System.IO.IOException: A device attached to the system is not functioning C# .NET 4.0

Question

I've built a C# application which reads and writes data from a serial port. The device connected to the serial port is a FTDI USB to serial converter which communicates to hardware through a XBee wireless module. The hardware tests battery modules for capacity and steady state voltage etc. these tests take days to complete.

Every now and then the serial port seems to stop responding and throws a System.IO.IOException: A device attached to the system is not functioning error.

Here is the stack trace:

at system.IO.Ports.InternalResources.WinIOError
at system.IO.Ports.SerialStream.EndWrite
at system.IO.Ports.SerialStream.Write
at system.IO.Ports.SerialPort.Write
at BatteryCharger.CommunicationClass.ApiTransmission

after this error is thrown a System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the port is denied error is thrown and this error occurs every time the software tries to write to the port and it never recovers until i stop debugging and restart the software only for the same thing to happen a few days later.

How do I prevent this error from occurring or is there a way to successfully recover from these errors in the catch statement of the error?

I'm reading the serial port continuously in a background worker thread and writing from a different thread.

I've also already tried all the legacy error handling bits and pieces that have been suggested on this forum but none of them seem to make any difference. The error occurs on windows XP Pro SP3 32bit and Windows7 Pro 32bit.

Here is the CommunicationClass.cs - serial transmission code.

    public static bool ApiTransmission(TXpacket transmission)
    {
        //clear all previous data that may have been in the buffer before doing a transmission
        Variables.dataParserPacket_buff.Clear();
        //TXpacket xbeetransmision = new TXpacket();
        byte[] packet = transmission.GeneratePacket();

        try
        {
            if (_serialPort.IsOpen)
            {
#if Console
                Log.write("TX-Packet: " + StringHandler.listToString(packet.ToList<byte>()));
#endif
                _serialPort.Write(packet, 0, packet.Length);
                Thread.Sleep(100);
            }
            else
            {
#if Console
                Log.write("serial port is closed");
#endif
                return false;
            }
        }
        catch (UnauthorizedAccessException ex)
        {
            MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString());
            Log.write("UnauthorizedAccessException");
        }
        catch (IOException ex)
        {
            MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString());
            Log.write("IOexception");
            //_serialPort.Close();
            //Thread.Sleep(100);
            //_serialPort.Open();
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString());
#if Console
            Log.write(ex.ToString());
#endif
        }
        return true;

    }

This is how I initialize my serial port

    public CommunicationClass(string portName, int baudRate, Parity parity, int dataBits, StopBits stopBits)
    {
        _analysePacketBGW.DoWork += new DoWorkEventHandler(_analysePacketBGW_DoWork);
        _analysePacketBGW.WorkerReportsProgress = true;
        _analysePacketBGW.WorkerSupportsCancellation = true;

        _readBGW.DoWork += new DoWorkEventHandler(_readThread_DoWork);
        _readBGW.WorkerSupportsCancellation = true;
        _readBGW.WorkerReportsProgress = true;

        _parserStarterBGW.DoWork += new DoWorkEventHandler(_parserStarterThread_DoWork);
        _parserStarterBGW.WorkerSupportsCancellation = true;
        _parserStarterBGW.WorkerReportsProgress = true;
        if (_readBGW != null)
        {
            _readBGW.CancelAsync();
        }

        _serialPort = new SerialPort(portName, baudRate, parity, dataBits, stopBits);

        //SerialPortFixer.Execute(portName);
        //Thread.Sleep(1000);
        //using (_serialPort = new SerialPort(portName, baudRate, parity, dataBits, stopBits))
        //{
        //    //_serialPort.Open();
        //}

        _serialPort.ErrorReceived += new SerialErrorReceivedEventHandler(_serialPort_ErrorReceived);

        _dataqueuepp = new ManualResetEvent(false);

