R
Ron Weiner
I am stuck in an application that I am developing using VS 2003 - VB.Net for
a Symbol MC50 PPC2003SE. The application needs to print to a IrDA printer
(O'Neil Microflash 2t) and I am having a duce of a time getting something
seemingly so simple to work. So far I have tried two different methods to
make the connection, and print text, but have failed. I did download an
application from O'Neil that is able to copy a simple text file to the
printer using the IrDA port so I know that all of the hardware is OK.
The first method I tried was using a reference to System.Net.IrDA That I
found on Microsoft's site. Below find the code I try'd.
Private Sub cmdIRSend_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles cmdIRSend.Click
' Align the infrared ports of the devices.
' Click the Receive button first, then click Send.
Dim irClient As New IrDAClient
Dim irServiceName As String = "microFlash2"
Dim irDevices() As IrDADeviceInfo
Dim buffersize As Integer = 256
' Create a collection of devices to discover.
irDevices = irClient.DiscoverDevices(2)
' Show the name of the first device found.
If irDevices.Length = 0 Then
' <<< This is as far as it gets - Device not found >>>
MsgBox("No remote infrared devices found.")
Return
End If
Try
Dim irEndP As New IrDAEndPoint(irDevices(0).DeviceID, _
irServiceName)
Dim irListen As New IrDAListener(irEndP)
irListen.Start()
irClient = irListen.AcceptIrDAClient()
MsgBox("Connected!")
Catch exSoc As SocketException
MsgBox("Couldn't listen on service " & irServiceName & ": " _
& exSoc.ErrorCode)
End Try
' Open a file to send and get its stream.
Dim fs As Stream
Try
fs = New FileStream("\\Program Files\ShowTrak\2I_Invoice",
FileMode.Open)
Catch exFile As Exception
MsgBox("Cannot open " & exFile.ToString())
Return
End Try
' Get the underlying stream of the client.
Dim baseStream As Stream = irClient.GetStream()
' Get the size of the file to send
' and write its size to the stream.
Dim length As Byte() = BitConverter.GetBytes(fs.Length)
baseStream.Write(length, 0, length.Length)
' Create a buffer for reading the file.
Dim buffer(buffersize) As Byte
Dim fileLength As Integer = CInt(fs.Length)
Try
' Read the file stream into the base stream.
While fileLength > 0
Dim numRead As Int64 = fs.Read(buffer, 0, buffer.Length)
baseStream.Write(buffer, 0, numRead)
fileLength -= numRead
End While
MsgBox("File sent")
Catch exSend As Exception
MsgBox(exSend.Message)
End Try
fs.Close()
baseStream.Close()
irClient.Close()
End Sub
This above code does make the printer wake up (i.e. turn itself on) but
that's it! The Msoft example was designed to demonstrate how to transfer a
file between two devices. I figured that I would only need the Send part.
I guess I figured wrong.
My next attempt was to include a reference to OpenNETCF and use the Serial
communication library. My first task was to try and find what port that the
MC50 used with the IRDA interface. So I tried ALL of the ports From Com1:
through Com8:. The only ports that did not throw an exception were Com3:
(which woke the printer up) and Com5: which did not cause the printer to do
anything. Armed with this knowledge I am assuming that Com3: is where I
want to spend the rest of my effort. When I print a Print Comfit from the
printer it shows the following:
Baud Rate = 19.2K
Parity = None
Data Bits = 8
Handshake = Both
Here is the code I am using to test the Serial Communication:
Private Sub cmdShowOut_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles cmdShowOut.Click
Dim OutputData(0) As Byte
Dim strOut As String, i As Integer
Dim SerPort As New OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.Port("COM3:")
With SerPort
.Settings.BaudRate = OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.BaudRates.CBR_19200
.Settings.ByteSize = 8
.Settings.Parity = OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.Parity.none
.Settings.StopBits = OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.StopBits.one
.DetailedSettings.OutCTS = False
.DetailedSettings.OutDSR = False
.DetailedSettings.DTRControl =
OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.DTRControlFlows.enable
.DetailedSettings.DSRSensitive = False
.DetailedSettings.TxContinueOnXOff = False
.DetailedSettings.InX = False
.DetailedSettings.OutX = False
.DetailedSettings.ReplaceErrorChar = False
.DetailedSettings.DiscardNulls = False
.DetailedSettings.RTSControl =
OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.RTSControlFlows.enable
.DetailedSettings.AbortOnError = False
If .IsOpen = False Then
.Open()
End If
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500) ' Wait for the Printer to
awaken
strOut = vbCrLf & "Printer Test" & vbCrLf & Chr(12)
For i = 0 To strOut.Length - 1
' Send the bytes down to the Printer
OutputData(0) = CByte(Asc(strOut.Substring(i, 1)))
.Output = OutputData
Next
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500) ' Wait for the Printer to
finish
.Close()
End With
End Sub
This code also wakes up the printer, but that's it, nothing prints. I am
starting to loose what little hair I have left over this. Can anyone help?
a Symbol MC50 PPC2003SE. The application needs to print to a IrDA printer
(O'Neil Microflash 2t) and I am having a duce of a time getting something
seemingly so simple to work. So far I have tried two different methods to
make the connection, and print text, but have failed. I did download an
application from O'Neil that is able to copy a simple text file to the
printer using the IrDA port so I know that all of the hardware is OK.
