Sainsmart 16 Channel USB relay

Jean-Yves_Pochez · August 4, 2023, 11:50am

sorry my mistake it seems you need to send “:FE050000FF00FE\r\n” to turn the relay 1 on
and for \r\n you need to send the real characters, so chr(13)+chr(10)
sum up: “:FE050000FF00FE”+chr(13)+chr(10)

Michael_Knudsen · August 4, 2023, 12:06pm

I tried with:

SerialConnection1.Device = SerialDevice.At(0)
SerialConnection1.Connect

SerialConnection1.Write(“:FE050000FF00FE”)+chr(13)+chr(10)
but still no luck
it is connecting but not responding to the input

Jean-Yves_Pochez · August 4, 2023, 12:20pm

SerialConnection1.Write ":FE050000FF00FE”+chr(13)+chr(10)

Michael_Knudsen · August 4, 2023, 12:41pm

got it, but still not responding
SerialConnection1.Write “:FE050000FF00FE”+chr(13)+chr(10)

Jean-Yves_Pochez · August 4, 2023, 1:16pm

again, you should try it first with a serial terminal app like coolterm, putty or gtkterm, all are free and all platforms

Jean-Yves_Pochez · August 4, 2023, 2:56pm

please try
SerialConnection1.Write DecodeHex(“FE050000FF00FE”)+chr(13)+chr(10)
or also the same
SerialConnection1.Write DecodeHex(“FE050000FF00FE0D0A”)

Jean-Yves_Pochez · August 4, 2023, 2:56pm

some more obscure documentation for this device …
http://wiki.sainsmart.com/index.php/101-70-208

but as interesting all the codes to send to the device are showed, on the first page of the pdf

so I would try to send :
SerialConnection1.Write DecodeHex(“3A46453035303030304646303046450D0A”)

Michael_Knudsen · August 4, 2023, 3:48pm

It is working
instructions will follow so otherscan get it working too

Michael_Knudsen · August 4, 2023, 4:04pm

How to get the Sainsmart 16 Channel USB relay board working with Xojo
No driver installation needed

1) Wire up the relay board
Photo:

a) remove the jumper at location 4
b) it must receive 9-36v DC power input at location 3 (watch for polarity)
c) hook up USB cable at location 5

To test everything is working:

Drag a serialconnection into the window (I called mine SerialConnection1)
Change it’s settings to:
Baud: 9600
Bits: 8 data bits
Parity: None
Stop Bit: One
XON: off
CTS: off
DTR: off

In same window create a button and paste this code in the mouse down event:

Try
SerialConnection1.Device = SerialDevice.At(1)
SerialConnection1.Connect
MessageBox(“The serial connection is open.”)
Catch error As IOException
MessageBox(“The serial connection could not be opened.”)
End Try

This will establish the connection to the board

Communicating with the board:

Create a button and paste one of these in the mouse down event:

Open relay 1:

SerialConnection1.Write DecodeHex(“:3A46453035303030304646303046450D0A”)

Close relay 1:

SerialConnection1.Write DecodeHex(“:3A46453035303030303030303046440D0A”)

Here are the full command list:

Good luck

Paul_Rodman · August 4, 2023, 4:25pm

I suspect that should be:

SerialConnection1.Write “:” + DecodeHex(“3A46453035303030304646303046450D0A”)

ditto for the other call.

Jean-Yves_Pochez · August 4, 2023, 5:03pm

me too the “:” is unknown to the decodehex function

Michael_Knudsen · August 4, 2023, 5:28pm

You are right, the : does absolutely nothing, but funny enough it works both with or without the :
Yet again thank you so much for the help

Jean-Yves_Pochez · August 4, 2023, 5:39pm

next step is to make a global method (in a module) that takes the relay number and the state on-off as a parameter, and that does all the work.

Michael_Knudsen · August 7, 2023, 8:02pm

I have been trying to create a global method in a module that could be called, but can’t get it working.

I have a module called: RelayControl
and a method called Relay1On

Could you be so kind and point me in the right direction how a method that I could call to turn on relay1 could look?

The code for turning on relay 1 is:

SerialConnection1.Write DecodeHex(“3A46453035303030304646303046450D0A”)

Brandon_Warlick · August 7, 2023, 8:17pm

You should pass the serial object on the Window into the Relay1On Method. Assuming you name the parameter SerialConnection1, then the code that you showed would be the only code in the method and should work.

Jean-Yves_Pochez · August 7, 2023, 8:49pm

something like this placed in a module should do the job

Public Sub RelayControl(relayNumber as Integer, state as Boolean)
  Dim s As New SerialConnection
  If s=Nil Then Return
  
  s.Baud = Serial.Baud9600
  s.Bits = Serial.Bits8
  s.Parity = SerialConnection.Parities.None
  s.StopBit = SerialConnection.StopBits.One
  s.XON = False
  s.CTS = False
  s.DTR = False
  
  Try
    s.Device = SerialDevice.At(1)
    s.Connect
    'MessageBox(“The serial connection Is open.”)
  Catch error As IOException
    MessageBox("The serial connection could Not be opened.")
    Return
  End Try
  
