Cool hardware / devices that can be programmed in .NET?

Question

I would like to start writing managed code for external devices and sensors. Are there any devices that come to mind that can be encoded against using .NET? Any suggestions?

Edit: The main thing I'm trying to do is to find out how device programming works. There is no better way to do this, in my opinion, than to try to do something fun and cool.

Answer 1

Lego Mindstorms NXT

• http://mindstorms.lego.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Mindstorms_NXT
• http://nxtnet.codeplex.com/

Answer 2

Netduino has just come out and it uses the .NET Micro Framework: → http://www.netduino.com/

Answer 3

Microsoft robotics

Coding4Fun: Blog and Developer Kit

Answer 4

TinyCLR creates several different boards that support the .NET Framework, the most popular of which is Fez Domino :

FEZ (Freakin 'Easy!) Is a tiny open source board that runs on the Microsoft.NET Micro Framework. This means that you can write code with much greater efficiency using the C # programming language under free Microsoft Visual C # express. Create your projects in minutes by connecting FEZ Domino to one of the screens or to the many available components. Includes a USB cable.

Many libraries are already included as the FAT file system, streaming, USB client, USB host, UART, SPI, I2C, GPIO, PWM, ADC, DAC and many others.

FEZ offers many features not found in Arduino, BASIC STAMP and others:

• Based on Microsoft.NET Framework.
• Powered by 72Mhz NXP ARM processors.
• Support for runtime debugging (breakpoints, variable checking, stepping, etc.).
• Use Visual C # 2010 Express Edition for development.
• Advanced features like FAT, USB device and USB host.
• Easily upgrades to hardware such as EMX .
• Open source hardware design files.
• Use existing shields and holders.
• Based on USBizi chipset (ideal for commercial use).
• FEZ Mini BS2 , compatible with additional inputs / outputs.
• FEZ Domino Arduino pin-out is compatible with additional I / O.

Answer 5

USB booster

Answer 6

Two products that simplify interaction with external devices, Phidgets and Serializer . Phidgets comes with a simple .NET API and includes many hardware and software sensors and controllers. For many interesting Phidgets projects and .NET applications in general, check out the Coding4Fun Blog .

The serializer, on the other hand, is focused on robotics, but also has an excellent .NET API. To demonstrate the Serializer, there is a wonderful article in the Robot Magazine Issue 19 from Clint Rutkas (one of the people responsible for Coding4Fun).

TinyCLR , on the other hand, provides three different devices in its FEZ (Freakin 'Easy) series, which can be programmed using the .NET platform and work independently of a PC to interact with sensors and devices.

Answer 7

You should look at Arduino or some other option - it can interact with a USB port, and the controller itself is programmed in C-style language.

Then you can interact (mostly) with any sensor / device / instrument you want, and you can write code in any language that can interact with USB.

Answer 8

There are many internal automation APIs for .Net .

Answer 9

Microsoft.NET Micro Framework → http://www.microsoft.com/netmf/default.mspx

Answer 10

I had a lot of fun programming with OCZ NIA. In essence, EEG allows you to use biofeedback in your software. I wrote code that translates your alpha and beta waves to MIDI and DMX for synthesizer and lighting control. The possibilities, though endless.

It uses a USB HID, which many devices use, so it was a good introduction. There are several code codes at http://code.google.com/p/nia-brew/ and you will find the OCZ NIA forums very useful at startup.

Answer 11

The list will be huge, I see no reason why the device could not be controlled by .NET. In the latter case, a solution using DllImport and direct IoControl calls for device drivers (assuming you know the interfaces) work well.

Answer 12

Tinkerforge

I have not tried this yet, but I would like to do some more hardware programming, and I am thinking about using Tinkerforge.

A brief introduction from the Wikipedia page (highlighted by me):

Tinkerforge is a platform of stackable microcontroller units (Bricks) that can control various modules (Bricklets). The primary communication interface of building blocks can be expanded using master extensions. The hardware can be controlled by external programs written in C, C ++, C #, Object Pascal, Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, and VB.NET via a USB or Wifi connection and works on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. This approach , not built into programming, eliminates the typical requirements and limitations (development tools, limited RAM availability and processing power) of conventional embedded software development (cdr Arduino). Tinkerforge hardware and software are both Open Source, and all files are hosted on GitHub.

As I understand it, this is a higher level than, say, Arduino.
I can probably learn more about actual hardware programming from using Arduino, but I don't need / need deep knowledge about low level hardware programming - I just want to create something cool with hardware .

Answer 13

There is already another answer that mentions a USB USB launcher ... however the code associated with it is older than six years old, and I could not get it to work with my model .

So, I wrote my own library (in .NET 4.0): MissileSharp
For anyone interested, the full source code is here .

This was my first attempt to write code for a hardware device.
For training purposes, I reviewed the project code associated in another answer and in the code of the “official” management software that you can download from the site ( direct link - the source code is not directly available, but the software is written in .NET, so you can view code with Reflector, ILSpy or a similar tool). <sh> I used HidLibrary to send the actual commands to the device.

Answer 14

Arduino is one of the best, I think.

Answer 15

I know what you said .Net, but Arduino is a fun device to play with. http://www.arduino.cc/