        _serialPort.Open();
        _readBGW.RunWorkerAsync();
        _parserStarterBGW.RunWorkerAsync();
        CommunicationClass.PacketReceived += new DataPacketReceived(CommunicationClass_PacketReceived);
    }

And the background worker that handles the reading of the serial port

    void _readThread_DoWork(object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
    {
#if Console
        Log.write("Read()");
#endif
        while (!_readBGW.CancellationPending)
        {
            try
            {
                int message = _serialPort.ReadByte();
                try
                {
                    Variables.dataQueue.Enqueue(message);
                }
                catch (Exception ex)
                {
                    MessageBox.Show(ex.Message + "     " + message.ToString());
                }
                _dataqueuepp.Set();
                //Console.Write(String.Format("{0:X2}", message) + " ");
            }
            catch (TimeoutException) { Log.write("read timeout"); }
            catch (IOException) { Log.write("read IOException"); }
            catch (ThreadAbortException) { Log.write("read thread aborted"); }
            catch (Exception ex) { MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString()); }
            finally { }
        }
    }

I will now rewrite the code to read and write to/from the serial port from the same thread to see if that makes any difference.

EDIT

Based on Jim's comments I've added the following to the IOException Catch statement:

        catch (IOException ex)
        {
            MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString());
            Log.write("IOexception");
            _readBGW.CancelAsync();
            Thread.Sleep(100);
            _serialPort.Close();
            Thread.Sleep(100);
            _serialPort.Open();
            Thread.Sleep(100);
            _readBGW.RunWorkerAsync();
            _serialPort.Write(packet, 0, packet.Length);
        }

Hopefully by stopping the background worker's _serialPort.Read, closing the port, re-opening the port, running the background worker again and attempting to write the same command again will be enough to successfully recover from this error. The MessageBox still blocks the code so that i can see when the error occurs and can monitor how it recovers.

I don't like patching software like this but if it works then it works.

EDIT 2

After adding the code above my software crashed again but now it throws an "UnauthorizedAccessException - Access to the port is denied" when i call _serialPort.Close();

System.UnauthorizedAccessException was unhandled
Message=Access to the port is denied.
Source=System
StackTrace:
at System.IO.Ports.InternalResources.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String str)
at System.IO.Ports.InternalResources.WinIOError()
at System.IO.Ports.SerialStream.Dispose(Boolean disposing)
at System.IO.Stream.Close()
at System.IO.Ports.SerialPort.Dispose(Boolean disposing)
at System.IO.Ports.SerialPort.Close()
at BatteryCharger.CommunicationClass.ApiTransmission(TXpacket transmission) in E:\Mijn Documenten\Research\Copy of BatteryCharger_V12\BatteryCharger\CommunicationClass.cs:line 436
at BatteryCharger.CommunicationClass.tx1(TXpacket packet, String callingMethod) in E:\Mijn Documenten\Research\Copy of BatteryCharger_V12\BatteryCharger\CommunicationClass.cs:line 356
at BatteryCharger.XBee.setPin(String pinID, Byte status, XBee slave) in E:\Mijn Documenten\Research\Copy of BatteryCharger_V12\BatteryCharger\XBee.cs:line 215
at BatteryCharger.XBee.setPins(Int32 pins, XBee slave) in E:\Mijn Documenten\Research\Copy of BatteryCharger_V12\BatteryCharger\XBee.cs:line 177
at BatteryCharger.BatteryCharger.requestVoltage(Int32 block) in E:\Mijn Documenten\Research\Copy of BatteryCharger_V12\BatteryCharger\BatteryCharger.cs:line 595
at BatteryCharger.BatteryCharger.requestVoltages() in E:\Mijn Documenten\Research\Copy of BatteryCharger_V12\BatteryCharger\BatteryCharger.cs:line 612
at BatteryCharger.Form1.RunCommandOn(List`1 battList, Int32 command, Double lowerLimit, Double upperLimit) in E:\Mijn Documenten\Research\Copy of BatteryCharger_V12\BatteryCharger\Form1.cs:line 522
at BatteryCharger.Form1.chargeBlock(Int32 blockNr, Double lowerLimit, Double upperLimit) in E:\Mijn Documenten\Research\Copy of BatteryCharger_V12\BatteryCharger\Form1.cs:line 689
at BatteryCharger.Form1.<btnCheckCapacities_Click>b__13() in E:\Mijn Documenten\Research\Copy of BatteryCharger_V12\BatteryCharger\Form1.cs:line 619
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean ignoreSyncCtx)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
InnerException: 

What is going on here?

