using rs232 to import data from an instrument

is it possible to import data from any instrument using serial port rs232 without its driver ?

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

Your operating system should include a serial port driver. Unless, that is, the serial port is a virtual serial port over USB, in which case you need to install the serial-port driver supplied by the device manufacturer.

If you are able to communicate with the device over RS232 at present, then you can import data from it without needing any special software, just writing code in MATLAB. You might not, however, be able to reach anywhere near full speed, as the serial operations coded at the MATLAB level have a lot of overhead relative to a dedicated driver.

Note that it might be anywhere from easy to "very frustrating" to write code on the MATLAB end to match a particular device's serial port protocol (the timing, the states, what the bytes mean when.) For example if the device happened to do file transfers using the KERMIT protocol, there would need to be very good reason for me to write that protocol myself instead of using available drivers for it.

It is much easier to answer questions like this when specific devices and models are named, rather than having to speak in generalities about what is or is not theoretically possible if you have enough time and enthusiasm.

[Azzi Abdelmalek]

i mean, if i have for example a scope, if we have n't its driver, that mean we don't know how many bits are used to digitize a signal, the range od measurement, ... when we connect our instrument how is it possible to know those informations?

[Walter Roberson]

You examine the documentation.

There are some protocols that are used by several major manufacturers, but there are a lot of manufacturers that make up their own methods.

It is much easier to answer questions like this when specific devices and models are named, rather than having to speak in generalities about what is or is not theoretically possible if you have enough time and enthusiasm.