VB and picaxe?
- Thread starter sciguy77
- Start date
http://www.instructables.com/id/Control-real-world-devices-with-your-PC/ shows how to get vb.net working with buttons, and the serial interface code behind the scenes for vb.net and for the picaxe.
Break it down into components. In vb.net, add a button and a label. Change the label text when you click the button.
If that works, then add some code to send a byte out the serial port when you click the button.
On the picaxe side, write some code to flash a led.
Then change the serial line so it goes to a different pin (via the same 10k/22k network)
Then write some code to listen to that pin until your byte arrives. Then flash the led when this happens.
Do you have vb6 or vb.net?
If that works, then add some code to send a byte out the serial port when you click the button.
On the picaxe side, write some code to flash a led.
Then change the serial line so it goes to a different pin (via the same 10k/22k network)
Then write some code to listen to that pin until your byte arrives. Then flash the led when this happens.
Do you have vb6 or vb.net?
so this also works the other way around? displaying variables from a picaxe?
Yes, it does. You can send data to a picaxe from vb.net and get data back. But it is a little complicated to set up.
Uh, yeah, its the whole sending/receiving bytes that I don't get
Ok, lets go back one step further.
Try running that. The picaxe debug will show the variables.
I don't know which picaxe chip you have, but assuming it is an O8M, put a led on physical pin 7 (output 0) and a 1k resistor to ground. Run that program again and the led should flash once a second. This led will be useful to see if data is going from the picaxe to the PC.
Next try
Your led should still be flashing again. Now, shut down the picaxe programmer software and start up a program like Hyperterminal. Set it up to read the serial port at 2400 baud and you should see AAAAA appearing on the screen.
If that works, then you can try receiving bytes in vb.net.
When that works, we can look at sending the data the other way from the PC to the picaxe (which is a little more complicated).
Sing out if you get stuck along the way.
Yes, it does. You can send data to a picaxe from vb.net and get data back. But it is a little complicated to set up.
Uh, yeah, its the whole sending/receiving bytes that I don't get
Ok, lets go back one step further.
Code:
b0=65
for b1=1 to 10
debug
pause 1000
next b1I don't know which picaxe chip you have, but assuming it is an O8M, put a led on physical pin 7 (output 0) and a 1k resistor to ground. Run that program again and the led should flash once a second. This led will be useful to see if data is going from the picaxe to the PC.
Next try
Code:
main:
serout 0,N2400,("A")
pause 1000
goto mainIf that works, then you can try receiving bytes in vb.net.
When that works, we can look at sending the data the other way from the PC to the picaxe (which is a little more complicated).
Sing out if you get stuck along the way.
...
You want to find an activeX control that will allow to use access your serial port via VB. MsComm worked well for vb4 but for 2003 onwards go here:
http://home.comcast.net/~hardandsoftware/DesktopSerialIO.htm
Download desktopserialIO its a pre-made vb app which will allow you to set the baud rate and serial port and then send data (and receive if there's anything to receive). Then just tinker the code to get exactly what you want, change appearance etc. or you can just download the dll desktopserial IO and write you program from scratch.
Then you simply need to set up a serial port that goes into a serin pin on your picaxe (look in picaxe manual...3? i think) and use serin to receive data. I haven't used this method for ages but I HAVE used it and it works. If this is too complicated then I suggest a bit more reading about VB and picaxe serial communication.
Good luck.
You want to find an activeX control that will allow to use access your serial port via VB. MsComm worked well for vb4 but for 2003 onwards go here:
http://home.comcast.net/~hardandsoftware/DesktopSerialIO.htm
Download desktopserialIO its a pre-made vb app which will allow you to set the baud rate and serial port and then send data (and receive if there's anything to receive). Then just tinker the code to get exactly what you want, change appearance etc. or you can just download the dll desktopserial IO and write you program from scratch.
Then you simply need to set up a serial port that goes into a serin pin on your picaxe (look in picaxe manual...3? i think) and use serin to receive data. I haven't used this method for ages but I HAVE used it and it works. If this is too complicated then I suggest a bit more reading about VB and picaxe serial communication.
Good luck.
I'd recommend against that; in .NET 2.0 (Visual Studio 2005 and later) you should use System.IO.Ports.SerialPort.