The first method I tried was using a reference to System.Net.IrDA That I
found on Microsoft's site. Below find the code I try'd.
Private Sub cmdIRSend_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles cmdIRSend.Click
' Align the infrared ports of the devices.
' Click the Receive button first, then click Send.
Dim irClient As New IrDAClient
Dim irServiceName As String = "microFlash2"
Dim irDevices() As IrDADeviceInfo
Dim buffersize As Integer = 256
' Create a collection of devices to discover.
irDevices = irClient.DiscoverDevices(2)
' Show the name of the first device found.
If irDevices.Length = 0 Then
' <<< This is as far as it gets - Device not found >>>
MsgBox("No remote infrared devices found.")
Return
End If
Try
Dim irEndP As New IrDAEndPoint(irDevices(0).DeviceID, _
irServiceName)
Dim irListen As New IrDAListener(irEndP)
irListen.Start()
irClient = irListen.AcceptIrDAClient()
MsgBox("Connected!")
Catch exSoc As SocketException
MsgBox("Couldn't listen on service " & irServiceName & ": " _
& exSoc.ErrorCode)
End Try
' Open a file to send and get its stream.
Dim fs As Stream
Try
fs = New FileStream("\\Program Files\ShowTrak\2I_Invoice",
FileMode.Open)
Catch exFile As Exception
MsgBox("Cannot open " & exFile.ToString())
Return
End Try
' Get the underlying stream of the client.
Dim baseStream As Stream = irClient.GetStream()
' Get the size of the file to send
' and write its size to the stream.
Dim length As Byte() = BitConverter.GetBytes(fs.Length)
baseStream.Write(length, 0, length.Length)
' Create a buffer for reading the file.
Dim buffer(buffersize) As Byte
Dim fileLength As Integer = CInt(fs.Length)
Try
' Read the file stream into the base stream.
While fileLength > 0
Dim numRead As Int64 = fs.Read(buffer, 0, buffer.Length)
baseStream.Write(buffer, 0, numRead)
fileLength -= numRead
End While
MsgBox("File sent")
Catch exSend As Exception
MsgBox(exSend.Message)
End Try
fs.Close()
baseStream.Close()
irClient.Close()
End Sub
This above code does make the printer wake up (i.e. turn itself on) but
that's it! The Msoft example was designed to demonstrate how to transfer a
file between two devices. I figured that I would only need the Send part.
I guess I figured wrong.
My next attempt was to include a reference to OpenNETCF and use the Serial
communication library. My first task was to try and find what port that the
MC50 used with the IRDA interface. So I tried ALL of the ports From Com1:
through Com8:. The only ports that did not throw an exception were Com3:
(which woke the printer up) and Com5: which did not cause the printer to do
anything. Armed with this knowledge I am assuming that Com3: is where I
want to spend the rest of my effort. When I print a Print Comfit from the
printer it shows the following:
Baud Rate = 19.2K
Parity = None
Data Bits = 8
Handshake = Both
Here is the code I am using to test the Serial Communication:
Private Sub cmdShowOut_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs) Handles cmdShowOut.Click
Dim OutputData(0) As Byte
Dim strOut As String, i As Integer
Dim SerPort As New OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.Port("COM3:")
With SerPort
.Settings.BaudRate = OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.BaudRates.CBR_19200
.Settings.ByteSize = 8
.Settings.Parity = OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.Parity.none
.Settings.StopBits = OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.StopBits.one
.DetailedSettings.OutCTS = False
.DetailedSettings.OutDSR = False
.DetailedSettings.DTRControl =
OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.DTRControlFlows.enable
.DetailedSettings.DSRSensitive = False
.DetailedSettings.TxContinueOnXOff = False
.DetailedSettings.InX = False
.DetailedSettings.OutX = False
.DetailedSettings.ReplaceErrorChar = False
.DetailedSettings.DiscardNulls = False
.DetailedSettings.RTSControl =
OpenNETCF.IO.Serial.RTSControlFlows.enable
.DetailedSettings.AbortOnError = False
If .IsOpen = False Then
.Open()
End If
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500) ' Wait for the Printer to
awaken
strOut = vbCrLf & "Printer Test" & vbCrLf & Chr(12)
For i = 0 To strOut.Length - 1
' Send the bytes down to the Printer
OutputData(0) = CByte(Asc(strOut.Substring(i, 1)))
.Output = OutputData
Next
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500) ' Wait for the Printer to
finish
.Close()
End With
End Sub
This code also wakes up the printer, but that's it, nothing prints. I am
starting to loose what little hair I have left over this. Can anyone help?