ACTIVECOMPORT 2.2 RELEASE NOTES

INTRODUCTION

ActiveComport 2.2 is the newest version of the ActiveComport Serial Port Toolkit.

The mission of the product is to provide an easy-to-use scripting interface for serial, asynchronous communications through a serial port. ActiveComport can control modems, ISDN modems, USB serial devices and other devices and machines that have a serial interface.

WHAT'S NEW IN ACTIVECOMPORT 2.2

- Support for Windows Telephony Device -

• ActiveComport now has full support for Windows Telephony Devices. In previous versions of ActiveComport, you could only use direct comports (i.e. COM1 or COM2); in ActiveComport 2.2, you can use device names like 'Standard 19200 bps Modem', or 'Nokia 6310i Modem'.

- Hardware Flow Control -

• In previous versions of ActiveComport, flow control could be set through the DTR, RTS, CTS and DSR properties.

  These properties are now renamed to DTRFlowControl, RTSFlowControl, CTSFlowControl and DSRFlowControl.

  Furthermore, there is a new property to suite most users: HardwareFlowControl.

  This property automatically sets all DTRFlowControl, RTSFlowControl, CTSFlowControl and DSRFlowControl to the most common values for hardware flow control.

- Software Flow Control -

• The XOnXOff property has been renamed to SoftwareFlowControl.

- Signal Monitoring -

• ActiveComport 2.2 now includes functions to monitor signals:

  • QueryCTS (to monitor the Clear-To-Send signal),
  • QueryDSR (to monitor the Data-Set-Ready signal),
  • QueryDCD (to monitor the Data-Carrier-Detect) and
  • QueryRI (to monitor the Ring-Indicator signal).

- Signal Raising -

• ActiveComport 2.2 now includes functions to raise (or lower) a signal (regardless whether flow control is being used or not):

  • RaiseRTS to raise/lower the RTS (Request-To-Send) signal, and
  • RaiseDTR to raise/lower the DTR (Data-Terminal-Ready) signal.

- Error Codes -

• ActiveComport now uses universal ActiveXperts Error Codes. As a result, all error codes values have changed.

  You can now go to the ActiveXperts web site to lookup an error code, no matter which ActiveXperts product generated the error.

  Use the following URL:

  www.activexperts.com/support/errorcodes,

  or use the GetErrorDescription function of any of the toolkit objects.

- Flags -

• In previous versions of ActiveComport, flags where defined in include files. Each demo project had a 'constants' file which allowed the user to use flags in the source code.

  In version 2.2, these constants files do not exist anymore. Instead, flags are now defined as read-only properties of the object.

- Logging -

• ActiveComport now allows you to log all serial port communications through the new LogFile property.

- Samples -

• New samples are included with the product, including samples for ASP .NET (Visual Basic .NET and Visual C# .NET), multi-threading Visual C++ samples and null-modem file transfer samples.

INSTALLATION AND UPGRADE

- Installation -

To learn more about installing the product for the first time, please read our manual. You can download the manual at www.activexperts.com/files/serial-port-component/manual.htm

- Upgrade from ActiveComport 2.1 -

Upgrade to ActiveComport 2.2 in the following way:

• Uninstall the ActiveComport 2.1 product. Use the 'Add/Remove Programs' applet in the Control Panel to start the Uninstall procedure;
• Download the ActiveComport 2.2 Installation file from the ActiveXperts Software web site: www.activexperts.com/download;
• Start the ActiveComport 2.2 Installation. The InstallShield wizard will guide you through the steps of the installation.

- Upgrade from ActiveComport 2.0 of older versions -

Registered users of ActiveComport should read the ActiveComport 2.1 Upgrade Notes before upgrading to version 2.2

As a registered user, you must use the new registration code that was sent to you by ActiveXperts Software. Upgrade to ActiveComport 2.2 in the following way:

• Uninstall the ActiveComport 2.x product. Use the 'Add/Remove Programs' applet in the Control Panel to start the Uninstall procedure;
• Download the ActiveComport 2.2 Installation file from the ActiveXperts Software web site: www.activexperts.com/download;
• Start the ActiveComport 2.2 Installation. The InstallShield wizard will guide you through the steps of the installation.