Re: Can't open Serial port

Michel:

It is possible to have them coexist. We shut off the debug output when the
serial port is opened, then start the debug output again when it closes.
Not my favorite feature, but it comes in handy for testing sometimes. But
this is clearly not a standard feature. We, including John really don't
know what his BSP is capable of doing.

--
Bruce Eitman (eMVP)
Senior Engineer
Bruce.Eitman AT EuroTech DOT com
My BLOG http://geekswithblogs.net/bruceeitman

EuroTech Inc.
www.EuroTech.com

"Michel Verhagen (eMVP)" <michel@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uzQ1gc65IHA.5024@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
1
a) No, debug or application use of COM1 is mutually exclusive. Your sample
NK.bin from the CD is a ship build, with serial debug over COM1 disabled.

b) Check your registry settings; are you actually loading a serial driver
for COM1? Write a simple program that uses "FindFirst/NextDevice" and see
if COM1 is loaded, or connect the Remote Registry Editor and scan the
HKLM\Drivers\Active keys and see if a driver for COM1 is loaded.


2
b) Looks like you didn't include any serial driver in your image. Select
the right component and clean sysgen your workspace (be sure to read
http://guruce.com/blogpost/whattobuildwhen first).


3.
a) ActiveSync won't work over serial if you don't include any serial
drivers.
b) That's strange... Maybe ActiveSync pulls in a driver, but I don't think
so... Check your registry settings (do a diff between the reginit of a
kernel with and without ActiveSync).

Conclusions:
1. Yep.
2. But only on the kernel shipped with the board by the vendor.
3. Yep.

4: The problem is in your workspace configuration. You forgot to include a
driver for serial, or the BSP you have is a different one from the BSP the
vendor used to create the sample NK.BIN and the serial driver
code/registry settings inside the BSP is/are wrong.


As for the rest of your questions: First follow the advice above, report
back, and we'll go from there.


Good luck,

Michel Verhagen, eMVP
Check out my blog: http://GuruCE.com/blog

GuruCE Ltd.
Microsoft Embedded Partner
http://GuruCE.com
Consultancy, training and development services.

John wrote:
Hi guys,

Thank you all very much for the help. After another day of trying here is
what I can report:

First something about my setup:

1. I have two computers connected separately to COM1 and COM2 of my
development board to monitor their outputs.

2. In build options, I checked "enable eboot space in memory", "enable
ship build", flush tracked events to release directory", "Run-time image
can be larger than 32MB", "Use xcopy instead of links to populate release
directory"

3. I checked "NET Compact Framework 2.0". But I did not check "NET
Compact Framework 2.0 string resources". 4. My testing code was written
in VB on VS2005. It is very simple: just set up a com port, open it and
write "test" string to it.

5. I copy the "NK.bin" and my test program to a bootable CF card and use
the CF card to boot.

6. After boot, I find my test program, double click it to run.

Note: I have two NK.bin files involved in this problem, one is a sample
"NK.bin" from the board vendor. One is my "NK.bin" built by me.

Here is what I've got today:

1. When my test program is set to use COM1:
a) Boot with a sample "NK.bin" which came on the CD with the
development board. My program works. When I start and stop my test
program, I can see debug messages. And when my program is running, it
continuously sends out "test" string (the write is on a timer). It seems
the debug feature can co-exist with my program, sharing a COM port.
b) Boot with my "NK.bin" (built by me). When I double click my test
program I've got the error messages described in my previous post.

2. Change my test program to use COM2.
a) Boot with the sample "NK.bin". The test program still works. Now
the "test" strings show up on the computer connected to COM2.
b) Boot with my own "NK.bin". I've got the same error messages
described before.
3. I build an "NK.bin" with ActiveSync catalog item checked.
a) I still can not open COM port in my test program. the same errors.
b) I can connect my development board to the computer connected to
COM2 thru ActiveSync.

Some conclusions:
1. The hardware of both COM1 and COM2 works.
2. Both ports can be used by "standard" programs (ie. The built-in debug
and ActiveSync)
3. My program works with either port if boot with the sample "NK.bin".

Is it a driver problem?

1. If it is a driver's problem, why would debug and ActiveSync work on my
"NK.bin" OS? Do they use a different "driver"?
2. Could be the sample NK.bin uses a different driver than my NK.bin
dioes? But I'd think whatever the driver used in sample NK.bin should be
the same one used in the BSP I used to build my NK.bin because they are
from the same vendor.

My puzzle:

1. My NK.bin was not built correctly. But then why the "standard" program
works with my NK.bin?
2. Something is wrong in my program. But then why would it work with the
sample NK.bin?

I think chance is high that my NK.bin was not built correctly. Can you
guys give me more clues to follow?

Many many thanks.


"John" wrote:

Hi,

I am new to platform builder. I am trying to build a Wince 6.0 OS
supporting the COM ports. But I can not open the COM port (COM1) when
running my application code on the OS I built. It tells me an unexpected
error happened
at System.IO.Ports.SerialStream.WinIOError()
at System.IO.Ports.SerialStream.CheckResult()
at System.IO.Ports.SerialStream.SetBufferSoze()
at System.IO.Ports.SerialPort.Open()
at ...
...

But I can receive these error messages from the COM1. So, the hardware
is ok. In fact, my code (and COM1) runs ok with a sample "NK.bin" came
with my development board. I contacted my board vendor. They think I
need download updates from Microsoft. I did have downloaded CF service
pack 2 before which solved a problem regarding the breakpoint. What
microsoft update I may need to download this time? Any suggestions?

Many thanks.


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Cant open Serial port
    ... Your sample NK.bin from the CD is a ship build, with serial debug over COM1 disabled. ... are you actually loading a serial driver for COM1? ... After boot, I find my test program, double click it to run. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsce.platbuilder)
  • Re: Updated Driver for 3945ABG Intel 3945ABG Wireless LAN controller
    ... I did the port as my searching led me to believe that progress on a driver had stagnated. ... Since then the driver has come a long way in netbsd with the FreeBSD version just getting older. ... These allocation issues are caused while allocating of the rx & tx ring buffers - which if they are broken explain why things don't work. ... For those wishing to help debug the driver and get it working, ...
    (freebsd-hackers)
  • Re: DEBUGMSG and FFUART enabled at the same time
    ... Which port is used for DEBUG is controlled by the OAL implementation. ... Loading the driver for the port that is ALSO being used as the debug port ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsce.platbuilder)
  • Re: boot problem, Unknown: DEBUGCHK failed
    ... The PDD part of a driver is linked, usually, with an MDD part to form the ... the serial ports for debug output, causing you to lose the port that the ... Returned a NULL leading to the error message. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsce.embedded)
  • Re: Serial Port Application
    ... Although the serial com port I use is defined under. ... maybe because of a driver included in one build and not the ... >> I have not modified the registry at all and I always us a debug build. ... >> I have a serial port test program that I am having trouble with. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsce.app.development)