My team is buliding a robot with the old IFI controller system (2005 model i think) that requres serial communications with a computer. So far, we’ve had no luck with the serial libraries included with the default code or custom libraries (found at http://www.kevin.org/frc/).
Can anyone provide code samples demonstrating reading and writing raw data to the Program port?
Thanks in advance 
If it’s a 2005 model IFI RC, have a look at Kevin Watson’s 2005 page. (Newer versions of the code aren’t necessarily going to work on older hardware, though I don’t know if there are specific issues with serial ports.) It has “a fully buffered, full-duplex, interrupt-driven serial port driver that can be used with either or both on-board serial ports”.
The 2005 controller uses the 8520 processor. You will need to make sure the libraries match that processor. The newer (2006 and up) controllers use the 8722 processor.
The baud rate settings for the programming port was 155.2kb 8-1-N I think.
You also need a standard 9-pin serial port and cable. The problem may be in the cable itself. Some serial cables are not standard 1-1 pinouts. HP was also finicky with having non-standard RS232 port pinouts. A USB to serial converter may not work in this application.
i hope this helps