How to install Pyserial

[aj7777]

I'm trying to install (& run) Pyserial but I'm failing big time.
I unpacked the files and put them in a folder I made.

C:\Python\Pyser ial

I went to the directory in the command prompt and typed.

python setup.py install.

I thought I was good but I get this error.

Import error: No module named serial.

I read this thread and installed the windows extensions.

http://bytes.com/topic/python/answer...lling-pyserial

No effect. I've read people talking about setting the access in PYTHONPATH, but I have no idea how to do that. I also downloaded the "easy installer".

http://pypi.python.org/pypi/pyinstall/0.1.4

Unfortunately, I don't know how to install (or run) the easy installer. (I tried running "python setup.py install", but an error message came up.)

Any suggestions?

AJ

[Glenton]

You'll need to tell us what error messages come up. It's conceivable that python itself isn't in your path. I don't use windows, and it's probably different for different flavours, but from memory, you can go to computer, right-click, properties, system, advanced, environment variables. There's a system variable called path. This is a list of places where windows goes to look when you run a program. The python path needs to be in there. So you can edit the variable, go to the end of what's there already, add a ";" and then add more paths.

If this doesn't work, please give us more details about the errors, your operating system, and the python installation.

[aj7777]

I checked the path as you said. Sure enough, it listed

;C:\python22;

I changed it to the new version.

;C:\python26;

Then I reinstalled pyserial from the command prompt with

python setup.py install

I ran my simple program. The "No module name serial" error is gone.

Instead, I'm getting a new error. Can I pick your brain once more?

This is my error message:

IDLE 2.6.5 ==== No Subprocess ====
>>>
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python26\An dy\serial_test. py", line 6, in <module>
ser.open()
File "C:\Python26\li b\site-packages\serial \serialwin32.py ", line 56, in open
raise SerialException ("could not open port %s: %s" % (self.portstr, ctypes.WinError ()))
SerialException : could not open port COM2: [Error 2] The system cannot find the file specified.
>>>

It said it cannot open COM2. This is odd because I'm trying to use COM1 in my test program. I know from Device Manager that COM1 is my computer's serial port. My program is listed below.

import serial
ser = serial.Serial()
ser.baudrate = 9600
ser.port = 1
ser
ser.open()
ser.write("hello") #write a string
ser.close()

What am I doing wrong?

My computer is running Windows XP.

AJ

[Glenton]

What do you have plugged into your serial port? If nothing, then try making a loop back (you'll have to look it up, but basically you just stick a wire into two of the sockets), and see if that works. You should then also be able to read the hello of the same port!

[aj7777]

My serial port is connected into the serial port of a laptop computer. I'm running a terminal program (NMITerm) so I can see the output on the screen. I have NMITerm setup with the baud setting listed in the code (9600).

Nothing appears on the laptop screen when I run the code above.

[Glenton]

My serial port is connected into the serial port of a laptop computer. I'm running a terminal program (NMITerm) so I can see the output on the screen. I have NMITerm setup with the baud setting listed in the code (9600).

Nothing appears on the laptop screen when I run the code above.

That sounds a bit beyond me, I'm afraid. But trying the loopback will at least help you diagnose where the problem lies.

[aj7777]

So the code listing looks OK?

I'll try the loopback. Thanks.

[aj7777]

wrong port

I got the program to work. I was trying to open the wrong port.

ser.port =1

refers to COM2, not COM1.

When I changed my code to

import serial
ser = serial.Serial()
ser.baudrate = 9600
ser.port = 0 # COM1
ser.open()
ser.write("hello") #write a string
ser.close()

my laptop monitoring COM1 received the "hello".

[ConorD]

I checked the path as you said. Sure enough, it listed

;C:\python22;

I changed it to the new version.

;C:\python26;

Then I reinstalled pyserial from the command prompt with

python setup.py install

I ran my simple program. The "No module name serial" error is gone.

Instead, I'm getting a new error. Can I pick your brain once more?

This is my error message:

IDLE 2.6.5 ==== No Subprocess ====
>>>
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python26\An dy\serial_test. py", line 6, in <module>
ser.open()
File "C:\Python26\li b\site-packages\serial \serialwin32.py ", line 56, in open
raise SerialException ("could not open port %s: %s" % (self.portstr, ctypes.WinError ()))
SerialException : could not open port COM2: [Error 2] The system cannot find the file specified.
>>>

It said it cannot open COM2. This is odd because I'm trying to use COM1 in my test program. I know from Device Manager that COM1 is my computer's serial port. My program is listed below.

import serial
ser = serial.Serial()
ser.baudrate = 9600
ser.port = 1
ser
ser.open()
ser.write("hello") #write a string
ser.close()

What am I doing wrong?

My computer is running Windows XP.

AJ

ser.port = 1 = open serial port TWO
0 - port 1
1 - port 2
2 - port 3