aattanayake

Hello,
I'm new to .NET. I have an application that is running in VB6. It sends text through COM1 port to another device.

When I converted the VB6 code to .NET the string it sends out is different! I have tried so many things and don't know what to do. I used a serial data analyzer and found the two strings are different even the the source code is the same.

VB6 source code:
MSComm1.CommPort = 1
MSComm1.Settings = "9600,O,8,1"
MSComm1.PortOpen = True
MSComm1.Output = Chr(&H2B) & _
Chr(&H4) & _
Chr(&H3) & _
Chr(&HE8) & _
Chr(&H0) & _
Chr(&H2) & _
Chr(&HF6) & _
Chr(&H71)
MSComm1.PortOpen = False

The analyzer gets the following string in hex: 2B 04 03 E8 00 02 F6 71

VB.NET source code:
Dim Port As SerialPort = New SerialPort("COM1", 9600, Parity.Odd, 8, StopBits.One)
Port.Open()
Port.Write(System.Convert.ToChar(&H2B) & _
System.Convert.ToChar(&H4) & _
System.Convert.ToChar(&H3) & _
System.Convert.ToChar(&HE8) & _
System.Convert.ToChar(&H0) & _
System.Convert.ToChar(&H2) & _
System.Convert.ToChar(&HF6) & _
System.Convert.ToChar(&H71))
Port.Close()

The analyzer gets the following string in hex: 2B 04 03 0F 00 02 3F 71

Why is there a difference in the string?
Please help me correct it...
Thanks

aattanayake

I found something interesting.

when I convert a number using System.Convert.ToChar(X) and sends it through serial the X can only be hex:0 to hex:3F if I want to get the correct value from the other side. Any value greater than hex:3F will not be hex:3F.

for example if I send
hex:64 you will get hex:3F
send hex:E8 you will get hex:3F

It seems like it max out with a 6 bit register value,
Please help me correct this mess ...

aattanayake

I found the answer and got it working ....

From: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/y2sxhat8.aspx

By default, SerialPort uses ASCIIEncoding to encode the characters. ASCIIEncoding encodes all characters greater then 127 as (char)63 or '?'. To support additional characters in that range, set Encoding to UTF8Encoding, UTF32Encoding, or UnicodeEncoding.

cloudmonkey

UTF32 is the way to go...