How to compile COM 1 data with LabVIEW?

[Mark Jr.]

  I have a device connected to my COM 1 port. How do I input data with that into labVIEW? The program that comes with it is really elementary, it only shows me the data that the comes straight from the device, no analysis.  Its like labVIEW and MAX dont recognize the device, but my device manager says its connected and works fine. How do i input that data and compile it with labVIEW?

[Dennis_Knutson]

Much better

MAX will not detect instruments connected to a com port. The reason is that there is no standard for serial instruments (unlike GPIB). You should only have your com port listed in MAX. If the instrument is listed in your device manager, then it sounds like the driver you got with the instrument is a little weird. It may be that the driver software has taken control over one of your serial ports. Normally, all you would have to do is use the serial functions on the Instrument I/O palette. However, if the instrument driver has taken control of the com port, you won't be able to do this because the OS will only allow one process access to the port at any one time. You can test this by trying to open a Hyperterminal session to the com port. If you can an error indicating that the port is in use, then that's the driver running in the background. You can uninstall the driver and everything should be okay. You could also try to use the driver as provided. I'm assuming it's a DLL. You could call the functions in the DLL with the LabVIEW Call Library Node function. You will need documentation from the vendor on the DLL in order for this to be done. It's probably simpler, though, just to use the LabVIEW serial functions. You would still need the command set/syntac from the instrument manufacturer in order to communicate with it.