thanks, i will be using VB.net to build the interface program, but I was wondering just to test it out.. I remember back in the days of DOS, you could do a command like

c:\12345678 >com1 ???
or
c:\copy test.txt >com1

something like that, I cant remember it exactly, but you could send a text string or file directly to a com port or lpt port. can you still do that?

also is it possible to send a large number of bits, say 32,48,64 and have it store them in a set of variables, for example

Code:
MYBYTE0 VAR BYTE
MYBYTE1 VAR BYTE
MYWORD0 VAR WORD
MYWORD1 VAR WORD

LOOPME:
SerialIN????
code to break up string in pieces and store in variables
GOTO LOOPME
my textbox on PC has 48 "1 & 0's" no spaces to be sent as an example