Re: Excel-RS232 via Cheapcomm: Where?

The Real Andy wrote:
On Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:33:06 -0400, CBFalconer <cbfalconer@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:


antedeluvian51 wrote:

mscomm32.ocx is often a headache. The only sure way is to install
VB6 (I am not sure if you need the professional or enterprise
editions for the registration to occur). You can in fact uninstall
VB6 immediately afterwards without ever having used it, and the
registration will still stick. I guess you could do this with a
borrowed copy without violating the copyright.

I fail to see any reason for anyone to put up with these
shenanigans. Linux is still available, at a reasonable price, with
a reasonable license.


What has that got to do with the OP's question? Why is it that linux
bigots can never answer the question, but rather just dodge it with
some completely irrelevant drivel. If Joerg wanted to use linux, then
Joerg would have used linux because Joerg is more than competent to do
so, but that is not what was asked.


Right, no Linux here. This has to work on client's PCs and their IT staff would roll on the floor holding their bellies if I suggested they change out the OS on a number of PCs.

On a side note Linux seems to cause some quirks in cooperation with Windows systems. For example, when I want to unzip a file that resides on the Linux-based LAN drive here I usually receive the error message "not a zip file". After moving it over to a Windows PC the same file unzips just fine.


To deal with the original question, the mscomm ocx can be used if the
application is packaged, but unfortunately you will need a copy of VB
to do this. The other solutions is to track down the registry key that
mscomm uses to validate itself buy using a regmon (sysinternals) or
whatever the new version is called.


That key is given in the link Aubrey posted. However, I am not sure whether this method is fully legit from a copyright POV. At least I could imagine that some IT guys would raise an eyebrow and decline to do that. Usually those are the folks who would have to do a registry edit in many companies.


Failing all of that, then you can use the win32 api, but this would be
a pain in VB if you don't have a great deal of interfacing with the
API.


I looks like it does boil down to using the API. Certainly not something to look forward to :-(

VBA within Excel is such a great idea. Why did they leave it lacking so much in connectivity? MS could sell a whole lot of copies for lab and production PCs if it wasn't so difficult to connect hardware. Right now everyone defaults to LabView, DAQFactory and SW like that, or they just don't do anything at all if the expense isn't warranted.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
.