Topic: Virtual com ports

[lars_4]

Hi,

I will use my Davis Vantage Pro 2 on FreeBSD using Weewx, using the Weatherlink serial logger.
Is it at all possible to have 2 pieces of software talking to the VP2 at the same time? (i presume not?)
I have seen some topics about it for Windows, what software is used ?

[johnd]

Virtual VP:http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?board=45.0

Windows only - there's no robust way of running multiple programs on Linux AFAIK.

[lars_4]

I have seen some topics about it for Windows, what software is used ?

Virtual VP:http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?board=45.0

Doug

Can 2 pieces of software do query's to the VP2 at the same time?

[johnd]

Can 2 pieces of software do query's to the VP2 at the same time?

No is the answer in practice, at least not in the any robust way. Using a Windows PC and VVP is the only mainstream solution.

(Just being slightly cautious in phrasing this, because the VP2 console/logger (if that's what you're referring to by 'VP2') will respond to whatever API commands it receives, assuming that it is not busy with another task. But the VP2 effectively uses a serial type connection (even eg the USB logger) and two different programs cannot robustly share one serial port at the same time. So, in practice, even if you can somehow contrive for two programs to get access to the single serial port, the programs would almost certainly interfere with one another and any attempted data handling would quickly break down.)

[lars_4]

Can 2 pieces of software do query's to the VP2 at the same time?

No is the answer in practice, at least not in the any robust way. Using a Windows PC and VVP is the only mainstream solution.

(Just being slightly cautious in phrasing this, because the VP2 console/logger (if that's what you're referring to by 'VP2') will respond to whatever API commands it receives, assuming that it is not busy with another task. But the VP2 effectively uses a serial type connection (even eg the USB logger) and two different programs cannot robustly share one serial port at the same time. So, in practice, even if you can somehow contrive for two programs to get access to the single serial port, the programs would almost certainly interfere with one another and any attempted data handling would quickly break down.)

That is what i assumed, the different pieces of software can see the console at the same time but when one sends a command the rest can break down.
Thank you for the clear answer 

[Garth Bock]

It is Windows only at this time. We use Virtual Vantage Pro (VVPro) and a virtual com port driver like com0com or NV8VBvCom or others. They 'replicate' the physical comport and the data to each virtual comport. I am running 5 different programs and could run more. I am surprised that someone hasn't done the same thing for Linux.