Read Serial Port data to Text box

[ejleiss]

Hi I am trying to figure out how to read raw data from a serial port and display this data into a rich text box "rtbReceived". The raw data is in byte format.
This is what I have so far, any simple sample code would help. Thank you

Imports System
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.IO.Ports
Public Class frmMain
    Dim myPort As Array  'COM Ports detected on the system will be stored here
    Delegate Sub SetTextCallback(ByVal [text] As String) 'Added to prevent threading errors during receiveing of data

    Private Sub frmMain_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        'When our form loads, auto detect all serial ports in the system and populate the cmbPort Combo box.

        myPort = IO.Ports.SerialPort.GetPortNames() 'Get all com ports available
        cmbBaud.Items.Add(9600)     'Populate the cmbBaud Combo box to common baud rates used
        cmbBaud.Items.Add(19200)
        cmbBaud.Items.Add(38400)
        cmbBaud.Items.Add(57600)
        cmbBaud.Items.Add(115200)

        For i = 0 To UBound(myPort)
            cmbPort.Items.Add(myPort(i))
        Next
        cmbPort.Text = cmbPort.Items.Item(0)    'Set cmbPort text to the first COM port detected
        cmbBaud.Text = cmbBaud.Items.Item(0)    'Set cmbBaud text to the first Baud rate on the list

        btnDisconnect.Enabled = False           'Initially Disconnect Button is Disabled

    End Sub

    Private Sub btnConnect_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnConnect.Click
        SerialPort1.PortName = cmbPort.Text         'Set SerialPort1 to the selected COM port at startup
        SerialPort1.BaudRate = cmbBaud.Text         'Set Baud rate to the selected value on

        'Other Serial Port Property
        SerialPort1.Parity = IO.Ports.Parity.None
        SerialPort1.StopBits = IO.Ports.StopBits.One
        SerialPort1.DataBits = 8            'Open our serial port
        SerialPort1.Open()

        btnConnect.Enabled = False          'Disable Connect button
        btnDisconnect.Enabled = True        'and Enable Disconnect button

    End Sub

    Private Sub btnDisconnect_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnDisconnect.Click
        SerialPort1.Close()             'Close our Serial Port

        btnConnect.Enabled = True
        btnDisconnect.Enabled = False
    End Sub

    Private Sub SerialPort1_DataReceived(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.IO.Ports.SerialDataReceivedEventArgs)

        ReceivedText(SerialPort1.ReadByte())            'Automatically called every time a data is received at the serialPort

    End Sub
 


    Private Sub cmbPort_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmbPort.SelectedIndexChanged
        If SerialPort1.IsOpen = False Then
            SerialPort1.PortName = cmbPort.Text         'pop a message box to user if he is changing ports
        Else                                                                               'without disconnecting first.
            MsgBox("Valid only if port is Closed", vbCritical)
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub cmbBaud_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmbBaud.SelectedIndexChanged
        If SerialPort1.IsOpen = False Then
            SerialPort1.BaudRate = cmbBaud.Text         'pop a message box to user if he is changing baud rate
        Else                                                                                'without disconnecting first.
            MsgBox("Valid only if port is Closed", vbCritical)
        End If
    End Sub

End Class

 

[jmcilhinney]

In the DataReceived event handler you are only reading a single Byte, but there may well be more data than that available. You should read all the Bytes that are available.

Also, you are calling a ReceivedText method that I don't see declared in your code.

Finally, if that ReceivedText method doesn't already do it, you're going to need to convert the Bytes you read to a String at some point, which you can do with the GetString method of the appropriate Encoding object.

 

[ejleiss]

In the DataReceived event handler you are only reading a single Byte, but there may well be more data than that available. You should read all the Bytes that are available.

Also, you are calling a ReceivedText method that I don't see declared in your code.

Finally, if that ReceivedText method doesn't already do it, you're going to need to convert the Bytes you read to a String at some point, which you can do with the GetString method of the appropriate Encoding object.

