COM port error: variable must be of type object

[mlw19mlw91]

I have the following code which I pulled from a website on how to automate an HP turntable for 3d scanning:

#include <GUIConstantsEx.au3>
#include <EditConstants.au3>
#include <AutoItConstants.au3>
#include <MsgBoxConstants.au3>
#include <GuiComboBox.au3>
#include "CommInterface.au3"
#include <Timers.au3>

$arm = 0           ; variable to coordinate between scan button and Deviare callback
$numberOfScans = 40 ; we stop after 40
$doScan = 0        ; used as a signal by Deviare callback, so that the GUI thread knows to run another scan
$hGUI = GUICreate("DAVID Laserscanner 5 Turntable Automator",500,120)
$x_coordinate = GUICtrlCreateInput("120", 220, 20, 90, 20, $ES_NUMBER )
$y_coordinate = GUICtrlCreateInput("300", 220, 45, 90, 20, $ES_NUMBER )
GUICtrlCreateLabel("X coordinate of Scan button in DAVID:", 20, 20+2)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Y coordinate of Scan button in DAVID:", 20, 50+2)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("COM Port:", 20, 80+2)
$comboBoxCOM  = GUICtrlCreateCombo("", 220, 70, 90, 20)
For $i = 1 To 100
    $sVar = RegEnumVal("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP\SERIALCOMM", $i)
    If @error <> 0 Then ExitLoop
    Local $sVar2 = RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP\SERIALCOMM", $sVar)
    $isCom = StringInStr($sVar2,"COM") ; check for presence of the substring "COM" in the key
    if ($isCom <> 0) then
      GUICtrlSetData($comboBoxCOM,$sVar2)
      _GUICtrlComboBox_SetEditText($comboBoxCOM,$sVar2)
    EndIf
Next
Local $idScan = GUICtrlCreateButton("Scan", 350, 20, 100, 32)
Local $idStop = GUICtrlCreateButton("Abort", 350, 57, 100, 32)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW, $hGUI) ; Display the GUI.
$comObject = ObjCreate("DeviareCOM.NktSpyMgr")   ; Create an COM object to access the Deviare interface
$comObject.Initialize
$eventObject=ObjEvent($comObject,"Deviare2_","DNktSpyMgrEvents")  ; events from comObject are now passed to eventObject

I recieve the following error when I try to run the code (Image attached)

it says:

Line 32

$comObject.initialize

$comObject^ ERROR

Error: Variable must be of type "Object"

 

How on earth do I fix this?  I tried downgrading to the previous version of autoIT but no luck :(

 

[Danp2]

Check the value of @error following the call to ObjCreate. Most likely this command is failing due to a missing / unregistered DLL.

[mlw19mlw91]

ok manually registered every .dll that I could from t he autoit3 installation.  I did not go into the .lib files although I explored them with 7zip and saw a bunch of .dll's.  

Two dll's failed to register, I believe they were:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\AutoItX\AutoItX3.PowerShell.dll"

and 

"C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\AutoItX\AutoItX3.Assembly.dll"

Not sure what's going on ?  the arduino connected to the com port is not being used by any other program

[mlw19mlw91]

^ I should have mentioned that the error happens even before the slection of any COM port, the script just doesn't run at all

[Jos]

You really need to add the "COM Error Handling" and do some proper error checking in your script. See helpfile for detailed info.

Jos

[mlw19mlw91]

ok when I add the full code from here at the beginning of my script:

 

I end up with this:

expandcollapse popup

#include <GUIConstantsEx.au3>
#include <EditConstants.au3>
#include <AutoItConstants.au3>
#include <MsgBoxConstants.au3>
#include <GuiComboBox.au3>
#include "CommInterface.au3"
#include <Timers.au3>

$arm = 0           ; variable to coordinate between scan button and Deviare callback
$numberOfScans = 40 ; we stop after 40
$doScan = 0        ; used as a signal by Deviare callback, so that the GUI thread knows to run another scan
$hGUI = GUICreate("DAVID Laserscanner 5 Turntable Automator",500,120)
$x_coordinate = GUICtrlCreateInput("120", 220, 20, 90, 20, $ES_NUMBER )
$y_coordinate = GUICtrlCreateInput("300", 220, 45, 90, 20, $ES_NUMBER )
GUICtrlCreateLabel("X coordinate of Scan button in DAVID:", 20, 20+2)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("Y coordinate of Scan button in DAVID:", 20, 50+2)
GUICtrlCreateLabel("COM Port:", 20, 80+2)
$comboBoxCOM  = GUICtrlCreateCombo("", 220, 70, 90, 20)
For $i = 1 To 100
    $sVar = RegEnumVal("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP\SERIALCOMM", $i)
    If @error <> 0 Then ExitLoop
    Local $sVar2 = RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP\SERIALCOMM", $sVar)
    $isCom = StringInStr($sVar2,"COM") ; check for presence of the substring "COM" in the key
    if ($isCom <> 0) then
      GUICtrlSetData($comboBoxCOM,$sVar2)
      _GUICtrlComboBox_SetEditText($comboBoxCOM,$sVar2)
    EndIf
Next

Global $oGlobalCOMErrorHandler = ObjEvent("AutoIt.Error", "_ErrFuncGlobal") ; Global COM error handler

Global $oIE = ObjCreate("InternetExplorer.Application")
$oIE.xyz
FunctionLocal()
$oIE.xyz
Exit

Func FunctionLocal()
    Local $oLocalCOMErrorHandler = ObjEvent("AutoIt.Error", "_ErrFuncLocal") ; Local COM error handler
    $oIE.xyz
EndFunc

; Global COM error handler
Func _ErrFuncGlobal($oError)
    ; Do anything here.
    ConsoleWrite(@ScriptName & " (" & $oError.scriptline & ") : ==> Global COM error handler - COM Error intercepted !" & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.number is: " & @TAB & @TAB & "0x" & Hex($oError.number) & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.windescription:" & @TAB & $oError.windescription & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.description is: " & @TAB & $oError.description & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.source is: " & @TAB & @TAB & $oError.source & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.helpfile is: " & @TAB & $oError.helpfile & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.helpcontext is: " & @TAB & $oError.helpcontext & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.lastdllerror is: " & @TAB & $oError.lastdllerror & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.scriptline is: " & @TAB & $oError.scriptline & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.retcode is: " & @TAB & "0x" & Hex($oError.retcode) & @CRLF & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>_ErrFunc

; Local COM error handler
Func _ErrFuncLocal($oError)
    ; Do anything here.
    ConsoleWrite(@ScriptName & " (" & $oError.scriptline & ") : ==> Local COM error handler - COM Error intercepted !" & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.number is: " & @TAB & @TAB & "0x" & Hex($oError.number) & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.windescription:" & @TAB & $oError.windescription & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.description is: " & @TAB & $oError.description & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.source is: " & @TAB & @TAB & $oError.source & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.helpfile is: " & @TAB & $oError.helpfile & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.helpcontext is: " & @TAB & $oError.helpcontext & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.lastdllerror is: " & @TAB & $oError.lastdllerror & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.scriptline is: " & @TAB & $oError.scriptline & @CRLF & _
            @TAB & "err.retcode is: " & @TAB & "0x" & Hex($oError.retcode) & @CRLF & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>_ErrFunc
Local $idScan = GUICtrlCreateButton("Scan", 350, 20, 100, 32)
Local $idStop = GUICtrlCreateButton("Abort", 350, 57, 100, 32)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW, $hGUI) ; Display the GUI.
$comObject = ObjCreate("DeviareCOM.NktSpyMgr")   ; Create an COM object to access the Deviare interface
$comObject.Initialize
$eventObject=ObjEvent($comObject,"Deviare2_","DNktSpyMgrEvents")  ; events from comObject are now passed to eventObject

While 1  ; Loop until the user exits.
 Switch GUIGetMsg()
  Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
    ExitLoop
  Case  $idScan
    $numberOfScans = 0
    Scan()
  Case  $idStop
    $numberOfScans = 40
    $doScan = 0
    $arm = 0
 EndSwitch
 $position = MouseGetPos () ; read current mouse position
 Tooltip ($position[0] & ", " & $position[1]) ; make a tool tip displaying current mouse position
 Sleep (50) ; limit the CPU load by restricting the number of GUIGetMsg calls per second
 if $doScan = 1 Then
     $doScan = 0
     Scan()
 EndIf
WEnd

