From: DickGrier on
Hi,

You can use WMI to obtain the port description for installed ports. I have
code examples for this in my book (below). I also provide a modified
version of MSComm32.ocx that allows you to open ports higher than 16, which
often happens these days. If you send me email, I will reply with that OCX
attached.

However... USB serial adapters are used just like any other serial adapter.
Do you really need to know whether or not is is USB (virtual serial port)
vs. hardware? You just set the CommPort number and Settings, (etc.), and
go.

In answer to your other question, I tend to prefer USB serial adapters that
are based on the FTDI chipset. These seem to be reliable across all OS

--
Richard Grier, Consultant, Hard & Software 12962 West Louisiana Avenue
Lakewood, CO 80228 303-986-2179 (voice) Homepage: www.hardandsoftware.net
Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, 4th
Edition ISBN 1-890422-28-2 (391 pages) published July 2004, Revised July
2006.

From: DanS on
> a good USB to Serial RS232 converter?

Isn't that an oxymoron ?!?!?!?!!?
From: Bee on
Huh?
I need to know if a PC has one usable real serial RS232 port or more.
If it does not, then I will suggest a USB to serial RS232 converter.
If it has a real serial RS232 port I will test it to see if the hardware I
expect is attached.
Does not the USB to Serial driver look like a serial RS232 port so I can
just try it as if it is an RS232 port?


"Nobody" wrote:

> "Bee" <Bee(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:E0C57B85-8A3E-4889-B989-2F5860FCA234(a)microsoft.com...
> >I need to know if a port is Serial (RS232) or USB or whatever not just a
> > count although a count is useful.
>
> Why do you need to know that? I can't think of any reason to limit a
> software from using USB-to-Serial converters. For you, they behave the same.
>
>
> .
>
From: Bee on

I have used WMI but do not know how to interpret the data to determine if:
(1) true hardware serial RS232
(2) USB port
(3) USB port with USB to Serial dongle.
(4) other

In my case, I see my Sprint dongle showing up in that serial area.
But I do not see a generic descriptor.
Hope I do not have to sort through millions of different devices to
determine what is attached.

I need somthing distributable!
Suggestions please.

And thanks for the tip on the FTDI chipset! That really helps me.

For example: (this laptop has no Serial RS232 port)

Name Sprint Connection Manager NMEA Port (COM7)
Status OK
PNP Device ID NMEA\PORTB\1&5&NMEAAPP0
Maximum Input Buffer Size 0
Maximum Output Buffer Size No
Settable Baud Rate Yes
Settable Data Bits Yes
Settable Flow Control Yes
Settable Parity Yes
Settable Parity Check Yes
Settable Stop Bits Yes
Settable RLSD Yes
Supports RLSD Yes
Supports 16 Bit Mode No
Supports Special Characters No
Baud Rate 9600
Bits/Byte 8
Stop Bits 1
Parity None
Busy No
Abort Read/Write on Error No
Binary Mode Enabled Yes
Continue XMit on XOff No
CTS Outflow Control No
Discard NULL Bytes No
DSR Outflow Control 0
DSR Sensitivity 0
DTR Flow Control Type Enable
EOF Character 26
Error Replace Character 0
Error Replacement Enabled No
Event Character 0
Parity Check Enabled No
RTS Flow Control Type Disable
XOff Character 19
XOffXMit Threshold 512
XOn Character 17
XOnXMit Threshold 2048
XOnXOff InFlow Control 0
XOnXOff OutFlow Control 0
Driver c:\windows\system32\drivers\pctnullport.sys (2.0.2.0, 37.77 KB
(38,680 bytes), 12/2/2009 12:12 PM)

From: CY on
On 31 Dec, 19:12, DanS <t.h.i.s.n.t.h....(a)r.o.a.d.r.u.n.n.e.r.c.o.m>
wrote:
> > a good USB to Serial RS232 converter?
>
> Isn't that an oxymoron ?!?!?!?!!?

Yep, USB is serial... as RS-485, RS-422 (Still handy, like the cable
length/multidrop and still async), and the new nice hard drives
connect with SATA.
Serial isnt all, can be parallel like IEEE-1284 (Centronics port if
anyone remember, If my memory dont fail me) and you still can talk to
them.

For the Q about nr of zerials , look at my earlier post. You have to
test it, I cant! (Or, I wont ;) Happy New Year) //CY