data transfer via serial port

[vicky87]

I'm currently  using labview as a testbench for my project.

i want to send numeric values from one pc to another. but the visa write buffer accepts data only as text which is then serially transfered.

how will i be able to transfer numeric data to another com???

[tartan5]

Hi Vicky,

The visa write function accepts strings, not text.  What I do is build an unsigned byte array, and pass it through the "Byte Array to string" function.  This allows me to send out bytes from 0x00 to 0xFF.

[smercurio_fc]

Technically, strings are text.

You would only need to use byte arrays if you need to send out values in hex, as opposed to just numeric numbers. For example, to set a voltage you typically send out the string "VOLT 3.0". You would not send out this string as a byte array. The instrument would simply not understand it. To poster: Do you need to send out the number as a number, or as its hex value? If you just need to send it out as a number in string format, then just use the numeric -> string conversion functions in the String -> String/Number Conversion palette.

[tartan5]

Hi Smercurio_FC,

Well,  I tend to think of "text" as those characters you would use to, say, compose a sentence.  My point was that a string can also contain non-visible characters as well.  Most of my applications communicate with binary data (byte values from 0 to 255), not ASCII.  I assumed that since it was from one PC to another, that the OP was not communication to an instrument, which 95% of the time is strictly an ASCII based protocol.

I agree the question needs further clarification.  I would rephrase your question to the OP as: "To Poster: Do you need to send out the number in its native representation (byte = 8 bits, word = 2 Bytes, long = 2 words, etc) or as it's text equivalent? "

If the communication is between two labview programs, via the serial port, how about using the flatten/ unflatten to string functions?