C# Arduino GUI to control the LED

This tutorial will tell you how to make a simplest GUI to control your arduino. Basicly, this post is about communication between C# and Arduino: Send data and commands from Computer to an Arduino. So, you will also learn something about C# serial communication.

I will use LattePanda to do this project. Make the best use of its touch screen, I can just use my finger to play this GUI! LattePanda is a Win10 single board computer, it alsointegrated Arduino Compatible Processor, so you can control the physical world easily. If you don't have it, no worries, you can connect the Arduino to your PC instead!

What is Lattepanda?

A LattePanda is a complete Windows 10 single board computer. It has everything a regular PC has and can do anything that a regular PC does. It is compatible with almost every gadget you know: printers, joysticks, cameras and more. Any peripherals that work on your PC will work on a LattePanda.

A LattePanda also includes an integrated Arduino compatible co-processor, using hundreds of mature development platforms such as Johnny Five and Cylon, you can easily used it to control and sense the physical world! Whether you are a Windows developer, IoT developer, DIY fanatic, interactive designer, robotics whizz, or maker, a LattePanda single board computercan aid your creative process!

Step 1: Hardware List

• LattePanda/ Arduino UNO

Step 2: Software Setup

• Visual Studio

• Arduino IDE

Step 3: C# Code

Creat a new windows Form project. In the Toolbox on the left side, drag out 2 button components from toolbox. Rename them,one is 'ON', one is 'OFF'.

public partial class Form1 : Form    {
        SerialPort port;        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();            this.FormClosed += new FormClosedEventHandler(Form1_FormClosed);            if (port == null)
            {
                //Change the portname according to your computer
                port = new SerialPort("COM4", 9600);
                port.Open();
            }
        }void Form1_FormClosed(object sender, FormClosedEventArgs e)        {
            if (port != null && port.IsOpen)
            {
                port.Close();
            }
        }private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)        {
            
                PortWrite("1");
            
        }        
        private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
           
                PortWrite("0");
            
        }private void PortWrite(string message)        {
            if (port != null && port.IsOpen)
            {
                port.Write(message);
            }
        }
    }

Step 4: Arduino Sketch

Open Arduino IDE, Upload the following code to your board.

const int LedPin = 3;int ledState = 0;void setup()
{ 
  pinMode(LedPin, OUTPUT);
  
  Serial.begin(9600);  
}void loop()
{ 
    char receiveVal;   
   
    if(Serial.available() > 0)
    {        
        receiveVal = Serial.read();
        
       if(receiveVal == '1')    
          ledState = 1;   
       else
          ledState = 0;     
    }   
      
    digitalWrite(LedPin, ledState); 
      
    delay(50);    
}

Step 5: Showtime

When you click the 'ON' button the LED light will turn on.

So far so good?

If you other things instead of the LED, then you can use your mouse to control everything!!

That's a very useful function. Hope this tutorial is useful for you! If you have any questions, please let me know!