Visual Basic .NET - API Bindings

The Visual Basic .NET bindings allow you to control Bricks and Bricklets from your Visual Basic .NET programs. The ZIP file for the bindings contains:

  • Tinkerforge.dll, a precompiled .NET library

  • Tinkerforge.xml, the API documentation for Visual Studio, MonoDevelop, etc

  • in source/ the source code of Tinkerforge.dll

  • in examples/ the examples for every Brick and Bricklet

The Visual Basic .NET bindings are based on the C# bindings. Since version 2.0.0 the C# bindings are CLS compliant. This allows to use them with all .NET compatible languages, such as Visual Basic .NET.

Requirements

  • Visual Basic 2005 (VB 8.0) or newer, or Mono 1.2.3 or newer

Installation

If and how the Visual Basic .NET bindings have to be installed depends heavily on how you are going to use them. If you are just calling the Visual Basic .NET compiler from the command line then you can just put the Tinkerforge.dll file into the same folder as the Visual Basic .NET code of your program.

To use the bindings in an IDE you'll probably have to add the Tinkerforge.dll file to the assembly catalog of the IDE. How this is done depends on the IDE and will be explained in documentation of that IDE.

Testing an Example

To test a Visual Basic .NET example Brick Daemon and Brick Viewer have to be installed first. Brick Daemon acts as a proxy between the USB interface of the Bricks and the API bindings. Brick Viewer connects to Brick Daemon and helps to figure out basic information about the connected Bricks and Bricklets.

MonoDevelop

As an example we will compile the Stepper Brick configuration example with the Visual Basic .NET Compiler (VBNC) that comes with Mono. Create a new Visual Basic .NET project in MonoDevelop by clicking:

  • File

  • New

  • Solution...

  • Choose "VBNet"

  • Choose "Console Project"

  • Choose a name (e.g. ExampleConfiguration)

  • Click Forward

  • Click OK

MonoDevelop should show an Application.vb file in its editor. Replace its content with the content from ExampleConfiguration.vb file in the examples\Brick\Stepper\ folder.

In the example HOST and PORT specify at which network address the Stepper Brick can be found. If it is connected locally to USB then localhost and 4223 is correct. The UID value has to be changed to the UID of the connected Stepper Brick, which you can figure out using Brick Viewer:

Const HOST As String = "localhost"
Const PORT As Integer = 4223
Const UID As String = "XXYYZZ" ' Change XXYYZZ to the UID of your Stepper Brick

Now add Tinkerforge.dll as a reference to the project:

  • Right click on References in Solution Explorer

  • Edit References...

  • Click on .Net Assembly tab

  • Select Tinkerforge.dll

  • Click Add

The project is now ready for a test, click:

  • Run

  • Run

The Visual Basic .NET Compiler can also be used from the command line:

vbnc /target:exe /out:Example.exe /reference:Tinkerforge.dll ExampleConfiguration.vb

Visual Studio

As an example we will compile the Stepper Brick configuration example with Microsoft Visual Basic 2010. Create a new Visual Basic project by clicking:

  • File

  • New Project...

  • Choose "Visual Basic"

  • Choose "Console Application"

  • Choose a name (e.g. ExampleConfiguration)

  • Click OK

Visual Studio should show an Module1.vb file in its editor. Replace its content with the content from ExampleConfiguration.vb file in the examples\Brick\Stepper\ folder.

In the example HOST and PORT specify at which network address the Stepper Brick can be found. If it is connected locally to USB then localhost and 4223 is correct. The UID value has to be changed to the UID of the connected Stepper Brick, which you can figure out using Brick Viewer:

Const HOST As String = "localhost"
Const PORT As Integer = 4223
Const UID As String = "XXYYZZ" ' Change XXYYZZ to the UID of your Stepper Brick

Now add Tinkerforge.dll as a reference to the project:

  • Right click on the project in Solution Explorer

  • Add References...

  • Click on Browse tab

  • Select Tinkerforge.dll

  • Click OK

Before the project can be tested Visual Studio needs to know the correct start object:

  • Right click on the project in Solution Explorer

  • Properties

  • Click on Application tab

  • Select "Sub Main" as start object

  • Click Save

The project is now ready for a test, click:

  • Debug

  • Start Debugging

API Reference and Examples

Links to the API reference for the IP Connection, Bricks and Bricklets as well as the examples from the ZIP file of the bindings are listed in the following table. Further project descriptions can be found in the Kits section.

