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

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 2

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