I apologize,

I accidentally left out a few snippets of code that you picked up on.
The full code reads like this with the ReceivedText method in the body of the code.
It could be the fact that I am not converting the bytes to a string. Would this basically leave the text box blank?

Imports System
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.IO.Ports
Public Class frmMain
    Dim myPort As Array  'COM Ports detected on the system will be stored here
    Dim ReceivedText As String
    Delegate Sub SetTextCallback(ByVal [text] As String) 'Added to prevent threading errors during receiveing of data

    Private Sub frmMain_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        'When our form loads, auto detect all serial ports in the system and populate the cmbPort Combo box.

        myPort = IO.Ports.SerialPort.GetPortNames() 'Get all com ports available
        cmbBaud.Items.Add(9600)     'Populate the cmbBaud Combo box to common baud rates used
        cmbBaud.Items.Add(19200)
        cmbBaud.Items.Add(38400)
        cmbBaud.Items.Add(57600)
        cmbBaud.Items.Add(115200)

        For i = 0 To UBound(myPort)
            cmbPort.Items.Add(myPort(i))
        Next
        cmbPort.Text = cmbPort.Items.Item(0)    'Set cmbPort text to the first COM port detected
        cmbBaud.Text = cmbBaud.Items.Item(0)    'Set cmbBaud text to the first Baud rate on the list

        btnDisconnect.Enabled = False           'Initially Disconnect Button is Disabled

    End Sub

    Private Sub btnConnect_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnConnect.Click
        SerialPort1.PortName = cmbPort.Text         'Set SerialPort1 to the selected COM port at startup
        SerialPort1.BaudRate = cmbBaud.Text         'Set Baud rate to the selected value on

        'Other Serial Port Property
        SerialPort1.Parity = IO.Ports.Parity.None
        SerialPort1.StopBits = IO.Ports.StopBits.One
        SerialPort1.DataBits = 8            'Open our serial port
        SerialPort1.Open()

        btnConnect.Enabled = False          'Disable Connect button
        btnDisconnect.Enabled = True        'and Enable Disconnect button

    End Sub

    Private Sub btnDisconnect_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnDisconnect.Click
        SerialPort1.Close()             'Close our Serial Port

        btnConnect.Enabled = True
        btnDisconnect.Enabled = False
    End Sub

    Private Sub SerialPort1_DataReceived(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.IO.Ports.SerialDataReceivedEventArgs)


        ReceivedText = SerialPort1.ReadExisting()           'Automatically called every time a data is received at the serialPort

    End Sub


    Private Sub cmbPort_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmbPort.SelectedIndexChanged
        If SerialPort1.IsOpen = False Then
            SerialPort1.PortName = cmbPort.Text         'pop a message box to user if he is changing ports
        Else                                                                               'without disconnecting first.
            MsgBox("Valid only if port is Closed", vbCritical)
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub cmbBaud_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmbBaud.SelectedIndexChanged
        If SerialPort1.IsOpen = False Then
            SerialPort1.BaudRate = cmbBaud.Text         'pop a message box to user if he is changing baud rate
        Else                                                                                'without disconnecting first.
            MsgBox("Valid only if port is Closed", vbCritical)
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub rtbReceived_TextChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles rtbReceived.TextChanged

        Me.rtbReceived.Text = ReceivedText


    End Sub
End Class

 

[jmcilhinney]

When you use XCODE tags you must specify an option. I added it to your first post and I have now added it to your second. Please add it yourself in future.

 

[jmcilhinney]

That's not going to work. You're trying to set the Text of the RTB in its own TextChanged event handler but how is that event going to be raised if you don't set the Text of the RTB? You need to be calling a method from the DataReceived event handler that will set the Text of the RTB and that method needs to marshal a call on the UI thread. The fact that you have an appropriate delegate declared indicates that you have access to source that does that but you're not using it apparently.

 

[ejleiss]

When you use XCODE tags you must specify an option. I added it to your first post and I have now added it to your second. Please add it yourself in future.

Sorry abut that, bare with me I am new to this and did not really know what that meant.