Func Scan ()
    $numberOfScans = $numberOfScans + 1
    $str = GUICtrlRead($comboBoxCOM)    ; get value of COM port from ComboBox
    $ret = StringRegExp($str, '\d+', 1) ; strip the 'COM' from the string
    Local $iPort = $ret[0]
    Local $iBaud = 9600
    Local $iParity = 0
    Local $iByteSize = 8
    Local $iStopBits = 0 ; note: some hardware does not support 1.5 stop bits.
    ; it is tempting to write 1 for stop bits but:
    ; ONESTOPBIT    0    1 stop bit.
    ; ONE5STOPBITS  1    1.5 stop bits.
    ; TWOSTOPBITS   2    2 stop bits.
    Local $sCommand = "2" & @CRLF
    Local $hFile = _CommAPI_OpenCOMPort($iPort, 9600, $iParity, $iByteSize, $iStopBits)
    If $hFile = 0 Then
        MsgBox(64, "Error in _CommAPI_OpenCOMPort" & @error, _WinAPI_GetLastErrorMessage())
    Else
      _CommAPI_ClearCommError($hFile)
      If @error Then
        MsgBox(32, "Error in _CommAPI_ClearCommError" & @error, _WinAPI_GetLastErrorMessage())
      EndIf
      _CommAPI_PurgeComm($hFile)
      If @error Then
        MsgBox(32, "Error in _CommAPI_PurgeComm" & @error, _WinAPI_GetLastErrorMessage())
      EndIf
      _CommAPI_TransmitString($hFile, $sCommand)
      If @error Then
        MsgBox(32, "Error in _CommAPI_TransmitString" & @error, _WinAPI_GetLastErrorMessage())
      EndIf
      Local $sResult = _CommAPI_ReceiveString($hFile, 5000)
      If @error Then
       Switch @error
        Case 0
            MsgBox(64, "Result5", SetError(@error, @ScriptLineNumber))
        Case -1
            MsgBox(32, "Error5", _WinAPI_GetLastErrorMessage())
        Case -2
            MsgBox(32, "Timeout5", SetError(@error, @ScriptLineNumber))
        Case Else
            MsgBox(32, "Error5", "Error " & @error & " in line " & $sResult)
       EndSwitch
      EndIf
      _CommAPI_ClosePort($hFile)
      If @error Then
       Switch @error
        Case 0
            MsgBox(64, "Result6", SetError(@error, @ScriptLineNumber))
        Case -1
            MsgBox(32, "Error6", _WinAPI_GetLastErrorMessage())
        Case -2
            MsgBox(32, "Timeout6", SetError(@error, @ScriptLineNumber))
        Case Else
            MsgBox(32, "Error6", "Error " & @error & " in line " & $sResult)
       EndSwitch
      EndIf
    EndIf
    Sleep (3000)   ; now that we sent a turn command, lets wait a moment to give the table time to settle
                   ; also, on slower computers it sometimes takes a little longer before the scan button is enabled again
    MouseClick($MOUSE_CLICK_LEFT, GUICtrlRead($x_coordinate), GUICtrlRead($y_coordinate), 1)
    Sleep (2000)   ; David acts the same at the beginning and the end of the scan. wait before arming the callback
    $arm = 1       ; arm the callback
EndFunc


Volatile Func Deviare2_OnProcessStarted($process)
; for reference on the proc object: http://www.nektra.com/products/deviare-api-hook-windows/doc-v2/interface_i_nkt_process.html
  if ($process.Name == "HP3DScan5.exe") then
    $hook = $comObject.CreateHook("kernel32.dll!CreateFileW", 0)
    $hook.Attach($process, True)
    $hook.Hook()
  EndIf
EndFunc

Volatile Func Deviare2_OnFunctionCalled($hook, $process, $callInfo)
  $Params = $callInfo.Params ; get the params member of the callInfo structure
  $First = $Params.First     ; get the first parameter passed to CreateFile
  $present = StringInStr($First.value,"font") ; check for presence of the substring "font" in the parameter.
  if ($present <> 0) then
      if $arm = 1 Then        ; we are waiting for the end of a scan and have reached it
          $arm = 0
          if $numberOfScans < 40 Then
            ConsoleWrite ( $Params.First.name & $Params.First.value & @CRLF )
            $doScan = 1 ;signal GUI to scan
          EndIf
      EndIf
  EndIf
EndFunc

; User's COM error function. Will be called if COM error occurs
; from https://www.autoitscript.com/forum/topic/134615-the-requested-action-with-this-object-has-failed/
$oMyError = ObjEvent("AutoIt.Error","MyErrFunc")    ; Initialize a COM error handler
Func MyErrFunc()
  Msgbox(0,"AutoItCOM Test","We intercepted a COM Error !"    & @CRLF  & @CRLF & _
   "err.description is: " & @TAB & $oMyError.description  & @CRLF & _
   "err.windescription:"   & @TAB & $oMyError.windescription & @CRLF & _
   "err.number is: "       & @TAB & hex($oMyError.number,8)  & @CRLF & _
   "err.lastdllerror is: "   & @TAB & $oMyError.lastdllerror   & @CRLF & _
   "err.scriptline is: "   & @TAB & $oMyError.scriptline   & @CRLF & _
   "err.source is: "       & @TAB & $oMyError.source       & @CRLF & _
   "err.helpfile is: "       & @TAB & $oMyError.helpfile     & @CRLF & _
   "err.helpcontext is: " & @TAB & $oMyError.helpcontext _
   )
Endfunc

Now I do not get an error message, but the program does not open at all, I just get the spinning wheel for 1 second then two flashes of the spinning wheel

[Jos]

Try running the source from SciTE  with F5 and see what is happening and whether that tells you something more as there are consolewrite() statements there that probably go nowhere now when it is compiled.

