This is technically a windows question, but I thought I would ask here anyway, because many of us were hacking before MS-windows existed, and also ran various versions of MS-windows in our time (which is why we love Linux so much now!) and have dealt with serial ports from dealing with modems and the like. I figured I would tell you all about a minor problem I am thinking of tackling, and see if you had any suggestions. I'm dealing with an RFID badge-access system that uses windows-based administration software. Basically some software that runs on windows, using an mssql db, and communicates with the hardware via the serial port. The software has a function to send a timed pulse to unlock a door(s) for X number of seconds. I'm looking for a way to do the same thing, but from another machine so that I can use a script or even a CGI to control the door. Yes, I realize this opens us up to someone "hacking" their way into the office, but we also have a security system and if they have root on our servers then we have bigger problems :) I digress... I have some long ago experience in serial port programming. In school I wrote a voicemail system in Turbo Pascal (heh), that controlled a POTS line via a relay that I connected to the serial port. I remember studying the serial port pinouts and figuring out how to control the voltage level to each of the pins. That being said, I have several things I have to consider: * Is the door lock pulse simply a voltage level sent to the serial port, or is there some sort of protocol (an actual serial connection) between the computer and the hardware? * Is the signal being sent just a toggle, or a specific turn on/off events? I basically need a way to snoop the serial port to see what is being sent, but I'm not sure of the best way to do it. If it is just voltage levels being sent to the hardware, I could do it with just a multimeter and figure out which pins it is activating. However, if there is an actual serial connection (null modem or something) going on, it will be much more difficult to observe what data is being sent. I think also you can purchase an in-line dongle that has LEDs that will show the status of the data lines. I suppose one of the first things I could do is to just unplug the serial port, and try to use any functions that talk to the hardware. If there is any data connection required, it should complain that it is not connected. Theoretically I could write a small a small C++, (or even Win32 perl) daemon that would run on the winblows machine and provide a way to toggle the lock/unlock signal via a TCPIP connection. I may run into a snag where, if I remember correctly, if something has control of a serial port in Windows, no other process can open it. Maybe I could do something sneaky like a Y-adapter and just send the signal from another machine altogether. I wonder if I would have to use some diodes to keep any voltage from one leg of the Y from traveling back to the other machines serial port...hmmm --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss