VB.net Serial Communication Arduino

Download Arduino-Tracker Source Code

This is a simple application written in SharpDevelop. It is very easy
to interface with serial Ports on windows. This code should work
on VB.NET also.

Now for the code…

' Created by SharpDevelop.
' User: Warren
' Date: 3/2/2012
' Time: 12:15 PM
'
' To change this template use Tools | Options | Coding | Edit Standard Headers.
'

Public Partial Class MainForm
 Dim WithEvents SerialPort As New IO.Ports.SerialPort

 Public Sub New()
  ' The Me.InitializeComponent call is required for Windows Forms designer support.
  Me.InitializeComponent()

  '
  ' TODO : Add constructor code after InitializeComponents
  '
 End Sub

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
  Try
   GetSerialPortNames()
  Catch
   msgbox("No ports seem to be connected.")
  End Try

  'load combo box with baudrates
  Dim BaudRates() As String = {"300", "1200", "2400", "4800", "9600", "14400", "19200", "28800", "38400", "57600", "115200"}
  cmboBaudrate.Items.AddRange(BaudRates)

  'start combobox with first available value
  cmboComm.SelectedIndex = 0
  cmboBaudrate.SelectedIndex = 0
    End Sub

    Private Sub ConnectSerial()
     If btnConnect.Text = "Disconnect" Then
      Try
       SerialPort.Close()
       btnConnect.Text = "Connect"
    cmboComm.Enabled = True
    cmboBaudrate.Enabled = True
    btnRefresh.Enabled = True
       Exit Sub
      Catch
       msgbox("Error..lost port connection??")
      End Try
     End If

     Try
   SerialPort.BaudRate = cmboBaudrate.SelectedItem.ToString
     SerialPort.PortName = cmboComm.SelectedItem.ToString
     SerialPort.Open()

      If SerialPort.IsOpen Then
    btnConnect.Text = "Disconnect"
    cmboComm.Enabled = False
    cmboBaudrate.Enabled = False
    btnRefresh.Enabled = False
    Exit Sub
     End If
     Catch
      SerialPort.Close()
     End Try
    End Sub

    Delegate Sub myMethodDelegate(ByVal [text] As String)
    Dim myD1 As New myMethodDelegate(AddressOf myShowStringMethod)

    Sub myShowStringMethod(ByVal myString As String)
   SerialText.AppendText(myString)
    End Sub

    Private Sub SerialPort_DataReceived(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.IO.Ports.SerialDataReceivedEventArgs) Handles SerialPort.DataReceived
   Dim str As String = SerialPort.ReadExisting()
   Invoke(myD1, str)
    End Sub

 Sub GetSerialPortNames()
     ' Show all available COM ports.
     For Each sp As String In My.Computer.Ports.SerialPortNames
         cmboComm.Items.Add(sp)
     Next
 End Sub

 Sub BtnConnectClick(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
  SerialText.text = Nothing
  ConnectSerial()
 End Sub

 Sub BtnRefreshClick(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
  cmboComm.Items.Clear()
  GetSerialPortNames()
 End Sub

 Sub BtnAboutClick(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
  msgbox("FREE SOFTWARE from www.competefornothing.com")
 End Sub

 Sub BtnSendClick(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
  If SerialPort.IsOpen Then
   SerialPort.Write(txtSend.Text)
  Else
   ConnectSerial()
   SerialPort.Write(txtSend.Text)
  End If
 End Sub

 Sub TxtSendKeyDown(sender As Object, e As KeyEventArgs)
  If e.KeyCode = Keys.Enter Then
     e.SuppressKeyPress = True
      If SerialPort.IsOpen Then
       SerialPort.Write(txtSend.Text)
   Else
    ConnectSerial()
    SerialPort.Write(txtSend.Text)

   End If
   txtSend.Clear()
  End If
 End Sub
End Class

Now some code for the Arduino to test the send and receive.

//Code from arduino.cc

int incomingByte = 0;
void setup(){
   Serial.begin(9600); 
}

void loop(){
        if (Serial.available() > 0) {
                // read the incoming byte:
                incomingByte = Serial.read();

                // say what you got:
                Serial.print("I received: ");
                Serial.println(incomingByte, DEC);
        }
}