Answer 1

In my experience 9 times out of 10 this happens when another thread (terminated or not) doesn't have exclusive access to the hardware port.

Try writing a wrapper for the port operations, most importantly the open/closing of it, using SyncLock. https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/3a86s51t.aspx

On a similar note, I would generally consider try/catches controlling hardware a bad practice, unless there's adequate exception handling.

The reason (which could apply here) is that in the case where an exception is thrown the hardware will lock, and what is worse, the exception will mask the true cause of the error(s).

In the code above I see output of messages in the style

DebugPrint(ex.Message); 

it would be quite better to do this like

DebugPrint(ex.tostring()); 

as this will also export the stack trace in the exception.

What I would do is implement an exception logger that writes those exceptions to a (time stamped) text file somewhere in the computer this is running. Following on the exception data logged (along with all pertinent information) can lead to a better understanding why exactly this happens.

Answer 2

I use intensively SerialPort class to communicate continuously with PLCs through USB Adapters for months without any break. So I cannot agree who says SerialPort .NET class does not work. Try to insert creation of class into thread, here is a sample of code with BackgroundWorker.

    void ThreadEngine_DoWork(object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
    {
        // Do not access the form's BackgroundWorker reference directly.
        // Instead, use the reference provided by the sender parameter.
        BackgroundWorker objBackgroundWorker = sender as BackgroundWorker;

        try
        {
            mSerialPort = new SerialPort(GetPortName(mPortName), DefaultBaudRate, Parity.Even, 7, StopBits.Two);
            mSerialPort.Open();
            objBackgroundWorker.ReportProgress(0);

            while (objBackgroundWorker.CancellationPending == false)
            {
                if (IOScanner(objBackgroundWorker, false) == true)
                {
                    ScannerStationData();
                    IsReady = true;
                    IsError = false;
                }
                else
                {
                    IsReady = false;
                    IsError = true;
                }
                Thread.Sleep(1);
            }

            // Performs last scan before thread closing
            if (objBackgroundWorker.CancellationPending == true)
            {
                IOScanner(objBackgroundWorker, true);
            }

            mSerialPort.Close();
            mSerialPort = null;
            e.Result = null;
        }
        catch (Exception objErr)
        {
            string sMessage = string.Format("PlcService.ThreadEngine_DoWork Err={0}", objErr.Message);
            mLogSysService.AddItem(sMessage);
            IsError = true;
        }
    }

Method IOScanner calls other methods for to communicate like following one.

    protected bool WriteDMWord(int iAddress, int[] aryValues)
    {
        bool bRetValue = true;
        try
        {
            mSerialPort.NewLine = "\r";
            mSerialPort.ReadTimeout = DefaultTimeout;
            string sTxData = HostLinkProtocol.BuildWriteDMWord(iAddress, aryValues);
            mSerialPort.WriteLine(sTxData);

            string sRxData = string.Empty;
            sRxData = mSerialPort.ReadLine();
            if (HostLinkProtocol.ParseWriteDMWord(sRxData) == true)
            {
                bRetValue = true;
            }
        }
        catch (Exception objErr)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("WriteDMWord [{0}]", objErr.Message);
            bRetValue = false;
        }
        return bRetValue;
    }

Answer 3

I use a FTDI USB, and I communicate with it on Serial .net class, sometimes on WindowsXp I have this kind of exception, I solve it with devcon.exe, I perform disable and enable and the error did not appears.