johnm at wdi.disney.com wrote:

> Jeff:
>
> In your original message, you said that the problem was that you got a
> primitiveFailed error on SerialPort>>#primClosePort:. It could be that the
> Win32 implementation of "close" fails if the port isn't currently open. On
> the Mac, it simply does nothing. To test this, you can try commenting
> out the "close" calls (there seem to be two of them!) in SerialPort>openPort:.
> Let me know what happens.
>

I failed to mention that I had tried this.  I removed one, then both, of the close
calls.  I have also tried this on my laptop and home machine on two different
ports on each.

>
> Later, you said:
> "Jeffrey Odell" <jeffo at esprithealth.com> wrote:
> > Currently, I'm simply not getting the serial port on
> > WIN32 to open, regardless of what is attached.
>
> This may be solved by the above suggestion, but if not...
>
> Could some other application, perhaps having something to do with
> a modem or networking, be holding onto the serial port? This happens on
> the Mac if AppleTalk is using the serial port, so you have to remember
> to turn off AppleTalk before trying to open the port from Squeak.
>

Possible, but I on the home machine the Lego software communicates with the IR
Transmitter without a problem.  And I have rebooted and not started that
software.  I haven't looked to see if perhaps the Lego software install put some
startup program on that port.  I'll do that.

>
> If you have access to a C compiler, you might try writing a simple
> program to open the serial port. If you find that this program
> can't open the port either, Squeak is not the problem. I guess you
> can try opening the serial port from VSE as an equivalent test.
> Or you could even use a terminal emulator to do this test.
>
> It's even remotely possible that there is an actual hardware
> problem with the port.
>

I'm planning to go the terminal emulator route just to verify the port and see if
I can get talking with the IR transmitter.  At least that will help isolate the
problem.

C compiler - what's that... ; >

>
> Good luck. This sounds like a fun project!
>

Thanks - and thanks for your suggestions!

>
>         -- John