VB6, help with serial port.

Tar.Aldarion

Hi, completely new to VB. My first program.
I need to enter commands with my voice, no problem.
I am having trouble setting up MSComm at the top of the code.

I get ''Error 424 Object required' when running it and typing in left for example.
Something to do with defining it?
Here is the code, Bold is where the problem seems to be at.

Public Sub Form_Open()
    MsgBox "This is SubA"

    [b]MSComm1.Settings = "9600,N,8,1" ' The TX-4-PC operates at 9600 baud
    MSComm1.CommPort = 4                 ' Change to the available comm port on your PC
    MSComm1.PortOpen = True           ' Opens comm port
    MSComm1.Output = "j"
End Sub[/b]


Private Sub CallSubroutine(ByVal sub_name As String)
    CallByName Me, sub_name, VbMethod
End Sub

 

 

Private Sub Form_Load()


    Dim Direction As String
    Dim variable1 As String
    Dim text As String
       
    For Counter = 1 To 10 Step 1                ' This part loops through the commands so that we can enter a number of different commands based on the size of the loop
   
        Open "u:\sample.txt" For Output As #1   'This opens the file for writing
   
        Direction = InputBox("Enter Direction") 'Dialogue box to enter direction
        Print #1, Direction         'Prints the inputted word to file
       
        Close #1                'Closes file
         
        Open "u:\sample.txt" For Input As #1    'Re-opens file to get value
       
        Input #1, variable1
        variable1 = MsgBox(variable1)       'Tells us what the input was, will not be in final code only for testing purposes
       
        Close #1                'Closes file
       
        Open "u:\sample.txt" For Input As #1    'Re-opens file to get value
       
        Input #1, text              'Assigns value in file to text variable
       
        If text = "left" Then           'Checks if left is the word in the file
        text = MsgBox("Right")          'If left is the word then for testing purposes again, it prints out right just so it's different to the value in the file
        CallSubroutine "Form_Open"
       
        End If
       
        If text = "right" Then          'Checks if right is the word in the file
        text = MsgBox("Left")           'Again only for testing
       
        End If
       
        If text = "back" Then           'Checks if back is the word in the file
        text = MsgBox("straight")       'Again only for testing
       
        End If
       
        If text = "straight" Then       'Checks if straight is the word in the file
        text = MsgBox("back")           'Again only for testing
       
        End If
       
        If text = "stop" Then           'Checks if stop is the word in the file
        text = MsgBox("start")          'Again only for testing
       
        End If
               
        Close #1
       
    Next                    'To go around to the next value to be entered
      
       
End Sub                     'End of function

 

amen

Have you added a reference to the Microsoft Comm Control ?
Is there an instance of the control on your form?

Error 424 means that you are trying to access an object that has not had an instance created.

Can you post your entire project? If you step through it in debug where exactly does it stop working?

I just created a new vb project and i don't get any 424 errors

Tar.Aldarion

What do you mean by adding a reference, or an instance of the control form?
I'm completely new to VB sorry. It could be the way I have set things up? I just opened a standard project, ticked a box in components for MSComm aswel.


That is the entire part of the VB code for the project, the rest is in assembly code, so this is all that needs to work.

Where i get the error is, when you run it, type in left and hit enter.
When you do that you get a box saying left, then one saying right, then one saying this is subA, then the error message, do you not get that?

Thanks for the help.

Tar.Aldarion

Here is another post I made about it with replies, if this helps.
http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?p=2788723#post2788723

Ginger

Tar, if you can wait till this evening, i have code that does something similar at home that might help you out...

The first thing, is to make sure that on Form_Load you instiate your MSComm1 control

Then check for errors

so

MSComm1.Settings = "9600,N,8,1" '
MSComm1.CommPort = 4              
MSComm1.PortOpen = True           

If err.number <> 0 then
   MsgBox "Error: Code: " & Err.Number & " " & Err.Description
   Err.Clear
   Exit Sub
End If

Then do your continue stuff

If you need to use the MSComm in a function you can use a function such as

function UseMSComm(ByRef MSComm As Object,ByVal strCommand As String) As Boolean

Might help

king_of_inismac

I think this is your problem:

Go to Projects->Components->Tick the box for mscomm control

look to the left of your screen, where all the controls are. There should now be a little picture of a telephone, Click on it.

Go you your form and create a box. The box should now be a picture of a phone. this is your mscomm object. Right click on the picture of the phone and select properties. Make sure its called mscomm1, so it matches your code.

The code should work now.

Tar.Aldarion

Thanks very much for the replies, I have tried the ticking the box(Project-->components) and it is actually denied to me in college because of access priviledges.

I would love a look a that code ginger, thanks.

Did you test that king_of_inismac?
If the code above works that would be great, or was it the code I have up on vbforums you looked at?


Thanks a lot guys.

Tar.Aldarion

So close but yet so far!


