[RESOLVED] No Mscomm receive USB 16 Channel Relay Module - RS232 Controlled

[planethax]

This will be a tough one.
Mainly due to the fact not many people have this hardware

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...m=180537743599

I have made a simple app to control relays, this part works,
sending 01+// turns relay 1 ON 01-// turns relay 1 OFF

my problems is sending
ask// should send me a 2 byte reply
Example:

* answer 1: 00 -> relays from 1 to 16 are OFF.
* answer 2: 255(dec) 255(dec) -> relays from 1 to 16 are ON.
* answer 3: 81(dec) 81(dec) -> Relays 1,8,9,16 - ON, the rest are OFF.
But no matter what I try I can not get the reply.

I attach my app, hopefully (probably) a simple error I have overlooked.

Code is a bit messy as I have been cutting and chopping to get it too work.

here is the info on commands (from the ebay page)

    * Communication parameters - 8 Data, 1 Stop, No Parity, Baud Rate - 9600 bps
    * Command for receiving the relays status:
          o Send "ask//".
          o The answer is two bytes - byte 1 and byte 2. Byte 1 represents relays from 1 to 8. MSB of byte 1 is Relay 1 and LSB of byte 1 is Relay 8. Byte 2 represents relays from 9 to 16. MSB of byte 2 is Relay 10 and LSB of byte 2 is Relay 16.
          o Example:
                + answer 1: 00 -> relays from 1 to 16 are OFF.
                + answer 2: 255(dec) 255(dec) -> relays from 1 to 16 are ON.
                + answer 3: 81(dec) 81(dec) -> Relays 1,8,9,16 - ON, the rest are OFF.
    * Commands for single relay setting:
          o "01+//" - Relay 1 is switched ON
          o "01-//" - Relay 1 is switched OFF
          o "02+//" - Relay 2 is switched ON
          o "02-//" - Relay 2 is switched OFF
          o ......
          o ......
          o "16+//" - Relay 16 is switched ON
          o "16-//" - Relay 16 is switched OFF
    * Commands for all relays setting:
          o "on//" - All relays are switched ON
          o "off//" - All relays are switched OFF
    * Command for many relays setting
      Send sequentially:
      "x" - as a char
      a - as HEX number. a[0;FF]. This number correspondends with relays from 1 to 8. The MSB is relay 1.
      b - as HEX number. b[0;FF]. This number correspondends with relays from 9 to 16. The MSB is relay 9.
      "/" - as a char. This is the first part of the delimiter
      "/" - as a char. This is the second part of the delimiter
      Example (a=1A(hex) and b= 05(hex) )
      "x" 1A 05 "/" "/"
      1A(hex)=00011010(bin)
      05(hex)=00000101(bin)
      Relays 1,2,3,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,15 - switched OFF
      Relays 4,5,7,14,16 - switched ON

      Note that there must be minimum 5ms interval between each two commands !

Any thing I missed please ask.