[quote:2a4c555e15]you suggest using waitkey rather than inkey but I don't understand the difference in this context [/quote:2a4c555e15]
iskey first doest a check to see if any data is waiting. while waiting simply wait till data arrives. it uses less cycles/code when you know the data must be there since ischarwaiting is basically the same as inkey with the difference that it does not empty the buffer.

[code:1:5c0dcd311c] While Ischarwaiting(#3) <> 0
rxbyte = waitkey(#3)
Select Case A
Case 10:
Case 13:
Case 32:
Case "E":
Case "M":
Case Else:
If Index < 251 Then
bArray(Index) = rxbyte
incr index
End If
End Select
Wend
bArray(index) = &H0[/code:1:5c0dcd311c]

[quote:b085bca43b="njepsen"]I am doing what you advised against - is this what you had in mind?[/quote:b085bca43b]
Yes, this is leaner, as it uses a dedicated pointer to the next char, while the concat '+' always needs to seek the end of string first.
[quote:b085bca43b]I know you hate people posting code that won't complile but this function is hardware dependent and is 8000 lines long.[/quote:b085bca43b]
I don't need the book, if everything's available in a chapter. If code is easy to read and it doesn't need to be simulated, I'm fine with that.
Some minor suggestions:
[code:1:b085bca43b]' sTemp = "" <-- can be left out, if the following is applied
'...
' bArray(index) = &H0 <-- saves also some cycles to move it from here
Wend
bArray(index) = &H0 ' <-- to there[/code:1:b085bca43b]

You are a happy men. You have plenty of time for your code
I appreciate this

Why dont select them when they arrive? It it tudious job to search for the delchar function. I dont get it.
Seriously?

Thanks for the comments chaps. This was an edited version of what i have running, and I do have a 2 sec timeout in the do loop in case nothing arrives, but you are correct - the LF does get added to the string and I remove it and spaces after the loop with delchars.
Mark you suggest using waitkey rather than inkey but I don't understand the difference in this context - don't they effectively give the same result after the ischarwaiting?
You make a good point if 'continuous' spurious data arrives and i had not though of that, but the timeout would exit after 2 secs.

I have this running at present.[code:1:435e0f0b6d]
'*************************************************************************************
Function Getmeterresponse(byval metercommandstr As String) As String


'meter response looks like E<space>57.9<cr><lf>
'Note that return to SU0 is 155 bytes long.
'note - if inner loop gets stuck, AIU watchdogs or times out.

'
#if isnoise=1
Local Timedelay As Long
local Index as byte
Index = 1 'arrays are 1 based
Tempstr2 = ""

Clear Serialin 'clear ser buffer
Print #3 , "" 'clear meter buffer
Print #3 , metercommandstr ' CRLF is added automatically

Timedelay = Local_secl + 2

Do


While Ischarwaiting(#3) <> 0
rxbyte = inkey(#3)
bArray(Index) = rxbyte 'save the byte overtop of the string
incr index
bArray(index) = &H0 'write new string terminator
if rxbyte = 85 or rxbyte = 10 then exit do

Wend

Loop Until Local_secl >= Timedelay

Delchars tempstr2 , 10 'LF
Delchars tempstr2 , 13 'CR
delchars tempstr2 , 32 'spaces
delchars tempstr2 , "E" 'valid response
delchars tempstr2 , "M" 'overload
print #1,">> meter said ";tempstr2
Getmeterresponse = Tempstr2
#endif
End Function

[/code:1:435e0f0b6d]

you also need to check that you do not keep writing in case of spurious data arrives.
and instead of inkey() use waitkey() since you already checked that there is data with ischarwaiting()

Maybe slightly more efficient

[code:1:7d1ef55826]While Ischarwaiting(#3) <> 0
rxbyte = inkey(3)
bArray(Index) = rxbyte 'save the byte overtop of the string
incr index
Wend
bArray(index) = &H0 'write new string terminator
[/code:1:7d1ef55826]

I did this with the webserver code I created a 250 character string and overlaid the bytes as you have done,
I needed to pull bytes from the wiznet chip , once the bytes were put into the overlay I could then
use string functions to search the bytes (HTTP requests/posts). Note the MEGA1284p was good for this with its 16k of ram.
Regards Paul

MWS,
some time ago you commented in another post about the follies of building a string with string = String + newcharacter, for reasons that make really good sense, and you advised overlaying an array over the string.
I am doing what you advised against - is this what you had in mind?
I know you hate people posting code that won't complile but this function is hardware dependent and is 8000 lines long.

[code:1:0369e31da6]Function Getmeterresponse(byval metercommandstr As String) As String

dim sTemp as string * 250
dim bArray(250) as byte at sTemp overlay 'overlay the array at the string address
local Index as byte
local rxbyte as byte
Index = 0
sTemp = ""
Print #3 , "" 'clear meter buffer
Print #3 , metercommandstr 'command to meter
Do

waitms 100 'allow meter time to respond
While Ischarwaiting(#3) <> 0
rxbyte = inkey(3)
bArray(Index) = rxbyte 'save the byte overtop of the string
bArray(index+1) = &H0 'write new string terminator
incr index

Wend

Loop Until Rxbyte = 10 '10 = LF from Nor140
Getmeterresponse = sTemp

End Function
[/code:1:0369e31da6]

[b:0369e31da6][color=red:0369e31da6](BASCOM-AVR version : 2082 , Latest : 2.0.8.4 )[/b:0369e31da6][/color:0369e31da6]