REghZy's IoT Packet System Aims to Simplify Communication Between an Arduino and a C# Application

from hackster.io

Pseudonymous coder REghZy has put together a custom packet-based communication system, designed to sit between an Arduino or other microcontroller and a C# programming running on another system.

"It basically works by sending formatted text to the Arduino [over the serial port]," REghZy explains. "The first few characters are numbers (packet ID), the next few is the metadata for the packet (used for anything), and the rest is packet data."

The system gives C# programs running on a desktop or laptop the ability to communicate with the Arduino, toggling pins on and off, using pins as inputs, and requesting additional data from the Arduino using what REghZy terms "ACK" packets.

"You send a packet, the Arduino acknowledges it, and sends the packet back but with slightly different details and extra data," REghZy explains. "This is useful for getting a variable, for example. I already implemented one called Packet0HardwareInfo, which will request hardware info from the Arduino (which could be an identifier code if you have multiple Arduinos)."

The code is available under an unspecified open source license on REghZy's GitHub repository now, with additional detail available in the project's Reddit thread.