  Dim outString As String = "3A46453035303030"
  Dim nextString As String
  
  Select Case relayNumber
  Case 1
    If state Then
      nextString = "30303030304644"
    Else
      nextString = "30303030304644"
    End If
  Case 2
    If state Then
      nextString = "31464630304644"
    Else
      nextString = "31303030304643"
    End If
  Case 3
    If state Then
      nextString = "32464630304643"
    Else
      nextString = "32303030304642"
    End If
  Case 4
    If state Then
      nextString = "33464630304642"
    Else
      nextString = "33303030304641"
    End If
  Case 5
    If state Then
      nextString = "34464630304641"
    Else
      nextString = "34303030304639"
    End If
  Case 6
    If state Then
      nextString = "35464630304639"
    Else
      nextString = "35303030304638"
    End If
  Case 7
    If state Then
      nextString = "36464630304638"
    Else
      nextString = "36303030304637"
    End If
  Case 8
    If state Then
      nextString = "37464630304637"
    Else
      nextString = "37303030304636"
    End If
  Case 9
    If state Then
      nextString = "38464630304636"
    Else
      nextString = "38303030304635"
    End If
  Case 10
    If state Then
      nextString = "39464630304635"
    Else
      nextString = "39303030304634"
    End If
  Case 11
    If state Then
      nextString = "41464630304634"
    Else
      nextString = "41303030304633"
    End If
  Case 12
    If state Then
      nextString = "42464630304633"
    Else
      nextString = "42303030304632"
    End If
  Case 13
    If state Then
      nextString = "43464630304632"
    Else
      nextString = "43303030304631"
    End If
  Case 14
    If state Then
      nextString = "44464630304631"
    Else
      nextString = "44303030304630"
    End If
  Case 15
    If state Then
      nextString = "45464630304630"
    Else
      nextString = "45303030304646"
    End If
  Case 16
    If state Then
      nextString = "46464630304646"
    Else
      nextString = "46303030304645"
    End If
  Case 17 // set all relays at once
    If state Then
      nextString = "30303031303032464646464533"
    Else
      nextString = "30303031303032303030304531"
    End If
    
  End Select
  
  outString = outString + nextString + "0D0A"
  
  s.Write DecodeHex( outString)
  
  s.Close
  
End Sub

Jean-Yves_Pochez · August 8, 2023, 12:55pm

you can add at the end of the select…case :

  Case 17 // set all relays at once
    If state Then
      nextString = "30303031303032464646464533"
    Else
      nextString = "30303031303032303030304531"
    End If
  Else
     MessageBox("Unknown relay number: " +Str( relayNumber))
  End Select

Michael_Knudsen · August 8, 2023, 9:14pm

I have implemented the code (with minor changes), and the connection is established but the relay does not respond nomatter what I try. (Also tried with your original code suggestion)
Can you help figure out what is missing or what I’m not seeing?

Code in the Method RelayControl (inside the module: Relay)

Parameters: relayNumber as Integer, state as Boolean
Scope: Global

Dim s As New SerialConnection
If s = Nil Then Return

s.Baud = Serial.Baud9600
s.Bits = Serial.Bits8
s.Parity = SerialConnection.Parities.None
s.StopBit = SerialConnection.StopBits.One
s.XON = False
s.CTS = False
s.DTR = False

Try
s.Device = SerialDevice.At(1)
s.Connect
'MessageBox(“The serial connection is open.”)
Catch error As IOException
MessageBox(“The serial connection could Not be opened.”)
Return
End Try

Dim outString As String = “3A46453035303030”
Dim nextString As String
Dim endString As String = “0D0A”

Select Case relayNumber
Case 1
If state Then
nextString = “30464630304645”
Else
nextString = “30303030304644”
End If
Case 2
If state Then
nextString = “31464630304644”
Else
nextString = “31303030304643”
End If
Case 3
If state Then
nextString = “32464630304643”
Else
nextString = “32303030304642”
End If
Case 4
If state Then
nextString = “33464630304642”
Else
nextString = “33303030304641”
End If
Case 5
If state Then
nextString = “34464630304641”
Else
nextString = “34303030304639”
End If
Case 6
If state Then
nextString = “35464630304639”
Else
nextString = “35303030304638”
End If
Case 7
If state Then
nextString = “36464630304638”
Else
nextString = “36303030304637”
End If
Case 8
If state Then
nextString = “37464630304637”
Else
nextString = “37303030304636”
End If
Case 9
If state Then
nextString = “38464630304636”
Else
nextString = “38303030304635”
End If
Case 10
If state Then
nextString = “39464630304635”
Else
nextString = “39303030304634”
End If
Case 11
If state Then
nextString = “41464630304634”
Else
nextString = “41303030304633”
End If
Case 12
If state Then
nextString = “42464630304633”
Else
nextString = “42303030304632”
End If
Case 13
If state Then
nextString = “43464630304632”
Else
nextString = “43303030304631”
End If
Case 14
If state Then
nextString = “44464630304631”
Else
nextString = “44303030304630”
End If
Case 15
If state Then
nextString = “45464630304630”
Else
nextString = “45303030304646”
End If
Case 16
If state Then
nextString = “46464630304646”
Else
nextString = “46303030304645”
End If
Case 17 // set all relays at once
If state Then
nextString = “3030303031303032464646464533”
Else
nextString = “3030303031303032303030304531”
End If
Else
MessageBox("Unknown relay number: " +Str( relayNumber))
End Select

dim finalString As String

finalString = outString + nextString + endString

s.Write DecodeHex(finalString)

s.XmitWait

s.Close

I call it from a simple push button with the mousedown event:

RelayControl(1, true)

Michael_Knudsen · August 8, 2023, 9:46pm

Got it working
but it seems to be rather inconsistent in the way it operates.
For example calling the same relay to turn off several times in a row can actually cause it to turn on.
Or calling realy1 on, then after few seconds off sometimes are inresponsive. Then trying again turns it off.

I think your code works flawless but the relay is simply not of good enough quality?

Paul_Rodman · August 8, 2023, 9:58pm

Didn’t you need to prefix the string with “:”?