Help! Digital Scale on Serial With MSComm Controll

[GaryMasson]

Hi.

Im pretty new to the mscomm controll and my problem is.

Im trying to connecting a weighbridge to Com1 and when i try read the weight on the scale i get a mass of garbage coming trough.

but when i unplug the loadcell and the indicator reads Error-02, it displays in the application but its not fixed it rolls through

Iv bin batteling with this for a long time

Any help or input would b much appreciated.

Thanks

G.Masson

[willakawill]

Hi. Is there an API that comes with this device? Is there an interface that comes with it? Is there a guide that comes with it to let you know how to format the data?

[GaryMasson]

Hi. Is there an API that comes with this device? Is there an interface that comes with it? Is there a guide that comes with it to let you know how to format the data?

hi.

There are no manuals or anything that come with the device, or anything, when the mscomm reads from the device the data comes through scrambled and unreadable, as text, symbols, and numbers mixed.

Thanks

[GaryMasson]

I received the following information from the scale manufacturer. and i cannot make heads or tails of whats going on. as i said b4 i am totally new to the mscomm and serial communicaton. if you could please help me set up the code so the input goes into a text box via the oncomm facility. i really am green to all this.

Merav – communication Protocol
1. Shekel Merav models 1000, 2000, 3000, 3001, 4000 and Caesar 2000, 3000,
3001,5000/1/3.
Models use digital board ‘Tiger’, ‘Arnav’.

2. The Merav has serial communication RS-232 to computer and printer.

3. The communiction is bi directional from indicator to computer and vice versa.

4. There are three communication modes:
4.1 Response to weight request – “W” 57 H from host.
4.2 Continuous weight transmmision.
4.3 Manual transmmision – (Print).

5. The indicator has additional 2 features.
5.1 Zero the display in response to – Z – 5A
5.2 Set the Tare in response to – T – 54.

6. Programmable Baud Rate: Tiger 600 – 9600 Arnav 600 – 2400

7. Programmable Parity: 0 - space
1 - EVEN
2 - Mark
3 - ODD

8. 7 or 8 data bits, 1 stop bit.

9. The data is transmitted in ASCII code.

10. Data String:
10.1 Positive weight
(+) XXX.XXX CR
10.2 Negative weight
(-) XXX.XXX CR

11. Connector D type 25 : Pinout: Pin 2 - Data in
Pin 3 - Data out
Pin 7 - GND

12. Commector D type9: Pinout Pin 2 - Data out
Pin 3 - Data in
Pin 5 - GND

[GaryMasson]

Hi

I sum1 directed me to a sample on the microsoft web. and received the following code:

Const Xon = &H11
Const Xoff = &H13

Private Sub Form_Load()
Form1.Caption = "App2"
With MSComm1
.CommPort = 2
.Handshaking = 2 - comRTS
.RThreshold = 1
.RTSEnable = True
.Settings = "9600,n,8,1"
.SThreshold = 1
.PortOpen = True
End With
Text1.Text = ""
Label1.Caption = "No input yet"
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
MSComm1.PortOpen = False
End Sub

Private Sub MSComm1_OnComm()
Dim InBuff As String

Select Case MSComm1.CommEvent
' Handle each event or error by placing
' code below each case statement.

' This template is found in the Example
' section of the OnComm event help topic
' in VB help.

' Errors
Case comEventBreak ' A Break was received.
Case comEventCDTO ' CD (RLSD) Timeout.
Case comEventCTSTO ' CTS Timeout.
Case comEventDSRTO ' DSR Timeout.
Case comEventFrame ' Framing Error
Case comEventOverrun ' Data Lost.
Case comEventRxOver ' Receive buffer overflow.
Case comEventRxParity ' Parity Error.
Case comEventTxFull ' Transmit buffer full.
Case comEventDCB ' Unexpected error retrieving DCB]

' Events
Case comEvCD ' Change in the CD line.
Case comEvCTS ' Change in the CTS line.
Case comEvDSR ' Change in the DSR line.
Case comEvRing ' Change in the Ring Indicator.
Case comEvReceive ' Received RThreshold # of chars.
Label1.Caption = "Input"
InBuff = MSComm1.Input
Call ParseChars(InBuff)
Case comEvSend ' There are SThreshold number of
' characters in the transmit
' buffer.
Case comEvEOF ' An EOF character was found in
' the input stream.
End Select

End Sub

Sub HandleInput(InBuff As String)
' This is where you will process your input. This
' includes trapping characters, parsing strings,
' separating data fields, etc. For this case, you
' are simply going to display the data in the text
' box.

Text1.Text = Text1.Text & InBuff
End Sub

Sub ParseChars(ByVal InString As String)
Dim temp As String
Dim x As Long
Dim OutString As String

For x = 1 To Len(InString)
temp = Mid$(InString, x, 1)
If temp = Chr$(Xoff) Then
Label1.ForeColor = vbRed
Label1.Caption = "Xoff received"
temp = ""
ElseIf temp = Chr$(Xon) Then
Label1.ForeColor = vbGreen
Label1.Caption = "Xon received"
temp = ""
End If
OutString = OutString & temp
temp = ""
Next x
Call HandleInput(OutString)
End Sub


Would this work for what am doing or are there sum modifications i need to make. i understand the basics behind the coding but im still not sure i know what im doing.

Any help appreciated

Thanks

G Masson