Serial Comm using WriteFile/ReadFile

Question

//#include "StdAfx.h"
#include <stdio.h> 
#include <windows.h> 
#include <winbase.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <tchar.h>
using namespace std;

int main()
{

    int com = 'COM2';
    string data = "\n 010400 \n";
    char output[32];
    //unsigned int length = 0;
    DCB config = {0};
    bool abContinue = true;
    DWORD dwBytesWritten;
    DWORD  dwBytesRead;
    int isRead = false;

    HANDLE m_hCommPort = ::CreateFile(L"COM2",
        GENERIC_READ|GENERIC_WRITE,//access ( read and write)

        0,    //(share) 0:cannot share the COM port                        

        0,    //security  (None)                

        OPEN_EXISTING,// creation : open_existing

        0,    // we dont want overlapped operation

        0// no templates file for COM port...

        );

    config.DCBlength = sizeof(config);


    if((GetCommState(m_hCommPort, &config) == 0))
    {
        printf("Get configuration port has a problem.");
        return FALSE;
    }

    config.BaudRate = 9600;
    config.StopBits = ONESTOPBIT;
    config.Parity = PARITY_NONE; 
    config.ByteSize = DATABITS_8;
    config.fDtrControl = 0;
    config.fRtsControl = 0;

    if (!SetCommState(m_hCommPort, &config))
    {

        printf( "Failed to Set Comm State Reason: %d\n",GetLastError());
        //return E_FAIL;
    }

    printf("Current Settings\n Baud Rate %d\n Parity %d\n Byte Size %d\n Stop Bits %d", config.BaudRate, 
        config.Parity, config.ByteSize, config.StopBits);

    int isWritten = WriteFile(m_hCommPort, &data,(DWORD) sizeof(data), &dwBytesWritten, NULL);


    //memset(output, 0, sizeof(output));
    while (abContinue) 
    {

        isRead = ReadFile(m_hCommPort, output, sizeof(output), &dwBytesRead, NULL);

        if(!isRead)
        {
            abContinue = false;
            break;
        }

    }

    cin.get();
}

I am having trouble reading from the com port. If I step through the code, it goes into "isRead = ReadFile(m_hCommPort, output, sizeof(output), &dwBytesRead, NULL);" and doesn't come back out.... This is my first try at this with no success.

Answer 1

If you do not explicitly set the timeouts, then ReadFile will indefinitely block until data becomes available.

Answer 2

You might try some code something like this after you've opened the file, but before you try to use it:

COMMTIMEOUTS timeouts;

timeouts.ReadIntervalTimeout = 1;
timeouts.ReadTotalTimeoutMultiplier = 1;
timeouts.ReadTotalTimeoutConstant = 1;
timeouts.WriteTotalTimeoutMultiplier = 1;
timeouts.WriteTotalTimeoutConstant = 1;
if (!SetCommTimeouts(m_hCommPort, &timeouts))
    // setting timeouts failed.

Edit: perhaps it's easier to start with some code that works, and make it do what you want rather than trying to get your code to work. Here's a simple terminal program. It's minimalist in the extreme, but does work (at least well enough to let me see output from my GPS, for one example). It's a long ways from what anybody (least of all me) would call sophisticated, but should give at least some idea of how to get started.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <string.h>

#define STRICT
#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
#include <windows.h>

void system_error(char *name) {
// Retrieve, format, and print out a message from the last error.  The 
// `name' that's passed should be in the form of a present tense noun 
// (phrase) such as "opening file".
//
    char *ptr = NULL;
    FormatMessage(
        FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER |
        FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM,
        0,
        GetLastError(),
        0,
        (char *)&ptr,
        1024,
        NULL);

    fprintf(stderr, "\nError %s: %s\n", name, ptr);
    LocalFree(ptr);
}

int main(int argc, char **argv) {

    int ch;
    char buffer[1];
    HANDLE file;
    COMMTIMEOUTS timeouts;
    DWORD read, written;
    DCB port;
    HANDLE keyboard = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE);
    HANDLE screen = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
    DWORD mode;
    char port_name[128] = "\\\\.\\COM3";
    char init[] = ""; // e.g., "ATZ" to completely reset a modem.

    if ( argc > 2 )
        sprintf(port_name, "\\\\.\\COM%c", argv[1][0]);

    // open the comm port.
    file = CreateFile(port_name,
        GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE,
        0, 
        NULL, 
        OPEN_EXISTING,
        0,
        NULL);

    if ( INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE == file) {
        system_error("opening file");
        return 1;
    }

    // get the current DCB, and adjust a few bits to our liking.
    memset(&port, 0, sizeof(port));
    port.DCBlength = sizeof(port);
    if ( !GetCommState(file, &port))
        system_error("getting comm state");
    if (!BuildCommDCB("baud=19200 parity=n data=8 stop=1", &port))
        system_error("building comm DCB");
    if (!SetCommState(file, &port))
        system_error("adjusting port settings");

    // set short timeouts on the comm port.
    timeouts.ReadIntervalTimeout = 1;
    timeouts.ReadTotalTimeoutMultiplier = 1;
    timeouts.ReadTotalTimeoutConstant = 1;
    timeouts.WriteTotalTimeoutMultiplier = 1;
    timeouts.WriteTotalTimeoutConstant = 1;
    if (!SetCommTimeouts(file, &timeouts))
        system_error("setting port time-outs.");

    // set keyboard to raw reading.
    if (!GetConsoleMode(keyboard, &mode))
        system_error("getting keyboard mode");
    mode &= ~ ENABLE_PROCESSED_INPUT;
    if (!SetConsoleMode(keyboard, mode))
        system_error("setting keyboard mode");

    if (!EscapeCommFunction(file, CLRDTR))
        system_error("clearing DTR");
    Sleep(200);
    if (!EscapeCommFunction(file, SETDTR))
        system_error("setting DTR");

    if ( !WriteFile(file, init, sizeof(init), &written, NULL))
        system_error("writing data to port");

    if (written != sizeof(init))
        system_error("not all data written to port");

    // basic terminal loop:
    do {
        // check for data on port and display it on screen.
        ReadFile(file, buffer, sizeof(buffer), &read, NULL);
        if ( read )
            WriteFile(screen, buffer, read, &written, NULL);

        // check for keypress, and write any out the port.
        if ( kbhit() ) {
            ch = getch();
            WriteFile(file, &ch, 1, &written, NULL);
        }
    // until user hits ctrl-backspace.
    } while ( ch != 127);

    // close up and go home.
    CloseHandle(keyboard);
    CloseHandle(file);
    return 0;
}

Answer 3

ReadFile function may be blocking your thread,if so, it will remain blocked until some data can be read from Serial port. Here is a link see if its help. Good luck.

Answer 4

I had this problem on a readfile, with the timeouts set. This was driving me crackers so I ended up getting some code from the web which did work and then changing line by line to see where the error was.

Turns out he readfile was fine. My problem was a WaitCommEvent which was hanging when the port was disconnected as no com event is ever received...