Reading Com Port Error

[Romac]

Recently a smart electricity meter is installed in my house. This meter is connected to my HomeSeer pc through serial to USB. I can read the data coming in with Putty.

The data looks like this. Every 10 sec this data is updated.

/KFM5KAIFA-METER

1-3:0.2.8(40)
0-0:1.0.0(140207214844W)
0-0:96.1.1(4530303039313030303031363435353133)
1-0:1.8.1(000029.567*kWh)
1-0:1.8.2(000025.374*kWh)
1-0:2.8.1(000000.000*kWh)
1-0:2.8.2(000000.000*kWh)
0-0:96.14.0(0002)
1-0:1.7.0(01.645*kW)
1-0:2.7.0(00.000*kW)
0-0:17.0.0(999.9*kW)
0-0:96.3.10(1)
0-0:96.7.21(00007)
0-0:96.7.9(00005)
1-0:99.97.0(1)(0-0:96.7.19)(000101000001W)(2147483647*s)
1-0:32.32.0(00000)
1-0:32.36.0(00000)
0-0:96.13.1()
0-0:96.13.0()
1-0:31.7.0(007*A)
1-0:21.7.0(01.651*kW)
1-0:22.7.0(00.000*kW)
0-1:24.1.0(003)
0-1:96.1.0(4730303136353631323034323832383133)
0-1:24.2.1(140207210000W)(00026.831*m3)
0-1:24.4.0(1)
!D6BF

I trying to make this data available in Homeseer. The script runs fine until after the first line is read. Then I get the following error in the log: Length cannot be less then zero (see attached). The script I use is:

' place in Homeseer Startup.txt and replace X with com-port #

' hs.closecomport X 
'  e=hs.OpenComPort(X,"115200,N,8,1",1,"P1.vb","P1_event", "!")
'  if e <> "" then 
'    hs.writelog "P1", "Setup error " & e
'  else 
'    hs.writelog "P1", "Setup complete"
'  end if 

' Place the following in the Shutdown script
' e=hs.CloseComPort("X")
' if e<> "" then
'   hs.writelog "Error closing COM1",e
' else
'   hs.writelog "COM1", "Port was closed"
' end if

'Create these virtual devices in Homeseer
Const CURRENT_POWER_USAGE = "E1"
Const TOTAL_POWER_USAGE_T1 = "E2"
Const TOTAL_POWER_USAGE_T2 = "E3"
Const TARIFF_INDICATOR = "E4"
Const TOTAL_GAS_USAGE = "E5"
Const GAS_USAGE_UPDATE = "E6"

Dim v1, v2, device_value, device_string, y, m, d, h

Const DEBUG_LOG = True 'set to False when running without error

Sub P1_event(data)

    If DEBUG_LOG Then
        hs.writelog("P1", "Data: " & CStr(data))
    End If

    ' Current Power Use
    ' 1-0:1.7.0(0001.05*kW)
    If left(data, 10) = "1-0:1.7.0(" Then
        v1 = Split(data, "(")
        v2 = Split(v1(1), "*")
        device_value = CDbl(replace(v2(0), ".", ",")) * 1000
        'device_string = device_value & "W" 
        If DEBUG_LOG Then
            hs.writelog("P1", "Current Power Use: " & CStr(device_value) & " Watt")
        End If
        hs.SetDeviceString(CURRENT_POWER_USAGE, device_string)
        hs.SetDeviceValue(CURRENT_POWER_USAGE, device_value)
        hs.setDeviceLastChange("E1", now)
        
    End If


End Sub

Can somebody point me in the right direction on how to solve this or where to start looking for an answer?

[Rupp]

Are you sure this error is coming from this script?

[Romac]

If I stop the script the error disappears, so I am sure it comes from this script.

[Rupp]

Hum. I'm not sure where the Length test is coming from but you could try adding an "On Error Resume Next" to the loop to see if it continues. You may also have to add some debug statement to the script to narrow in on where the error is being generated.

[Romac]

I brought the script down to a minimum:

Const DEBUG_LOG = True 'set to False when running without error

Sub P1_event(data)

    If DEBUG_LOG Then
        hs.writelog("P1", "Data: " & CStr(data))
    End If

    If left(data, 1) = "/" Then
        hs.SetDeviceString("E1", data)
        hs.SetDeviceLastChange("E1", now)
    End If

The result is attached. This first line of data can be processed. The next line however seems to create the problem.

[Rupp]

Did you try adding the On error resume next in the first debug statement?

[Romac]

Did it like to this, the result is the same.

Const DEBUG_LOG = True 'set to False when running without error

Sub P1_event(data)

    If DEBUG_LOG Then
        hs.writelog("P1", "Data: " & CStr(data))
        On Error Resume Next
    End If

    If left(data, 1) = "/" Then
        hs.SetDeviceString("E1", data)
        hs.SetDeviceLastChange("E1", now)
    End If

[Rupp]

Try moving the on error above the debug statement.

[Romac]

Not much luck yet.. The result is the same. Could the "blank" line contain any (hidden) codes that throw of the script?

Const DEBUG_LOG = True 'set to False when running without error

Sub P1_event(data)

    On Error Resume Next

    If DEBUG_LOG Then
        hs.writelog("P1", "Data: " & CStr(data))
    End If

    If left(data, 1) = "/" Then
        hs.SetDeviceString("E1", data)
        hs.SetDeviceLastChange("E1", now)
    End If

[Rupp]

Possibly. Try putting the On error here:



If DEBUG_LOG Then
On Error Resume Next
hs.writelog("P1", "Data: " & CStr(data))
End If

If left(data, 1) = "/" Then
hs.SetDeviceString("E1", data)
hs.SetDeviceLastChange("E1", now)
End If

[Rupp]

What com port number are you trying to open? What file extension do you have on this file? Please show the code you are using to open the serial port.

[dcorsus]

Not much luck yet.. The result is the same. Could the "blank" line contain any (hidden) codes that throw of the script?

Const DEBUG_LOG = True 'set to False when running without error

Sub P1_event(data)

    On Error Resume Next

    If DEBUG_LOG Then
        hs.writelog("P1", "Data: " & CStr(data))
    End If

    If left(data, 1) = "/" Then
        hs.SetDeviceString("E1", data)
        hs.SetDeviceLastChange("E1", now)
    End If

Suggest you first test whether the length of the data is >= size of the substring you are trying to compare it with, which in your case = 10. Never used the function "left" before but had similar issue using "mid" on a string smaller than my mid function and changed it to a "Indexof" <> -1 check

Dirk

[Romac]

Possibly. Try putting the On error here:



If DEBUG_LOG Then
On Error Resume Next
hs.writelog("P1", "Data: " & CStr(data))
End If

If left(data, 1) = "/" Then
hs.SetDeviceString("E1", data)
hs.SetDeviceLastChange("E1", now)
End If

Thanks for the idea, but the result is the same.

[Romac]

What com port number are you trying to open? What file extension do you have on this file? Please show the code you are using to open the serial port.

I have this in the startup script:

hs.closecomport 4 
	e=hs.OpenComPort(4,"115200,N,8,1",1,"P1.vb","P1_event")
	if e <> "" then 
	    hs.writelog "P1", "Setup error " & e
	  else 
	    hs.writelog "P1", "Setup complete using Comport 4"
	end i

f

[Romac]

Suggest you first test whether the length of the data is >= size of the substring you are trying to compare it with, which in your case = 10. Never used the function "left" before but had similar issue using "mid" on a string smaller than my mid function and changed it to a "Indexof" <> -1 check

Dirk

Thanks I will try this later today.