS(200)             'Sometimes fails to obtain a handle if there is no pause

        hs.OpenComPort(intComnum, "19200,N,8,1", 1, "ReturnZoneStatus.vb", "GetData", Chr(&HF7)) 'Reopen serial port

        ' Send requests for status for each audio zone
        ' Zone 1
        If hs.DeviceStatus("u1") = 3 Then
            hs.SendToComPort(intComnum, Chr(&HF0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H7F) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H70) & Chr(&H1) & Chr(&H4) & Chr(&H2) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H7) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H7C) & Chr(&HF7))
        End If
        hsp.WaitMS(200)

        ' Zone 2
        If hs.DeviceStatus("u2") = 3 Then
            hs.SendToComPort(intComnum, Chr(&HF0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H7F) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H70) & Chr(&H1) & Chr(&H4) & Chr(&H2) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H1) & Chr(&H7) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H7D) & Chr(&HF7))
        End If
        hsp.WaitMS(200)

        ' Zone 3
        If hs.DeviceStatus("u3") = 3 Then
            hs.SendToComPort(intComnum, Chr(&HF0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H7F) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H70) & Chr(&H1) & Chr(&H4) & Chr(&H2) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H2) & Chr(&H7) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H7E) & Chr(&HF7))
        End If
        hsp.WaitMS(200)

        ' Zone 4
        If hs.DeviceStatus("u4") = 3 Then
            hs.SendToComPort(intComnum, Chr(&HF0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H7F) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H70) & Chr(&H1) & Chr(&H4) & Chr(&H2) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H3) & Chr(&H7) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H7F) & Chr(&HF7))
        End If
        hsp.WaitMS(200)

        ' Zone 5
        If hs.DeviceStatus("u5") = 3 Then
            hs.SendToComPort(intComnum, Chr(&HF0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H7F) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H70) & Chr(&H1) & Chr(&H4) & Chr(&H2) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H4) & Chr(&H7) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&HF7))
        End If
        hsp.WaitMS(200)

        ' Zone 6
        If hs.DeviceStatus("u6") = 3 Then
            hs.SendToComPort(intComnum, Chr(&HF0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H7F) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H70) & Chr(&H1) & Chr(&H4) & Chr(&H2) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H5) & Chr(&H7) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H0) & Chr(&H1) & Chr(&HF7))
        End If

        hsp.WaitMS(200)

        hs.CloseComPort(intComnum)     'Restore serial port with no data handling script
        hsp.WaitMS(200)
        hs.OpenComPort(intComnum, "19200,N,8,1", 1, "", "")

    End Sub

Jon,
In my case there is lots of traffic to and from the audio controller. When I was first setting this system up I thought the extraneous traffic was causing a problem (I was also using VBS at the time), so I decided to use the data handler only when I was looking for a response to a query for data. Since it works I've decided not to "fix" it.

**jlikonen** · November 23, 2008, 12:50 AM

Uncle Michael and Stevech,

Thanks a lot for the sample codes, I'll have a look at them. Uncle Michael, it seems that you are just sending binary code to the com port. I am wondering whether you are reading anything from the port.

Jon,

The reason why I am opening and closing the serial ports is that I have to send several handshaking commands and read the response from the port before I can send the actual command for changing e.g. the setpoint for temperature. Some of the responses are quite long (>60 characters) and sometimes I don't get all the characters. I have to use mode 0 in opencomport because the binary commands have the checksum as the last byte and therefore I can't use mode 1.

I am still wondering whether anyone has used .Net Com port API.

Jari

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