ActiveComport Toolkit Add serial communication capabilities to any Windows or .NET application

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Using ActiveComport Serial Port Toolkit with Powershell

ActiveComport is a software development kit (SDK) that enables the user to communicate to a device over a serial interface.

Such a device can be: a weight indicator, a modem, a scanner, or any other device that is equiped with a serial port. It can even be another PC, connected via a NULL modem cable.

ActiveComport features the following:

Direct COM port support (like 'COM1'), TAPI (Windows Telephony Device) support (like 'Standard 56000 bps Modem'), support for RS-232/RS422/RS485, up to 256 simultaneous ports, support for all types of Hayes compatible modems, support for serial cable, USB cable or Bluetooth connections, support for GSM/GPRS modems, support for Virtual COM ports (i.e. COM ports redirected through the network), hardware flow control (RTS/CTS, DTR/DSR), software flowcontrol (XON/XOFF), configurable baudrate/parity/stopbits, full buffered data transfer, text/binary data transfer.

ActiveComport can be well integrated into Powershell environments.

This document describes how ActiveComport can be integrated into Powershell projects.

Step 1: Download and install the ActiveComport Toolkit

Download ActiveComport from the ActiveXperts Download Site and start the installation. The installation guides you through the installation process.

Step 2: Create a new script

Create a new script using your favorite editor. You can simply use notepad. However, a Powershell editor is recommended, so you can browse through objects, objects properties and object functions.

You're now able to write a more advanced script to communicate using the ActiveComport Toolkit.

Step 3: Create the ActiveComport object in Powershell

Create a new Powershell file called DEMO.PS1.

Create the ActiveComport object like this:

$objComport = new-object -comobject ActiveXperts.Comport

Now, add the following lines to the file to have your fist ActiveComport Powershell program: 

Write-Host "ActiveComport Version: " $objComport.Version
Write-Host "ActiveComport Build  : " $objComport.Build
Write-Host "Expiration date      : " $objComport.ExpirationDate

Step 4: Send an AT command to a connected hayes compatible modem

You can now send and/or receive data to an/or from a serial interface.

The following Powershell code shows how to query a modem: 

#################################################################################
# ActiveComport - Powershell script
# © Copyright ActiveXperts Software B.V.
#
# For more information about ActiveComport, please
# visit the online ActiveComport page at:
# http://www.activexperts.com
#################################################################################
# Example:
# .\QueryDevice.ps1  / send commands and receive responses
#################################################################################

cls

#################################################################################
# Functions --------------------------------------------------------------------#
#################################################################################


#################################################################################
# AskDevice --------------------------------------------------------------------#

function AskDevice($objComport)
	{
		$strTitle = ""
		for ($i=1; $i -lt 5;$i++) 
			{ 
				$strTitle = $strTitle + "  " + $i + ": COM" + $i + "`n" 
			}	
			
		for ($j=0; $j -lt $objComport.GetDeviceCount(); $j++)			
			{
				$strTitle = $strTitle + "  " + ($i + $j ) + ": " + 
				$objComport.GetDevice($j) + "`n"
			}	

		$strDevice = ""
		while($strDevice -eq "")
			{
				#$strInput = Read-Host $strTitle "Select device:" "1"
				$strInput = Read-Host $strTitle "Select device"
				if($strInput -eq "")
					{
						$strDevice = ""
					}	
				elseif([int]$strInput -lt $i)
					{
						$strDevice = "COM" + $strInput
					}	
				elseif([int]$strInput -lt $i + $j)
					{
						$strDevice = $objComport.GetDevice([int]
						$strInput - $i)
					}	
			}	

		Write-Host "Selected device: " $strDevice

		return $strDevice
	}

#################################################################################
# Ask --------------------------------------------------------------------------#

function Ask($strTitle, $strDefault, $bAllowEmpty)
	{
		do
			{
				$strInput = Read-Host $strTitle $strDefault
				if ($strInput -ne "")
					{
						$strReturn = $strInput
					}	
			}	
		until($strReturn -ne "" -or $bAllowEmpty)

		return $strReturn
	}

#################################################################################
# ReadResponse -----------------------------------------------------------------#

function ReadResponse($objComport)
	{
		$str = "notempty"
		$objComport.Sleep(200)
		while ($str -ne "")
			{
				$str = $objComport.ReadString()
				if ($str -ne "")
					{
						Write-Host "  <- " $str
					}	
			}
	}

#################################################################################
# WriteCommand -----------------------------------------------------------------#

function WriteCommand($objComport)
	{
		$str = Read-Host "Enter command (enter QUIT to stop the program)"
		$objComport.WriteString($str)
		if($objComport.LastError -eq 0)
			{
				Write-Host "  -> " $str
			}	
		else
			{
				Write-Host "Write failed, result: " $objComport.LastError " ("
				$objComport.GetErrorDescription($objComport.LastError) ")"
			}	

		if ($str -eq "QUIT")
			{
				return $false
			}	
		else
			{
				return $true
			}
	}


#################################################################################
# THE SCRIPT ITSELF ------------------------------------------------------------#
#################################################################################

$objComport       = new-object -comobject ActiveXperts.Comport
Write-Host "ActiveComport Version: " $objComport.Version
Write-Host "ActiveComport Build  : " $objComport.Build
Write-Host "ActiveComport Module : " $objComport.Module
Write-Host "Expiration date      : " $objComport.ExpirationDate

$objComport.Device = AskDevice($objComport)
# Is there a COM device attached to the PC
if($objComport.Device -eq "")
	{
		Write-Host "No COM device found"
		exit
	}
# Optionally override defaults for direct COM ports
if($objComport.Device.substring(0,3) -eq "COM")
	{
		$objComport.BaudRate  = Ask "Enter baud rate (no input means: default
		baud rate):" "9600" $true 
		# $objComport.HardwareFlowControl  = $true
		# $objComport.SoftwareFlowControl  = $false
	}

# Set Logging - for troubleshooting purposes
$objComport.LogFile = "C:\ActiveComport.log"

# Open the port
$objComport.Open()
Write-Host "Open, result:" $objComport.LastError " (" 
$objComport.GetErrorDescription($objComport.LastError) ")"

if($objComport.LastError -ne 0)
	{
		exit
	}

ReadResponse($objComport)

while (WriteCommand($objComport))
	{
		ReadResponse($objComport)
	}	
	
$objComport.Close()
Write-Host "Close, result: " $objComport.LastError " (" 
$objComport.GetErrorDescription($objComport.LastError) ")"
Write-Host "Ready."

To run the code, start Powershell and browse to the location of the file you just created. Enter .\Demo.ps1 to run the code. Notice that if the script is not working, you have to change the execution policy; you can do that with the following command: 

Set-ExecutionPolicy -unrestricted

There are many working samples included with the product. You can also find them on the ActiveXperts FTP site: ftp.activexperts-labs.com/samples/serial-port-component.