Releasing serial ports to other applications


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I've made a button component which launches some third-party software for initially configuring an instrument but since it's a serial device so I need to release the COM port first. Setting the port to zero and reinitializing should do it right? Here's my button code:

lastLicorComPort = Device.LI7500.Port  // save & restore after config
Device.LI7500.Port = 0				 // set dummy port
Device.LI7500.InitComm()			   // make the switch
delay(1)							   // catch up computer (?)
System.ShellExecute("LI7500.exe","open","","C:\Program Files\LI7500v3_0_2\","")

...should work right? The port stays locked up though. Not the utility, nor a terminal program nor even the Safely Remove Hardware icon are able to get through. Am I missing a detail somewhere? I certainly don't want to shut down my whole data acquisition system to configure just one of the instruments. Any help is appreciated.

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Using the device configuration dialog, I changed the port # to an unused physical port and went to the monitor window: incoming data stream from the first port keeps coming in. Setting to zero doesn't work, nor does setting to non-existent COM ports so there is no way to release a com port without quitting DAQFactory and waiting for the process to finish?

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