Myke,
I am no expert, but I have recently written some VB code
with MSCOMM using the Binary mode, and I have both Jan
Axelson's book (Serial Port Complete) and Richard Grier's
book (Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications)
- and I have at a couple of your books too, I might add! :-)
Anyway, I'd just like to point out that working with MSCOMM
in binary mode means both the input and output bytes are stored
in variants that contain byte arrays.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like in your
example the mode is actually text, not binary.

InputMode can be a 1 or 0, with 0 being comInputModeText,
and 1 comInputModeBinary. So if you want to work with binary,
I think you would just use the constant comInputModeBinary.

You would also store your output data in an array and then
give the array to MSCOMM like this, perhaps:
  Dim aOutput(0 to 1) as Byte
  Dim Buffer as Variant
  aOutput(0) = &H14 'A byte to send
  aOutput(1) = &H15 'A second byte
  Buffer = aOutput
  MSComm1.Output = Buffer

To receive data, you would then do a similar setup:
  Dim aInput(0 to 1) as Byte
  Dim Buffer as Variant
  Buffer = MSComm1.Input
  aInput() = Buffer

I like using binary because then I can check the InBufferCount
value to determine when to read the input buffer.

As far as displaying the analog data graphically, have you
looked at S-Plot Pro? <http://www.selmaware.com/s-plot>
I haven't used it myself. I'd be curious to hear what
solution you come up with for graphically displaying your
data.

HTH,
Patrick Murphy
James Valley Colony
Box 324
Elie, MB R0H 0H0



myke predko wrote:
<snip!>
> 3.  Set your initial operating parameters.  For working with most
> applications, I set the following properties for the MSComm control:
> CommPort - "COM#" Serial Port Number to be used
> InputLen = 0 - This means that if you use the "OnComm" event, you will be
> flagged after each character input
> InputMode = 1 - "comInputModeBinary" to read in full binary data.
<snip!>
> Private Sub SerPortSend(Data As String)
> '  Send the "Data" string out of the Serial Port
>
>     MSComm1.Output = Data
>
> End Sub
<snip!>
> Private Function SerPortRead() As String
> '  Poll the Serial Port and if something is available return it,
> '  Else, return a Null String
>
>     SerPortRead = ""
>
>     If (MSComm1.InBufferCount <> 0) Then
>         SerPortRead = MSComm1.Input
>     End If
>
> End Function
<snip!>
> Comments?
>
> myke
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "john" <rempetis@SYMPATICO.CA>
> To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
> Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2001 7:25 PM
> Subject: [EE]:Visual Basic serial interface
>
> > Hi,
> > Im using a 16C71 to send data through a serial port to my PC (analog
> > readings) and I want to use VB 6.0 to graphically represent the data.
> > Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you.
<snip!>

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