Using serial port to turn on 12volts

[Lab Student]

I have a small application that requires that I cycle 12 volts on and off and maintain a count of how many times it has been done. I am thinking maybe I can use LabVIEW to turn the 12 volts on and off through the serial port. Is this doable and is it recommended?

[Dennis_Knutson]

It's doable with a VISA property node. Select Modem Line Settings and you can assert or unassert a control line. I'm not sure I wourld recomend it. The current output is going to be pretty low and I wouldn't rely on the output being 12 volts. I think the spec is something greater than 3 volts with a max of 12. You'd have to check your pc to see what it actually outputs.