I don't have that none-standard #include "CommInterface.au3", so can really test the code.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Jos

[Danp2]

28 minutes ago, mlw19mlw91 said:

ok manually registered every .dll that I could from t he autoit3 installation

Actually, I was referring to the DLL associated with "DeviareCOM.NktSpyMgr", not the Autoit DLLs. 😃

[mlw19mlw91]

ok I installed the DAVAIR package (I think the one you suggest, it sais "Devair2-master.zip"

I get the following from the console?

>"C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\SciTE\..\AutoIt3.exe" "C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\SciTE\AutoIt3Wrapper\AutoIt3Wrapper.au3" /test /run /prod /ErrorStdOut /in "C:\Users\micha\Downloads\3D Scanner Turntable for DAVID5 (now HP 3D Scan)-20200906T135842Z-001\3D Scanner Turntable for DAVID5 (now HP 3D Scan)\David5 Table.au3" /UserParams    
+>11:46:00 Starting AutoIt3Wrapper (19.1127.1402.0} from:SciTE.exe (4.2.0.0)  Keyboard:00000409  OS:WIN_10/  CPU:X64 OS:X64  Environment(Language:0409)  CodePage:0  utf8.auto.check:4
+>         SciTEDir => C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\SciTE   UserDir => C:\Users\micha\AppData\Local\AutoIt v3\SciTE\AutoIt3Wrapper   SCITE_USERHOME => C:\Users\micha\AppData\Local\AutoIt v3\SciTE 
- *** Compile in Test mode skipping Tidy; Au3Stripper; Resource updating and Versioning to speed up the process. ***
>Running AU3Check (3.3.14.5)  from:C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3  input:C:\Users\micha\Downloads\3D Scanner Turntable for DAVID5 (now HP 3D Scan)-20200906T135842Z-001\3D Scanner Turntable for DAVID5 (now HP 3D Scan)\David5 Table.au3
"C:\Users\micha\Downloads\3D Scanner Turntable for DAVID5 (now HP 3D Scan)-20200906T135842Z-001\3D Scanner Turntable for DAVID5 (now HP 3D Scan)\David5 Table.au3"(2,124) : error: syntax error (illegal character)
MsgBox(262144, 'Debug line ~' & @ScriptLineNumber, 'Selection:' & @CRLF & '#include' & @CRLF & @CRLF & 'Return:' & @CRLF & #
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^
"C:\Users\micha\Downloads\3D Scanner Turntable for DAVID5 (now HP 3D Scan)-20200906T135842Z-001\3D Scanner Turntable for DAVID5 (now HP 3D Scan)\David5 Table.au3"(4,68) : error: syntax error (illegal character)
ConsoleWrite('@@ Debug(' & @ScriptLineNumber & ') : #include = ' & #
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^
C:\Users\micha\Downloads\3D Scanner Turntable for DAVID5 (now HP 3D Scan)-20200906T135842Z-001\3D Scanner Turntable for DAVID5 (now HP 3D Scan)\David5 Table.au3 - 2 error(s), 0 warning(s)
!>11:46:00 AU3Check ended. Press F4 to jump to next error.rc:2
+>11:46:00 AutoIt3Wrapper Finished.
>Exit code: 2    Time: 1.456

before installing I got some different error code I can't remember because I lost it

[mlw19mlw91]

^OOPS!  sorry I only got the .DLL's from the devair thing I didn't "install" it.  Are the DLL's sufficient?

[mlw19mlw91]

ALso I get the following pop up message box when I run the script outside of the editor:

Debug line ~2

Section:

include

Return:

include

[mlw19mlw91]

gosh sorry for all of the posts I also get this error message after I close the initial debug window (see attached)

[mLipok]

https://sites.google.com/site/janbeck/interception-of-win32-and-user-dll-api-calls-using-autoit-and-deviare

https://github.com/nektra/Deviare2/releases

https://www.nektra.com/products/deviare-api-hook-windows/

 

Edited September 6, 2020 by mLipok

[Jos]

31 minutes ago, mlw19mlw91 said:

gosh sorry for all of the posts I also get this error message after I close the initial debug window (see attached)

So ....have you looked at the line which you are pointed to?
Also install the Full SciTE4AutoIt3 installer so au3check will always ran for you doing initial basic syntax checking...   and do not compile the script until it is done, but rather use F5 in SciTE!

Jos