Here is the Code I have:

Option Explicit 

Public Sub Port_Open() '
    MsgBox "This is SubA"
    MSComm4.Output = "j"
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Activate()

   
    MSComm4.Settings = "9600,N,8,1"
    MSComm4.CommPort = 4                 
    MSComm4.PortOpen = True

End Sub

Private Sub form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
MSComm4.PortOpen = False
End Sub

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim Direction As String
Dim variable1 As String
Dim text As String
Dim Counter As Integer ' You forgot to declare this
      
    For Counter = 1 To 10 'the step is 1 by default
        'Open "u:\sample.txt" For Output As #1   'This opens the file for writing
        Direction = InputBox("Enter Direction") 'Dialogue box to enter direction
        'Print #1, Direction         'Prints the inputted word to file
        'Close #1                'Closes file
        
        'Open "u:\sample.txt" For Input As #1    'Re-opens file to get value
        'no need for the file - you're only using it to hold the value of Direction
      
        'Input #1, variable1
        variable1 = Direction
        MsgBox variable1       'Tells us what the input was, will not be in final code only for testing purposes
        'since you're not using any return value use the sub, not the function
      
        'Close #1                'Closes file
      
        'Open "u:\sample.txt" For Input As #1    'Re-opens file to get value
      
        'Input #1, text              'Assigns value in file to text variable
        text = Direction
      
        If text = "left" Then           'Checks if left is the word in the file
          MsgBox "Right"
          Port_Open
        End If
      
        If text = "right" Then          'Checks if right is the word in the file
        MsgBox "Left"            'Again only for testing
        Port_Open
        End If
      
        If text = "back" Then           'Checks if back is the word in the file
        MsgBox "straight"       'Again only for testing
        Port_Open
        End If
      
        If text = "straight" Then       'Checks if straight is the word in the file
        MsgBox "back"           'Again only for testing
        Port_Open
        End If
      
        If text = "stop" Then           'Checks if stop is the word in the file
        MsgBox "start"           'Again only for testing
        Port_Open
        End If
              
        'Close #1

    Next Counter            'To go around to the next value to be entered

End Sub                     'End of function

When I run it it says port is already open, when I enter left and hit enter.
When I comment out 'MSComm4.PortOpen = True' it says it is closed, can anybody solve this catch 22?

I have fixed the telephone thing.

Ginger

Tar here you go mate

Public Function SendSMS(strRecipient, strSMS) As Boolean

MSComm1.CommPort = 1
MSComm1.Settings = "9600,N,8,1"
   
MSComm1.PortOpen = True
    
If Err Then
       SendSMS = False
       Exit Function
End If
    
Dim strCommandSet As String
  
strCommandSet = "AT+CMGF=1;" + vbCr
    
If (RunATCommand(MSComm1, strCommandSet, "OK")) Then
    strCommandSet = "AT+CSCA=" & Chr(34) & "+353857000000" & Chr(34) & ";" & vbCr
    If (RunATCommand(MSComm1, strCommandSet, "OK")) Then
        strCommandSet = "AT+CMGS=" & Chr(34) & strRecipient & Chr(34) & ";" & vbCr
        If (RunATCommand(MSComm1, strCommandSet, ">")) Then
            strCommandSet = strSMS & Chr(26)
            If (RunATCommand(MSComm1, strCommandSet, "OK")) Then
                SendSMS = True
            Else
                SendSMS = False
            End If
        Else
            SendSMS = False
        End If
    Else
        SendSMS = False
    End If
Else
    SendSMS = False
End If

MSComm1.PortOpen = False

End Function

Function RunATCommand(objModem As MSComm, strCommand As String, strCompare As String) As Boolean
    
Dim blExitLoop          As Boolean
Dim varEvents           As Variant
Dim strModemString      As String

blExitLoop = False
    
If Len(strCommand) <= 0 Or Len(strCompare) <= 0 Then
    RunATCommand = False
    Exit Function
End If
    
objModem.InBufferCount = 0
objModem.Output = strCommand
    
Do While Not (blExitLoop)
    'varEvents = DoEvents
    
    If objModem.InBufferCount Then
        strModemString = strModemString + objModem.Input
                 
        If InStr(1, strModemString, "ERROR", vbTextCompare) Then
            blExitLoop = True
            RunATCommand = False
        End If
        
        If InStr(1, strModemString, strCompare, vbTextCompare) Then
            blExitLoop = True
            RunATCommand = True
        End If
    
    End If

Loop
    
End Function

This code works on a GSM Modem connected on a COM port 1

Ginger

Also i checked out a second version i did of it with an IR modem (ie my Nokia phone)

And I used the following initialisation code

Private Sub Form_Load()

On Error Resume Next

    With MSComm1
            .CommPort = 1
            .RThreshold = 1
            .RTSEnable = True
            .Settings = "9600,n,8,1"
            .SThreshold = 1
            .PortOpen = True
   End With

If Err Then
    MsgBox "Unable to open connection to your modem. Please make sure it is plugged in and switched on", vbCritical, "Desktop SMS"
    MsgBox "Desktop SMS will now close"
    Err.Clear
    Unload Me
    Exit Sub
End If
Exit Sub

Apologies for the code as well, it was 2001 when i wrote it :P

FSL

Move the code to open the serial port out of the form_activate into form_Load or a separate sub and call it from Form_Load or where you know it will only be called the once.. You will probably find that your form is being activated after your message box has displayed.

Tar.Aldarion

I got it working in the end, did the presentation, got drunk, woke up, and here I am.

Thanks you.