I am working on a project to rewrite some codes currently working on Windows platform then make it to work on Mac OS X. One senario is to detect the USB to Serial port device change event. So when the user plugs in a usb to serial device, the program will detect the device change and then base on PID/VID combination to decide open the COM port or not. When user unplug it, close the COM port. On windows platform the following codes do the job,
Private WM_DEVICECHANGE As Integer = &H219
Public Enum WM_DEVICECHANGE_WPPARAMS As Integer
DBT_CONFIGCHANGECANCELED = &H19
DBT_CONFIGCHANGED = &H18
DBT_CUSTOMEVENT = &H8006
DBT_DEVICEARRIVAL = &H8000
DBT_DEVICEQUERYREMOVE = &H8001
DBT_DEVICEQUERYREMOVEFAILED = &H8002
DBT_DEVICEREMOVECOMPLETE = &H8004
DBT_DEVICEREMOVEPENDING = &H8003
DBT_DEVICETYPESPECIFIC = &H8005
DBT_DEVNODES_CHANGED = &H7
DBT_QUERYCHANGECONFIG = &H17
DBT_USERDEFINED = &HFFFF
End Enum
Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As System.Windows.Forms.Message)
If m.Msg = WM_DEVICECHANGE Then
Select Case m.WParam
Case WM_DEVICECHANGE_WPPARAMS.DBT_DEVICEARRIVAL
ChkBox_USB_Detect.CheckState = CheckState.Checked 'here is a checkbox set the intial check state as intermidiate, the whole checkbox is working as a flag
Case WM_DEVICECHANGE_WPPARAMS.DBT_DEVICEREMOVECOMPLETE
ChkBox_USB_Detect.CheckState = CheckState.Unchecked
End Select
End If
MyBase.WndProc(m)
End Sub
You could try the MonkeyBread plugin MacUSBNoticationMBS, it may do the job, but it does have a caveat… Notes: Written for a client and probably not yet universally useable, so it may not work with your device
[quote=44846:@Chris Carter]You could try the MonkeyBread plugin MacUSBNoticationMBS, it may do the job, but it does have a caveat… Notes: Written for a client and probably not yet universally useable, so it may not work with your device
URL is… http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de/realbasic/plugin-usb.shtml[/quote]
Thanks, Chris. Just quick question, I do noticed there are planty of MonkeyBread plugins for Xojo. What’s that? Is that free plugins? If I use those plugins, after I build my program and generate an installer, do I need to provide those plugins in my program, just like you have to include .NET framework in the installer, in case the end user doesn’t intall .NET framework?
[quote=44846:@Chris Carter]You could try the MonkeyBread plugin MacUSBNoticationMBS, it may do the job, but it does have a caveat… Notes: Written for a client and probably not yet universally useable, so it may not work with your device
URL is… http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de/realbasic/plugin-usb.shtml[/quote]
Chris,
I just tried to use the MonkeyBread plugins in Windows, I used the class WinUSBDeviceMBS in order to filt specific USB to Serial port I want to open, then, I have a problem, I can’t find a way to match the USB to serial port to the port number.
For example, I have a usb to serial port device use FTDI chip, so I can filt it out thru WinUSBDeviceMBS. I can also read the COM port number thru Xojo own class, Serial.serialport.Name. But I can’t find a method match those two.
The USB COM ports I have used all have a FriendlyName associated with them which typicaly has (COMn) on the end.
This is held in the registry, but the proper way to get it is with some API calls. ( SetupDi… and CM_Get_… calls )
( This particular property is grabbed using a call to SetupDiGetDeviceRegistryProperty using the SPDRP_FRIENDLYNAME flag, but getting th that point is not trivial )
My own code for this is is embedded in a larger project which scans for lots of device types… but I can extract example code from the existing project, given a little time.
It is always possible that Christian (of MBS) will add this FriendlyName field to his WinUSBDeviceMBS class.
It can grab information for lots of device types, I’ve put comments into the form’s open event to say how to get just the USB COM port information you are after.
It can grab information for lots of device types, I’ve put comments into the form’s open event to say how to get just the USB COM port information you are after.[/quote]
Many thanks to provid the source code to catch up the USB device. I read the code, here is the question I have.
In your codes, all the WinAPI_ are system functions right? I mean you don’t have to wirte your own codes, just call it and you will get the info you needed right?
In VB.NET I use WMI to reach to the PnPEntity, it’s basically a data base script like. So go back to the main theme on my first topic, do you have any idea, how that works on the Mac OS?
Further question is did Mac OS provide some kind of API let you scan all devices? How does that work?
I know it’s a bit of messy to discuss this from Mac OS then Windows then go back to Mac OS, I guess it’s a good case study for me to learn about both platforms to deal with COM port communication. Again, thank you very much for your answer. That’s very helpful.
WinAPI_ prefix is just my own coding convention for Windows API related funtions and constants - these refer to windows system functions which are built in. I tested this under Windows XP…
If you run the project it should work and fill a listbox with a tree view of device information.
I haven’t’ done a lot of MAC specific stuff, but if I plug a USB->Serial device in to my Mac Mini and then use the RB/Xojo serial class to look at COM ports, the USB one(s) have names starting usbmodem
I also see that MBS plugin Mac USB Devices shows some useful information
[quote=45290:@Chris Carter]WinAPI_ prefix is just my own coding convention for Windows API related funtions and constants - these refer to windows system functions which are built in. I tested this under Windows XP…
If you run the project it should work and fill a listbox with a tree view of device information.
I haven’t’ done a lot of MAC specific stuff, but if I plug a USB->Serial device in to my Mac Mini and then use the RB/Xojo serial class to look at COM ports, the USB one(s) have names starting usbmodem
I also see that MBS plugin Mac USB Devices shows some useful information[/quote]
Yep, I run it on my Windows 7 laptop, it runs just like your description. So, all the WinAPI_ is comming from setupapi.dll? How does the Windows API function hook up?
It can grab information for lots of device types, I’ve put comments into the form’s open event to say how to get just the USB COM port information you are after.[/quote]
@Chris Carter Thanks for the examples in this. I actually learned a few new things like using external methods.
@Chris Carter What is the advantage of using the external methods for dynamic library calls? I’ve just been using regular methods for mine because I didn’t know about external methods.
@Chris Carter I am trying to work with the setupapi.dll to disable/enable a usb hid device. Have you done any work with the SetupDiChangeState function?
I normally use regular methods as I often want to wrap a bit of other work around calls.
One advantage I see of external methods is that it is probably more efficient as the routine can be called directly, rather than via the overhead of invoking another method.
Thanks for the insights into that. I appreciate it.
Oh ok, I thought you had worked with setupapi.dll because there are several calls to that dll in that example code you posted.[/quote]
Oops, Old age & poor memory – I had quite forgotten that setupapi was the .dll these calls had come from - but I almost certain I have neverused the SetupDiChangeState function. though.
@Chris Carter Hey no problem there’s quite a few good examples here of how to create the structures in Xojo for the other functions so I’m sure your examples will give me the hints I need to figure it out. Thanks.
