Share serial port with another app?

[Livin]

It seems that if I have EventGhost running (loading before Girder) - Girder will not control the serial device. It thinks it does so I have a feeling EG is blocking / locking the serial port.

If I try to load Girder first, it will 'lock' the serial port and EventGhost errors during initial load.

I need BOTH apps to be able to control it and think that what looks like the best way is to see if EG can use the port without locking it since Girder sees it without an issue... just no commands get to the port.

Anyone know if this can be done?

[TomXP411]

Nope. You can't share serial ports; only one program can have a serial port open at a time.

There are 2 ways to work around the problem:
1. Have Girder and EG both close the port after sending a message, but that's a send-only solution, and it would require changes to the source code of both programs.

2. Have one app send messages to the other. EG has many ways to get data from the outside: the network receiver, COM messages, the command line, and the web server. If there's some way to make Girder send a message through one of those methods, EG could then pass it along.

[Livin]

2. Have one app send messages to the other. EG has many ways to get data from the outside: the network receiver, COM messages, the command line, and the web server. If there's some way to make Girder send a message through one of those methods, EG could then pass it along.

I think this will be the option I will look into. Thx!

[Melloware]

There are a couple of software solutions to help with the problem of sharing COM ports.

XPort:
http://curioustech.home.insightbb.com/xport.html

Serial Splitter:
http://www.eltima.com/products/serialsplitter/