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trance_creator

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Intercept serial port communication

Hi,

Because I want to understand the protocol in which an application "talks" to external hardware, I need to have a program which intercepts the "talking" and dumps it to a file.

The program must sit and wait until another program writes or retrieves data to or from the COM1: port (it has to run on a Windows 2000 machine).

Is this possible in VISUAL C++ (or in any way at all?). If such a program already exists, please say where I can get it!

Thnx in advance,

Bart van der Vliet
trance_creator@zonnet.nl
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jkr
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>>Is this possible in VISUAL C++ (or in any way at all?).

You can always do that usina API hooking - see http://research.microsoft.com/sn/detours/ and http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/1000/vtrace/VTrace.asp on this issue.

BTW: A great tool that already does what you want to is http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/portmon.shtml
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RideOn

You have to use following APIs CreateFile & ReadFile to Read from ComPort.
Do you only want to Read from it?
>>You have to use following APIs CreateFile & ReadFile to
>>Read from ComPort.

But these APIs don't allow to intercept an ongoing communication...
oh yes, thats right
okay, want to know what i did?
i had to monitor the communication over COM1 Port.
I made a patch-cable that was 1:1:1, that means APLLICATION - COM1 - COM2

over COM1 i communicated with the APPLICATION and on COM2 i watched what's happening. I think that's a very easy and fast way to do that...
U can watch COM2 with a normal Terminal-Program like Windows Hyper Terminal...
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jkr
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that's maybe right...but you're a little restricted with that application...
but anyway, maybe it's enough for trance_creator...

grEEz RideOn
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ASKER

The program is exactly what I need! Thanks a lot!!!

TTYL,

Bart van der Vliet