Share serial port between two programs on Windows CE 6.0

Question

Hi, Friends:

I am working on a project based on Windows CE 6.0. One C++ application is using a serial port to communicate with an user via RS232 connection. And now I have to use the same serial port in another C# application to print out messages to the user. So here is the question. Can the same serial port be shared between two programs on Windows CE 6.0?



Thanks,
Michael 

Answer 1

Yes, but you will need to do some work.  The driver will only allow one open at a time, so you will need to do one of the following (or figure out another option):

1.  Write a Application, service or driver that allows multiple opens and manages the communications between the serial port and your two applications.
2. Assuming that your apps only uses the port for output, you could use a mutex and then open, write, close the port every time that you need to write to it.

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Bruce Eitman
Senior Enginer
Bruce.Eitman AT Synopsys DOT com
My BLOG http://geekswithblogs.net/bruceeitman
I work for Synopsys

Answer 2

Hi, Bruce:

Thank you very much for your answers.

Michael