Com ports being used

[va3mw]

How can I redo the com ports that the RRC Micro uses? 

I appreciate that it takes the 3 in a row it can find, but I need com 1 and com 2 to be less than com 9.

I can go into control panel and delete those not in use, but how can I then have RRC Micro move the com ports back down the list?

Thanks in advance

[va3mw]

Sorry, I meant to add.

I need to change the com port numbers on an XP box.  Normally you can just going into the device manager and assign new com port numbers, however no joy as there is no advanced tab to allow me to change them.

Is there a registry entry that I can hack?

[sm2o]

You can reassign the comport numbers in Windows like for all other comports

73 de mike

[va3mw]

Hi Mike

I've tried in XP and I can't.  There is no option like there is on USB devices. 

Have you tried?

Mike

[Jan (Microbit)]

Hi Mike

I've tried in XP and I can't.  There is no option like there is on USB devices. 

Have you tried?

Mike

Strangely enough it seems that sometimes the advanced tab is simply missing. I have not as of yet understood what makes that happen. Hacking the registry might be possible, Google should be able to point out info about that.

[Pedro]

Hi, that's hapenning with my setup! I'm using Win7 and there is no "advanced" option to change the com port number!

Any glue how to proced?

73's
Pedro

[Jan (Microbit)]

Hi, that's hapenning with my setup! I'm using Win7 and there is no "advanced" option to change the com port number!

Any glue how to proced?

73's
Pedro

For a starter you could try a small Windows Console program I have made which enumerates Windows' com port database and prints out info about numbers in use. It needs to be run as Administrator in Vista/Win7. You can find it here:  http://www.remoterig.com/downloads/Win32SerialPortTest.zip

You should get a printout looking something like this:



If you compare the list of the program to the list of ports found in Windows' Device Manager(with all USB serial port devices connected) you will see if Windows' com port database contains ports not actually used. If so then it is possible to mark unused parts free in the com port database making them available for use by our virtual ports.

[Pedro]

Thanks JAN,

the issue here is that I can't change the number of virtual com ports created...in my pc windows assigned automaticaly  microbit ports 16,17 and 18. Some aplications that I would like to connect have limited com ports (ex: ERC for rotor control has com 1 to 15) so I would like to change the microbit port number...

[Jan (Microbit)]

Thanks JAN,

the issue here is that I can't change the number of virtual com ports created...in my pc windows assigned automaticaly  microbit ports 16,17 and 18. Some aplications that I would like to connect have limited com ports (ex: ERC for rotor control has com 1 to 15) so I would like to change the microbit port number...

I understood that, but since you haven't got the possibility to change com port numbers I thought that by doing what I suggested there might be a possibility to free com ports not actually in use having numbers being low enough followed by a reinstall of the software which then would give the com ports numbers you can use.

[Pedro]

hi Jan,

ok...I've run the program and all ports apeared to be in use! Anyway I will try to remove some in order to get some of them free and will try to reinstal the software. Thanks,
Pedro

[Jan (Microbit)]

Did you compare the list from my program and the list in Device Manager? Windows is in this case rather stupid in that it contains a so called com port database which is what my program lists. That database is used(automatically=out of our control) to find free ports that our installation program can use. The problem is that the database is separate from what you see in Device Manager! Further more it seems that even after uninstalling programs that uses com ports those ports might remain marked as used in the database making them unavailable for future installed programs. To overcome this I have changed my program so that it can be used to mark com ports free in that database, making them available for our installation program. One should however use it carefully since marking com ports free that actually is in use might screw things up. If you want to try it you will have to wait until next week as it needs a little more work.

[dj0qn]

Here is a tip to be able to solve this type of problem for future users:

copy the following two lines into notepad:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
\windows\system32\devmgmt.msc

Then save this into a batch file, e.g. "Show Old Devices.bat"

Then start the batch file (double-click in Windows). It will then load your Device Manager.

Now when you click on the menu "view", then "show hidden devices", you can see all your
old devices you no longer use under the COM ports. Then you can delete these or change
their ports to prevent a conflict.

Note that I only have German Windows on my computers, so I think these are the English
menu titles.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[Jan (Microbit)]

Good thinking! But in my opinion what you see isn't necessary only "old devices you no longer use", it can also be USB devices not currently attached to the PC.  Furthermore you will need to have a PC that allows change of Com port numbers, not all seem to allow that(for some for me unknown reason).

[dj0qn]

This batch file will also allow you to delete old USB and other devices, I just was focused on COM ports.

I think the problem with changing the COM ports isn't the PC or Windows, but the driver itself. To be
honest, the only problem I have had ever changing the COM ports with is in the drivers that you guys use.
I love your hardware, but your USB drivers are not exactly......ahhhh.....flexible (being polite)   

[Jan (Microbit)]

This batch file will also allow you to delete old USB and other devices, I just was focused on COM ports.

I think the problem with changing the COM ports isn't the PC or Windows, but the driver itself. To be
honest, the only problem I have had ever changing the COM ports with is in the drivers that you guys use.
I love your hardware, but your USB drivers are not exactly......ahhhh.....flexible (being polite)   

There have definitely been cases with people telling their computers don't have the "advanced" tab which allows com port number change, while others have it, in both cases with "our driver" installed so something else is causing a difference.

As for our driver not being "flexible, I have not a clue how to make it more "flexible". What would make it more flexible? Being able to choose Com port numbers maybe? If so then we don't know how to do that since we do as Microsoft says when it comes to installing a user mode USB driver, that is, we pre-install an "INF" file per port, which describe the usb device and prepares the system for the Com ports to be installed. It is in the moment the Com ports get installed(the RRC is attached to the PC) they get their numbers assigned from Windows. Lots of "auto magic" going on there in other words.