Excel-RS232 via Cheapcomm: Where?
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From: Rocky on 26 Sep 2007 00:03 On Sep 25, 10:45 pm, Joerg <notthisjoerg...(a)removethispacbell.net> wrote: > Marc_F_Hult wrote: > > On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:05:22 -0700, Joerg > > <notthisjoerg...(a)removethispacbell.net> wrote in message > > <A%gIi.4992$Sd4.1...(a)nlpi061.nbdc.sbc.com>: > > >>Hello Folks, > > >>Since mscomm.ocx for some strange reason will pop a license block unless > >>you also install VB Professional (which most people don't need) I am > >>looking for other methods to communicate with RS232 from Excel VBA, > >>other than directly using the API. Lots of Google searching provided > >>only one alternative, a routine called "cheapcomm". However, none of the > >>download sites from back then (2004 and earlier) works anymore. Does > >>someone know a site that still has it? > > > Hi Joerg, > > > Have you discounted the WindMill drivers ? They work with Excel. > > >http://www.windmill.co.uk/rs232.html > > > LabIML 4.3 is the ASCII-only version which is free for the cost of signing > > up for their newsletter. I've been on their list 4-5 years and although one > > can quit after the download, I haven't. Very little traffic and what there > > is sometimes even useful. > > > You have to pay for the binary version. > > Thanks, I did look there. Unfortunately what comes off lab equipment is > pure data, not ASCII :-( > > GBP145 times number of seats just to get data from RS232 into Excel is a > bit steep. Hi Joerg, What about designing a small single chip 'lab equipment format' to ASCII converter? Can't be more than a few $ per seat. Rocky
From: antedeluvian51 on 26 Sep 2007 09:14 >VBA within Excel is such a great idea. Why did they leave it lacking so >much in connectivity? MS could sell a whole lot of copies for lab and >production PCs if it wasn't so difficult to connect hardware. Right now >everyone defaults to LabView, DAQFactory and SW like that, or they just >don't do anything at all if the expense isn't warranted. Joerg, I am ashamed to admit that I don't know if the latest versions of MS Excel use VB.net. VB.net (at least the free version VB2005 Express) does not support use mscomm, but has its own serial port control which does not appear to need additional registration. The control itself is lacking in a few features, but if Excel now uses VB.net this could be your answer. For what it is worth I wrote an article on VB2005 Express and the Serial Port in the December 2006 issue of Circuit Cellar (issue 197). Actually, I am not sure what you are trying to do. You could turn your approach around and create your application in VB.net and then control Excel from VB to achieve your ends. The above article was actually part of a series in which I created a Modbus interface using the above approach. The series was completed in issues 200 and 201. -Aubrey
From: Joerg on 26 Sep 2007 12:02 antedeluvian51 wrote: >>VBA within Excel is such a great idea. Why did they leave it lacking so >>much in connectivity? MS could sell a whole lot of copies for lab and >>production PCs if it wasn't so difficult to connect hardware. Right now >>everyone defaults to LabView, DAQFactory and SW like that, or they just >>don't do anything at all if the expense isn't warranted. > > > Joerg, > > I am ashamed to admit that I don't know if the latest versions of MS Excel > use VB.net. VB.net (at least the free version VB2005 Express) does not > support use mscomm, but has its own serial port control which does not > appear to need additional registration. The control itself is lacking in a > few features, but if Excel now uses VB.net this could be your answer. For > what it is worth I wrote an article on VB2005 Express and the Serial Port > in the December 2006 issue of Circuit Cellar (issue 197). > > Actually, I am not sure what you are trying to do. You could turn your > approach around and create your application in VB.net and then control > Excel from VB to achieve your ends. The above article was actually part of > a series in which I created a Modbus interface using the above approach. > The series was completed in issues 200 and 201. > I am not a fan of .NET. It seems to have serious backwards compatibility issues. Case in point: New scope SW came, must have .NET. Installed 2.0, did not work. Inquired -> Must use 1.1 because 2.0 is not compatible. Great. <shaking head> What I am trying to do is access instruments via RS232, mostly through a virtual serial port on a USB connection. But it has to run at other places and many are using older Excel licenses. So it has to work all the way back to '97. It is possible since several instrument makers provide exactly that. However, their SW is not open and so it cannot be adapted to any instruments other than what they are selling. Technically yes, of course, but it would violate their copyright. I guess they are going directly via the API. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
From: Joerg on 26 Sep 2007 12:04 Rocky wrote: > On Sep 25, 10:45 pm, Joerg <notthisjoerg...(a)removethispacbell.net> > wrote: > >>Marc_F_Hult wrote: >> >>>On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:05:22 -0700, Joerg >>><notthisjoerg...(a)removethispacbell.net> wrote in message >>><A%gIi.4992$Sd4.1...(a)nlpi061.nbdc.sbc.com>: >> >>>>Hello Folks, >> >>>>Since mscomm.ocx for some strange reason will pop a license block unless >>>>you also install VB Professional (which most people don't need) I am >>>>looking for other methods to communicate with RS232 from Excel VBA, >>>>other than directly using the API. Lots of Google searching provided >>>>only one alternative, a routine called "cheapcomm". However, none of the >>>>download sites from back then (2004 and earlier) works anymore. Does >>>>someone know a site that still has it? >> >>>Hi Joerg, >> >>>Have you discounted the WindMill drivers ? They work with Excel. >> >>>http://www.windmill.co.uk/rs232.html >> >>>LabIML 4.3 is the ASCII-only version which is free for the cost of signing >>>up for their newsletter. I've been on their list 4-5 years and although one >>>can quit after the download, I haven't. Very little traffic and what there >>>is sometimes even useful. >> >>>You have to pay for the binary version. >> >>Thanks, I did look there. Unfortunately what comes off lab equipment is >>pure data, not ASCII :-( >> >>GBP145 times number of seats just to get data from RS232 into Excel is a >>bit steep. > > > Hi Joerg, > What about designing a small single chip 'lab equipment format' to > ASCII converter? > Can't be more than a few $ per seat. > Rocky > Yes, but then you have to run up a small production and all that. Not quite what I wanted to do ;-) -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
From: Clifford Heath on 26 Sep 2007 18:22
Joerg wrote: > I am not a fan of .NET. It seems to have serious backwards compatibility > issues. Case in point: New scope SW came, must have .NET. Installed 2.0, > did not work. Inquired -> Must use 1.1 because 2.0 is not compatible. > Great. <shaking head> You're missing the point entirely. For the first significant time that MS has done it, you can have all 3 versions of the .NET runtime installed at the same time without them interacting, and whatever products or components you install get the same version isolation. It takes more disk space (though not that much, it's only 40Mb or so), but it does avoid DLL hell. I've heard this whine from you multiple times, presumably all relating to the single occurrence, but it was *your* mistake because you installed the wrong version. Perhaps your supplier didn't give you enough info, but that doesn't make it MS's mistake. You should be congratulating MS for finally doing something positive about solving DLL hell, not castigating them for your mistake. Clifford Heath. |