Simulator Serial-port not being saved when changed

[Andrew S]

Hello. I'm using Designer 2.5.1 on Win10. I have two serial ports on the machine (COM1 and COM4). At startup the simulator selects COM1 but I want to use COM4 so I select it and press OK. The instructions say I have to restart the simulator for that change to be picked up, but when I close and reopen it the selected serial port is back to COM1 and there is no activity on COM4.
I enabled tracing on COM4 and I see activity during the port selection dialog but nothing otherwise.

Am I doing something wrong?
Thanks, Andrew.

[BobO]

This may be related to a bug in 2.5.1 where the Simulator is pointing to the wrong directory. It may resolve if you manually create "C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Do-more\Designer2_2\Bin".

DmD 2.5.2 should be dropping tomorrow. It fixes the directory issue.

[Andrew S]

Thanks Bob. I did see that post. I got some strangeness when I added the folder. I'll update tomorrow and see if it persists after that.

[BobO]

I need to confirm this, but it?s possible that there is also a command line switch to specify the comm port.

[BobO]

I was wrong...no command line switch.

[Andrew S]

Ok. I'll check the 2.5.2 shortly and report back.

[Andrew S]

Upgraded to 2.5.2. I'm still not getting the COM port saved in the simulator. It continually defaults to the first port in the list.

[Andrew S]

Hi Bob. Any more thoughts about this issue, which (for me at least) appears to be persisting under DMD 2.5.2?

Thanks, Andrew.

[BobO]

Hi Bob. Any more thoughts about this issue, which (for me at least) appears to be persisting under DMD 2.5.2?

Thanks, Andrew.

I'm actually looking at it right now. Code that has worked right for 10 years doesn't work anymore. I'm starting to suspect a Windows 10 change or some other MicrosoftGonnaSaveUs thing.

The way it is supposed to work is that we test the last saved comm port on startup, and if it fails, we scan for available ports, automatically selecting the first available. When you pull up the select dialog, is scans for ports and lets you select. When the Sim shuts down, it saves the last selected (auto or manual) to the .STATE file. I changed the mapping of my port and it doesn't open at all now.

When you open the selection dialog, do you see the port?

[Andrew S]

Yes I do. The port is a USB virtual-serial port (to a Sealink 4101 serial server) which works fine with other software. As you mentioned, I'm on a Win10 machine. Perhaps you're on to something...

[BobO]

Yes I do. The port is a USB virtual-serial port (to a Sealink 4101 serial server) which works fine with other software. As you mentioned, I'm on a Win10 machine. Perhaps you're on to something...

Then my issue and yours may be different. I'm wondering if they removed support for the old style "COMx" and now require the new and improved "\\.\COMx" device reference.

One other thing you can try: adding a /c to the Sim command line tells it to bypass the port test. If it still fails, my money is on the name format change, since some of the Sim code is using the old and some is using the new.

[Controls Guy]

If a person is using WinX, do they DESERVE to have their software work as expected?   

[Mike Nash]

If a person is using WinX, do they DESERVE to have their software work as expected?   

You meant later than WinXP, right?

[Controls Guy]

Luddite!  Only MY Win version preference (7) is exactly right!   

(Refer to the driving speed rule -- anyone driving faster than you is a maniac, anyone slower is an idiot)

[BobO]

Luddite!  Only MY Win version preference (7) is exactly right!   

(Refer to the driving speed rule -- anyone driving faster than you is a maniac, anyone slower is an idiot)

Apparently the older I get the more maniacs there are. Scary. Upside is that there are fewer idiots now.