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Visual Basic & Arduino


The project I'm working on just now involves writing a Program in Visual Basic 6.0 (a Programming Environment I'm comfortable in) linked to an Arduino Uno. So far, I've got as far as controlling a set of traffic lights (3 LEDs on a bit of Breadboard) but I'm happy with that progress so far.  There's a long way to go on this, a steep learning curve, but courtesy of Covid 19, I have a lot more time to devote to this kind of project than I would usually have at this time of year.
So far, I have one way communication, next challenge is to get information going the other way.  Web forums are very useful things.



For those of you who want to see the "nuts & bolts", here is the Arduino Code

int redled= 12;
int amberled=10;
int greenled=8;
char Inpchar;

void setup() 
{
pinMode(redled,OUTPUT);
pinMode(amberled,OUTPUT);
pinMode(greenled,OUTPUT);

Serial.begin(9600);
} 

void loop()
{
if (Serial.available())  { Inpchar = Serial.read();}  // Reads single character from Input Port

if (Inpchar=='R')  { analogWrite(redled,170);   } //  f sets Red   LED On
if (Inpchar=='r')  { digitalWrite(redled,LOW);    } //  e sets Red   LED Off
if (Inpchar=='A')  { analogWrite(amberled,30); } //  d sets Amber LED On
if (Inpchar=='a')  { digitalWrite(amberled,LOW);  } //  c sets Amber LED Off
if (Inpchar=='G')  { digitalWrite(greenled,HIGH); } //  b sets Green LED On
if (Inpchar=='g')  { digitalWrite(greenled,LOW);  } //  a sets Green LED Off

if (Inpchar=='M')  { Serial.write("X");  }    //try and send a character back to VB

}

And here's the Visual Basic Code.

The Logic is to send an "R" to switch on the Red LED and an "r" to switch it off again.
MSComm1.Output is the VB command to send data to the serial Port
"Red" is the name used for one of the shapes on the screen, so when I want to change the colour, we need the VB command  Red.fillcolor = VBred   or   Red.fillcolor = VBwhite

Public sequence As Integer
Public Portnumber As Integer

Private Sub Command1_Click()

If sequence = 0 Then
  MSComm1.Output = "R"
  Red.FillColor = vbRed
  MSComm1.Output = "g"
  Green.FillColor = vbWhite
  MSComm1.Output = "a"
  Amber.FillColor = vbWhite
End If

If sequence = 1 Then
  MSComm1.Output = "A"  'Amber on
  Amber.FillColor = &HFFFF&
End If

If sequence = 2 Then
    MSComm1.Output = "a"  'Amber Off
    Amber.FillColor = vbWhite
    MSComm1.Output = "r"  ' Red off
    Red.FillColor = vbWhite
    MSComm1.Output = "G"  'Green On
    Green.FillColor = &HC000&
End If

If sequence = 3 Then
    MSComm1.Output = "g"  ' Green Off
    Green.FillColor = vbWhite
    MSComm1.Output = "A"  ' Amber on
    Amber.FillColor = &HFFFF&
End If

If sequence = 4 Then
    MSComm1.Output = "a"  'Amber Off
    Amber.FillColor = vbWhite
    MSComm1.Output = "R"  ' Red On
    Red.FillColor = vbRed
End If

sequence = sequence + 1
If sequence = 5 Then sequence = 1
Text1.Text = sequence
 
End Sub

Private Sub Command2_Click()

End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()

Text1.Text = ""
sequence = 0
End Sub

Private Sub GreenLight_Click()
If Green.FillColor = &HC000& Then
   MSComm1.Output = "g"
  Text1.Text = "Green is OFF"
  Green.FillColor = vbWhite
Else
   MSComm1.Output = "G"
  Text1.Text = "Green is ON"
  Green.FillColor = &HC000&
End If
End Sub

Private Sub AmberLight_Click()
If Amber.FillColor = &HFFFF& Then
   MSComm1.Output = "a"
  Text1.Text = "Amber is OFF"
  Amber.FillColor = vbWhite
Else
   MSComm1.Output = "A"
  Text1.Text = "Amber is ON"
  Amber.FillColor = &HFFFF&
End If
End Sub

Private Sub RedLight_Click()
If Red.FillColor = vbRed Then
   MSComm1.Output = "r"
  Text1.Text = "Red is OFF"
  Red.FillColor = vbWhite
Else
   MSComm1.Output = "R"
  Text1.Text = "Red is ON"
  Red.FillColor = vbRed
End If
End Sub

Private Sub SelectPort_Click()
 On Error GoTo porterror
   Portnumber = InputBox("Enter a number for the Comm Port", "Choose Port 1 .. 8", 3)
   MSComm1.RThreshold = 3
   MSComm1.Settings = "9600,n,8,1"
   MSComm1.CommPort = Portnumber '  (Write Port Number on which your Arduino Board is available).
   MSComm1.PortOpen = True
   MSComm1.DTREnable = False
   MSComm1.Output = "X"
   SelectPort.Visible = False
   Exit Sub
porterror:
MsgBox ("Invalid Port Number" & Chr(13) & "Use numbers from 1 to 8")

End Sub

Private Sub TestSerial_Click()
  MSComm1.Output = "M"
End Sub


Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
If MSComm1.PortOpen = False Then Exit Sub
inputchar = MSComm1.Input
         If MSComm1.CommEvent = comEvReceive Then
           Text1.Text = "recieved data " & inbuffer
       '     Text1.Text = Text1.Text & InBuffer
         End If
If inputchar = "X" Then TrafficLights.BackColor = vbGreen
End Sub



Jim McPherson
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