Name, API, Examples

Miscellaneous

IP Connection

API

Examples

Bricks

ESP32

API

ESP32 Ethernet

API

HAT

API

Examples

HAT Zero

API

Examples

IMU 2.0

API

Examples

Master

API

Examples

RED

API

Silent Stepper

API

Examples

Bricks (Discontinued)

DC

API

Examples

IMU

API

Examples

Servo

API

Examples

Stepper

API

Examples

Bricklets

Accelerometer 2.0

API

Examples

Air Quality

API

Examples

Ambient Light 3.0

API

Examples

Analog In 3.0

API

Examples

Analog Out 3.0

API

Examples

Barometer

API

Examples

Barometer 2.0

API

Examples

CAN

API

Examples

CAN 2.0

API

Examples

CO2 2.0

API

Examples

Color

API

Examples

Color 2.0

API

Examples

Compass

API

Examples

DC 2.0

API

Examples

Distance IR

API

Examples

Distance IR 2.0

API

Examples

Distance US 2.0

API

Examples

DMX

API

Examples

Dual Button 2.0

API

Examples

Dust Detector

API

Examples

E-Paper 296x128

API

Examples

Energy Monitor

API

Examples

GPS 2.0

API

Examples

GPS 3.0

API

Examples

Hall Effect

API

Examples

Hall Effect 2.0

API

Examples

Humidity 2.0

API

Examples

IMU 3.0

API

Examples

Industrial Analog Out 2.0

API

Examples

Industrial Counter

API

Examples

Industrial Digital In 4 2.0

API

Examples

Industrial Digital Out 4

API

Examples

Industrial Digital Out 4 2.0

API

Examples

Industrial Dual 0-20mA

API

Examples

Industrial Dual 0-20mA 2.0

API

Examples

Industrial Dual AC In

API

Industrial Dual AC Relay

API

Examples

Industrial Dual Analog In 2.0

API

Examples

Industrial Dual Relay

API

Examples

Industrial PTC

API

Examples

Industrial Quad Relay 2.0

API

Examples

IO-16

API

Examples

IO-16 2.0

API

Examples

IO-4 2.0

API

Examples

Isolator

API

Examples

Joystick

API

Examples

Joystick 2.0

API

Examples

Laser Range Finder 2.0

API

Examples

LCD 128x64

API

Examples

LCD 20x4

API

Examples

LED Strip 2.0

API

Examples

Line

API

Examples

Linear Poti

API

Examples

Linear Poti 2.0

API

Examples

Load Cell 2.0

API

Examples

Motion Detector 2.0

API

Examples

Motorized Linear Poti

API

Examples

Multi Touch

API

Examples

Multi Touch 2.0

API

Examples

NFC

API

Examples

OLED 128x64 2.0

API

Examples

OLED 64x48

API

Examples

One Wire

API

Examples

Outdoor Weather

API

Examples

Particulate Matter

API

Examples

Performance DC

API

Examples

Piezo Speaker

API

Examples

Piezo Speaker 2.0

API

Examples

Real-Time Clock

API

Examples

Real-Time Clock 2.0

API

Examples

Remote Switch 2.0

API

Examples

RGB LED 2.0

API

Examples

RGB LED Button

API

Examples

Rotary Encoder 2.0

API

Examples

Rotary Poti

API

Examples

Rotary Poti 2.0

API

Examples

RS232

API

Examples

RS232 2.0

API

Examples

RS485

API

Examples

Segment Display 4x7

API

Examples

Segment Display 4x7 2.0

API

Examples

Servo 2.0

API

Examples

Silent Stepper 2.0

API

Examples

Solid State Relay 2.0

API

Examples

Sound Intensity

API

Examples

Sound Pressure Level

API

Examples

Temperature

API

Examples

Temperature 2.0

API

Examples

Temperature IR 2.0

API

Examples

Thermal Imaging

API

Examples

Thermocouple 2.0

API

Examples

Tilt

API

Examples

UV Light 2.0

API

Examples

Voltage/Current 2.0

API

Examples

XMC1400 Breakout

API

Examples

Bricklets (Discontinued)

Accelerometer

API

Examples

Ambient Light

API

Examples

Ambient Light 2.0

API

Examples

Analog In

API

Examples

Analog In 2.0

API

Examples

Analog Out

API

Examples

Analog Out 2.0

API

Examples

CO2

API

Examples

Current12

API

Examples

Current25

API

Examples

Distance US

API

Examples

Dual Button

API

Examples

Dual Relay

API

Examples

GPS

API

Examples

Humidity

API

Examples

Industrial Analog Out

API

Examples

Industrial Digital In 4

API

Examples

Industrial Dual Analog In

API

Examples

Industrial Quad Relay

API

Examples

IO-4

API

Examples

Laser Range Finder

API

Examples

LCD 16x2

API

Examples

LED Strip

API

Examples

Load Cell

API

Examples

Moisture

API

Examples

Motion Detector

API

Examples

NFC/RFID

API

Examples

OLED 128x64

API

Examples

Piezo Buzzer

API

Examples

PTC

API

Examples

PTC 2.0

API

Examples

Remote Switch

API

Examples

RGB LED

API

Examples

RGB LED Matrix

API

Rotary Encoder

API

Examples

Solid State Relay

API

Examples

Temperature IR

API

Examples

Thermocouple

API

Examples

UV Light

API

Examples

Voltage

API

Examples

Voltage/Current

API

Examples