docs » hs.serial

Communicate with external devices through a serial port (most commonly RS-232).

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Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Andrew R. Madsen (andrew@openreelsoftware.com)

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API Overview

API Documentation

Functions

availablePortDetails
Signature hs.serial.availablePortDetails() -> table
Type Function
Description Returns a table of currently connected serial ports details, organised by port name.
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • A table containing the IOKit details of any connected serial ports, organised by port name.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
availablePortNames
Signature hs.serial.availablePortNames() -> table
Type Function
Description Returns a table of currently connected serial ports names.
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • A table containing the names of any connected serial port names as strings.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
availablePortPaths
Signature hs.serial.availablePortPaths() -> table
Type Function
Description Returns a table of currently connected serial ports paths.
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • A table containing the names of any connected serial port paths as strings.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
deviceCallback
Signature hs.serial.deviceCallback(callbackFn) -> none
Type Function
Description A callback that's triggered when a serial port is added or removed from the system.
Parameters
  • callbackFn - the callback function to trigger.
Returns
  • None
Notes
  • The callback function should expect 1 argument and should not return anything:
    • devices - A table containing the names of any serial ports connected as strings.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m

Constructors

newFromName
Signature hs.serial.newFromName(portName) -> serialPortObject
Type Constructor
Description Creates a new `hs.serial` object using the port name.
Parameters
  • portName - A string containing the port name.
Returns
  • An hs.serial object or nil if an error occured.
Notes
  • A valid port name can be found by checking hs.serial.availablePortNames().
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
newFromPath
Signature hs.serial.newFromPath(path) -> serialPortObject
Type Constructor
Description Creates a new `hs.serial` object using a path.
Parameters
  • path - A string containing the path (i.e. "/dev/cu.usbserial").
Returns
  • An hs.serial object or nil if an error occured.
Notes
  • A valid port name can be found by checking hs.serial.availablePortPaths().
Source extensions/serial/internal.m

Methods

baudRate
Signature hs.serial:baudRate([value], [allowNonStandardBaudRates]) -> number | serialPortObject
Type Method
Description Gets or sets the baud rate for the serial port.
Parameters
  • value - An optional number to set the baud rate.
  • [allowNonStandardBaudRates] - An optional boolean to enable non-standard baud rates. Defaults to false.
Returns
  • If a value is specified, then this method returns the serial port object. Otherwise this method returns the baud rate as a number
Notes
  • This function supports the following standard baud rates as numbers: 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 14400, 19200, 28800, 38400, 57600, 115200, 230400.
  • If no baud rate is supplied, it defaults to 115200.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
callback
Signature hs.serial:callback(callbackFn) -> serialPortObject
Type Method
Description Sets or removes a callback function for the `hs.serial` object.
Parameters
  • callbackFn - a function to set as the callback for this hs.serial object. If the value provided is nil, any currently existing callback function is removed.
Returns
  • The hs.serial object
Notes
  • The callback function should expect 4 arguments and should not return anything:
    • serialPortObject - The serial port object that triggered the callback.
    • callbackType - A string containing "opened", "closed", "received", "removed" or "error".
    • message - If the callbackType is "received", then this will be the data received as a string. If the callbackType is "error", this will be the error message as a string.
    • hexadecimalString - If the callbackType is "received", then this will be the data received as a hexadecimal string.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
close
Signature hs.serial:close() -> serialPortObject
Type Method
Description Closes the serial port.
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • The hs.serial object.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
dataBits
Signature hs.serial:dataBits([value]) -> number | serialPortObject
Type Method
Description Gets or sets the number of data bits for the serial port.
Parameters
  • value - An optional number to set the number of data bits. It can be 5 to 8.
Returns
  • If a value is specified, then this method returns the serial port object. Otherwise this method returns the data bits as a number.
  • The default value is 8.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
isOpen
Signature hs.serial:isOpen() -> boolean
Type Method
Description Gets whether or not a serial port is open.
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • true if open, otherwise false.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
name
Signature hs.serial:name() -> string
Type Method
Description Returns the name of a `hs.serial` object.
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • The name as a string.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
open
Signature hs.serial:open() -> serialPortObject | nil
Type Method
Description Opens the serial port.
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • The hs.serial object or nil if the port could not be opened.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
parity
Signature hs.serial:parity([value]) -> string | serialPortObject
Type Method
Description Gets or sets the parity for the serial port.
Parameters
  • value - An optional string to set the parity. It can be "none", "odd" or "even".
Returns
  • If a value is specified, then this method returns the serial port object. Otherwise this method returns a string value of "none", "odd" or "even".
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
path
Signature hs.serial:path() -> string
Type Method
Description Returns the path of a `hs.serial` object.
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • The path as a string.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
sendData
Signature hs.serial:sendData(value) -> none
Type Method
Description Sends data via a serial port.
Parameters
  • value - A string of data to send.
Returns
  • None
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
shouldEchoReceivedData
Signature hs.serial:shouldEchoReceivedData([value]) -> boolean | serialPortObject
Type Method
Description Gets or sets whether the port should echo received data.
Parameters
  • value - An optional boolean.
Returns
  • If a value is specified, then this method returns the serial port object. Otherwise this method returns a boolean.
  • The default value is false.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
stopBits
Signature hs.serial:stopBits([value]) -> number | serialPortObject
Type Method
Description Gets or sets the number of stop bits for the serial port.
Parameters
  • value - An optional number to set the number of stop bits. It can be 1 or 2.
Returns
  • If a value is specified, then this method returns the serial port object. Otherwise this method returns the number of stop bits as a number.
  • The default value is 1.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
usesDTRDSRFlowControl
Signature hs.serial:usesDTRDSRFlowControl([value]) -> boolean | serialPortObject
Type Method
Description Gets or sets whether the port should use DTR/DSR Flow Control.
Parameters
  • value - An optional boolean.
Returns
  • If a value is specified, then this method returns the serial port object. Otherwise this method returns a boolean.
  • The default value is false.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m
usesRTSCTSFlowControl
Signature hs.serial:usesRTSCTSFlowControl([value]) -> boolean | serialPortObject
Type Method
Description Gets or sets whether the port should use RTS/CTS Flow Control.
Parameters
  • value - An optional boolean.
Returns
  • If a value is specified, then this method returns the serial port object. Otherwise this method returns a boolean.
  • The default value is false.
Source extensions/serial/internal.m