Instrument Control Toolbox

serial

Create a serial port object

Syntax

• obj = serial('port')
  obj = serial('port','PropertyName',PropertyValue,...)
  

Arguments

'port'	The serial port name.
'PropertyName'	A serial port property name.
PropertyValue	A property value supported by PropertyName.
obj	The serial port object.

Description

obj = serial('port') creates a serial port object associated with the serial port specified by port. If port does not exist, or if it is in use, you will not be able to connect the serial port object to the instrument with the fopen function.

obj = serial('port','PropertyName',PropertyValue,...) creates a serial port object with the specified property names and property values. If an invalid property name or property value is specified, an error is returned and the serial port object is not created.

Remarks

At any time, you can use the instrhelp function to view a complete listing of properties and functions associated with serial port objects.

• instrhelp serial
  

When you create a serial port object, these property values are automatically configured:

• The Type property is given by serial.
• The Name property is given by concatenating Serial with the port specified in the serial function.
• The Port property is given by the port specified in the serial function.

You can specify the property names and property values using any format supported by the set function. For example, you can use property name/property value cell array pairs. Additionally, you can specify property names without regard to case, and you can make use of property name completion. For example, the following commands are all valid.

• s = serial('COM1','BaudRate',4800)
  s = serial('COM1','baudrate',4800)
  s = serial('COM1','BAUD',4800)
  

Before you can communicate with the instrument, it must be connected to obj with the fopen function. A connected serial port object has a Status property value of open. An error is returned if you attempt a read or write operation while obj is not connected to the instrument. You can connect only one serial port object to a given serial port.

Example

This example creates the serial port object s1 associated with the serial port COM1.

• s1 = serial('COM1');
  

The Type, Name, and Port properties are automatically configured.

• get(s1,{'Type','Name','Port'})
  ans = 
      'serial'    'Serial-COM1'    'COM1'
  

To specify properties during object creation:

• s2 = serial('COM2','BaudRate',1200,'DataBits',7);
  

See Also

Functions

fclose, fopen, propinfo

Properties

Name, Port, Status, Type

scanstr

serialbreak