I need a way of reading data directly from a Serial port after a code character is sent.

Any suggestions, I am lost.

1) Get a component to do the work.  Check out commercial products listed
on the Borland web site:

http://www.borland.com/bcppbuilder/bcppbtools.html#comm

Shareware ones on Torry's:

http://www.torry.webnorth.com/comms.htm

Some freeware ones:

Harold Howe's TCommPort: http://www.bcbdev.com/components.htm
Dejan Crnila' ComPort: http://www2.arnes.si/~sopecrni/
Varian Software's Async32: http://home.planet.nl/~varian/products.html

And see my site for pointers to more.

2) Roll your own by using the Win32 CreateFile API.  Check out the win32.hlp
file (under "Communications"), as well as the following links:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/isapi/msdnlib.idc?theURL=/library/sdkdoc/wi...
http://www.traverse.com/people/poinsett/bcbcomm.html
http://www.temporaldoorway.com/programming/cbuilder/windowsapi/readin...
http://www.bcbdev.com/faqs/faq87.htm

--
Jonathan Arnold         C/C++/CBuilder Keen Advice:
http://www.keen.com/categories/categorylist_expand.asp?sid=5156620
   Comprehensive C++Builder link site:
http://www.buddydog.org/C++Builder/c++builder.html