sub connect{
  if ($os =~ /Win/i){ #this only works with COM1
    my @ports_win = ('COM1');
       foreach (@ports_win){
           open_uart($_);
           last if ($PortObj);
       }
   } else { #This works great
      my @ports = ('/dev/ttyUSB0','/dev/ttyUSB1','/dev/ttyUSB2','/dev/ttyUSB3','/dev/ttyUSB4','/dev/ttyUSB5','/dev/ttyUSB6');
   foreach (@ports){
      open_uart($_);
      last if ($PortObj);
    } 
  }
 }
}

sub open_uart {

        $port_to_open = shift;
        &attempt($port_to_open);
        if ($port_not_opening){ #try to connect!
                for (my $i=1; $i<=15; $i++){
                        &attempt($port_to_open);
                        print "trying to connect $i\n";
                        last unless ($port_not_opening);
                }
        }



        return if ($port_not_opening);
        $PortObj->is_rs232;
        $PortObj->handshake("none");
        $PortObj->user_msg(1);
        $PortObj->baudrate($conn_speed);
        $PortObj->parity("none");
        $PortObj->databits(8);
        $PortObj->stopbits(1);
        $PortObj->read_const_time(500);       # 500 milliseconds = 0.5 seconds
        $PortObj->read_char_time(500);       #was 5   # avg time between read char
        $PortObj->buffers(4096, 4096);  # read, write
        $PortObj->parity_enable(1);
        $PortObj->write_settings || undef $PortObj;
        #print "Can't change Device_Control_Block: $^E\n" unless ($PortObj);
}

sub attempt {
        $port_to_open = shift;
        $port_not_opening ="";
        if ($os =~ /Win/i){ #win32
                eval {
                        $PortObj = new Win32::SerialPort ($port_to_open) or $port_not_opening = $port_to_open;
                };
        } else { #linux
                eval {
                        $PortObj = new Device::SerialPort ("$port_to_open") or $port_not_opening = $port_to_open;
                };
        }

}