How to perform preliminary tests on your serial communication implementation (Part 4 of the project):

Download and save the provided writetoport.ps1 file. This file contains a Windows PowerShell script which sends the current system time to the serial port COM1. The script uses settings (such as baud rate, parity, etc.) which match those you (should) have implemented. To see and run the script in PowerShell ISE editor, right-click on the file and choose ‘Edit’. Before you run the script, disconnect the serial cable from the JTAG programmer and connect it to the serial port on the AVR-MT-128 development board. MAKE SURE that the port is not in use by AVR Studio (by clicking on the ‘Stop Debugging’ button on the toolbar in AVR Studio), otherwise you will get the following error message when you run the script:

Exception calling "Open" with "0" argument(s): "Access to the port 'COM1' is denied."
At writetoport.ps1:10 char:11
+ $port.Open <<<< () # Open the port
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : DotNetMethodException

To run the script, press F5 in the PowerShell ISE editor.

Upon successful transmission, a message similar to the following is displayed:
Successfully transmitted the following buffer: 255 7 28 10 210