Access user hardware via ASP.NET app?

[Tom]

Is there any way to 'download' a control that could access hardware on
a PC? Reason is that I am considering retooling a client-server app of
ours over to ASP.NET (VB.NET). However, currently that app has options
that 'talk' over the serial port to a piece of hardware, controlling it
and getting information to/from it. The ASP.NET app would need to do
the same think.

Previously, in VB6, I believe one could do something like this by
'downloading' an ActiveX control and then having that talk to the
hardware and funnel the info back to the web app. (I never did anything
like that but believe that is generally how it was done) I need to do
something similar, but with ASP.NET (via Visual Studio 2005).

Any ideas? Or points to articles that describe how this is done? Thanks.

Chimp
--

 

[bruce barker]

that is still the only option. you could write the active/x control in
..net, but the user would need to install the runtime, and you would have
to customize the .net security to allow a hosted control to acces the
serial ports.

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)

 

[sticky]

there are a lot of ways to solve this problem, but it all depends on
what kind of project you are doing: do your end users trust you?
if you are writing this app for the general public, then its going to
be difficult, but if you are writing it for a client, or for your own
company then there is no problem.

The easiest way i can think of would be to write a downloadable client
side app that controls the hardware and communicates back to a web
service central server, or you could use remoting.

provided your end users trust you enough to download and install an
application there should me many ways to skin that cat.

 

[Tom]

Sticky: Yes, this would be an intranet only application - i.e. only
Corporate users would be running it. Therefore, downloading a client
app should be fine. Dummy me, it never dawned on me to use web
services! :-(

OK, so let's say I did this, two more questions: (1) Is there a way to
have the web app automatically download the 'client' part to the user
and install it (much like ActiveX controls are downloaded and the user
is asked if they wish to install it), and (2) Once that is done, is
there a way from the web app to 'startup' the client portion? I.E. The
user clicks on a button the the web app and somehow it starts up the
client portion so it can do it's thing and then write back to the web
service. And by the same token can the client on the PC tell the web
app when it is done?

Thanks.

Tom