Driver ThingMagic for LV

[Ben]

Before I beat my head against against the wall, I am curious if anyone has developed a set of wrapper VIs to work with a ThingMagic (model M6e).

If you have managed to wrap-up the .NET calls and can get a list of the tags found and are willing to post some screen shots or sample VIs is would save me a bit of time.

Thank you,

Ben

[Runner Guy]

I have had little success with getting any code help from ThingMagic.   They are suggesting I go back and learn C sharp.  I have however looked at the RQL language HEX code using their Reader Assistant 1.1.1, and have decifered some of the OP codes.  A list of these OP codes would be helpful - I will do it by hand if I have to...

Runner Guy

[smercurio_fc]

I never saw Ben's message when he first posted it. I had actually started to do this since we had a project that used that reader. I didn't get very far, though, since the project requirements changed, and it was no longer needed. I'll have to try to dig up the code

[Runner Guy]

It is possible to use LabWindows or LabVIEW or any other computer language, IF you know the Hex OP codes used in the TM Reader.  The ThingMagic hex OP codes outlined in the TM Mercury 5e Developers Guide (875-0016-06 RevA, January 2012) starting on Page 51.
 
All the details on the OP codes and serial communication protocols to the Reader are there.  It might take a little extra programming to take the hex codes and pack them into a Hex string and send them to the Reader, but not really that hard.  And I save myself the trouble of trying to integrate the API into whatever app that I might be using at the time.   Especially true if the ThingMagic API is written in an *incompatible* language, at least for me.

Runner Guy

[smercurio_fc]

OK, now I'm confused. Were you trying to give Ben an answer, or were you following up because you were looking for code as well? The first post implied the latter, while the second post implied the former. So, I don't know whether you're asking or answering.

[Ben]

My boss told me on the way in this morning that one of my rookies got the C version of the code up and running under CVI. If this is true (he is a late night type of person so he is not here this AM, yet) we hope to expose the functionality via nornmal dll calls to do what we need.

I did take a look at the praw protocol using portmon by it was too complex for me to decypher and re-code in LV in the time I had allocated.

I may know latter today if he really made the progress my boss thinks he made.

Take care,

Ben

[Runner Guy]

OK, now I'm confused. Were you trying to give Ben an answer, or were you following up because you were looking for code as well? The first post implied the latter, while the second post implied the former. So, I don't know whether you're asking or answering.

Ben and all -

Just in case Ben does not get the ThingMagic API to work under CVI, you could use the hex OP codes listed and described in the TM Developers Guide. So yesterday it was a question and today it is an answer and followup to Ben's original question.

Using ThingMagic API with LabWindowsCVI  would be the best way to go (if Ben would be so kind to share), if that fails using hex OP codes is a good alternative.   You would have to write a short routine for each OP code command, but not all of them are needed or used.  Basically you would need a routine for the following OP code commands: set Bootloader, set Antennas, set Region, read and write to tags, and possibily a few other functions. Also needed an easy Serial Terminal RS232 send and receive function and CRC16 function, which is also in the Developers Guide.

Runner Guy

[Ben]

I just witnessed a tag read using the LV to invoke the .NET methods exposed withthe ThingMagic code.

I will not be allowed to share the code (customer is paying for it and they can be iritated if the learn what they paid for is being given away free, go figure).

I'll ask Brad to post asyin something helpful after he gets the demo ready for the customer.

It is funny that this thread wakes up the very morning Brad cracks the nut.

In my book "there ain't no such thing as coincidnce". And since this is my thread I can go on to try and paraphrase R Ragan who said something along the lines of;

The secret of success is not worrying who gets the credit."

Ben

[jjbloomfield]

Ben:

I am developing a LabVIEW interface to a ThingMagic Vega reader (M5e).  I have slogged through the .net security so that I can make the function calls using the .net framework from MercuryAPI.dll.  My issue is that when I try to establish the connection using the Connect() method under the SerialReader class, an 1172 error code returns with the following content:

"Inner Exception: System.ArgumentException: The given port name does not start with COM/com or does not resolve to a valid serial port."

I have tried both COM1 and COM8 (derived from a USB to serial converter) both with the same results.  I don't suspect resource conflicts but somehow my COM port designation is being interpreted as invalid.

Did you ever experience this in your project?  I would appreciate any insight you might have.

best regards,

John B.