B4A Library felUsbSerial - Alternative Usb Serial library

This library wraps the following open source project: https://github.com/felHR85/UsbSerial (MIT license).

It is an alternative to the UsbSerial2 library.

The following devices are supported: CP210x, CDC, FTDI, PL2303 and CH34x.

Usage is simple. You find the UsbDevice with USB library and then initialize felUsbSerial, configure it and start reading.

Sub Process_Globals
   Private usbserial As felUsbSerial
   Private manager As UsbManager
   Private bc As ByteConverter
End Sub

Sub Globals

End Sub

Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime As Boolean)
   If FirstTime Then
     manager.Initialize
   End If
   Dim btnConnect As Button
   btnConnect.Initialize("btnConnect")
   btnConnect.Text = "Connect"
   Activity.AddView(btnConnect, 10dip, 10dip, 100dip, 100dip)
End Sub

Sub btnConnect_Click
   If manager.GetDevices.Length = 0 Then
     Log("No connected usb devices.")
   Else
     Dim device As UsbDevice = manager.GetDevices(0) 'assuming that there is exactly one device
     If manager.HasPermission(device) = False Then
       ToastMessageShow("Please allow connection and click again.", True)
       manager.RequestPermission(device)
     Else
       usbserial.Initialize("serial", device, -1)
       usbserial.BaudRate = 115200
       usbserial.DataBits = usbserial.DATA_BITS_8
       usbserial.StartReading
     End If
   End If
End Sub

Private Sub serial_DataAvailable (Buffer() As Byte)
   Log("New data: " & bc.HexFromBytes(Buffer))
End Sub

SetFlowControl is only implemented for CP2102, FTDI and CH34x chips.

Updates

V1.12 - BUFFER_READ_SIZE / BUFFER_WRITE_SIZE fields. Default value is 16 * 1024. You can change these values before initializing the object to change the internal buffers sizes.

 

[Wal]

I found the Error.

FTDISioIds.java:
new ConcreteDevice(0x04d8, 0x000a)

but the device is a cdcserial Device

 

[Erel]

V1.00 is released (first post). It adds a new Initialize2 method that lets you to explicitly choose the serial class.

For example:

fel.Initialize2("fel", Device, -1, "CDCSerialDevice")

 

[Wal]

V1.00 is released (first post). It adds a new Initialize2 method that lets you to explicitly choose the serial class.

For example:

fel.Initialize2("fel", Device, -1, "CDCSerialDevice")

Thank Erel it works, we need now is SetRTS and SetDTR.

 

[Kurt McCullum]

Is it possible to have both CTS/RTS and Xon/Xoff active at the same time. I've got a device that I'm trying to connect to that requires CTS/RTS to be active even though it doesn't always use it. With VB.Net I can set the port to Both which allows me to connect to the device but I don't see the setting here.

Kurt

 

[Erel]

No. They cannot be combined.

 

[JordiCP]

I need to communicate with a CDC-device to stablish a simple protocol. On the other side there is an embedded board. I haven't used Android USB up to now, so I am quite new in this.

Should I use this library for this, or better use USB-Host library? (or both are good for the purpose?)

 

[Erel]

You can either use UsbSerial library or this one.

 

[Yuretz2]

Hi
Im using example from the first post.

I connected FTDI device, but i know that in my tablet also is some internal device that usb.manager finds as device(0), so im using GetDevices(1) to connect to FTDI

Dim device As UsbDevice = manager.GetDevices(1) 'assuming that there is exactly one device

After "usbserial.StartReading" my log look like that:

Installing file.
PackageAdded: package:b4a.example
** Service (starter) Create **
** Service (starter) Start **
** Activity (main) Create, isFirst = true **
** Activity (main) Resume **
Data obtained from Read buffer: �`
Raw data from Read buffer: 0xB1 0x60
Number of bytes obtained from Read buffer: 2
Data obtained from Read buffer: �`
Raw data from Read buffer: 0xB1 0x60
Number of bytes obtained from Read buffer: 2
Data obtained from Read buffer: �`
Raw data from Read buffer: 0xB1 0x60
Number of bytes obtained from Read buffer: 2
Data obtained from Read buffer: �`
Raw data from Read buffer: 0xB1 0x60
Number of bytes obtained from Read buffer: 2

My FTDI device does not transmit any data at that time. "serial_DataAvailable" is not rised as you can see.
Is it normal? Can this unknown data interfere with my data then FTDI will start transmit?
Thank You

 

[Erel]

If DataAvailable is not raised then you can probably ignore those messages.

 

[yo3ggx]

Does this library supports FTDI based USB/Serial interfaces with different VID/PID than the standard chip?
Dan

 

[Yuretz2]

Yes, you can specify that you device is FTDI with:

fel.Initialize2("fel", Device, -1, "FTDISerialDevice")

For autostart app then device is connected:

Manifest:

AddActivityText(main, <intent-filter>
    <action android:name="android.hardware.usb.action.USB_DEVICE_ATTACHED" />
</intent-filter>
    <meta-data android:name="android.hardware.usb.action.USB_DEVICE_ATTACHED"
        android:resource="@xml/device_filter" />)

YourAppFolder\Objects\res\xml\device_filter.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <!-- 0x0403 / 0x6001: FTDI FT232R UART -->
    <usb-device vendor-id="1027" product-id="24577" />

    <!-- 0x067b / 0x2303 Prolific PL2303 -->
    <usb-device vendor-id="1659" product-id="8963"/>

    <!-- Your device PID/VID -->
    <usb-device vendor-id="YourVID" product-id="YourPID"/>

</resources>

 

[Erel]

Note that you can use the new CreateResource keyword in the manifest editor to create the XML file:

CreateResoutce(xml, device_filter.xml,
<resources>
<!-- 0x0403 / 0x6001: FTDI FT232R UART -->
<usb-device vendor-id="1027" product-id="24577" />

<!-- 0x067b / 0x2303 Prolific PL2303 -->
<usb-device vendor-id="1659" product-id="8963"/>

<!-- Your device PID/VID -->
<usb-device vendor-id="YourVID" product-id="YourPID"/>

</resources>
)

 

[yo3ggx]

It seems that my chip is already included in the library. There is any way to get the USB device name using this library?
If i try device.DeviceName I get the full path to the device, not the device name.

The XML file is mandatory if I don't want the application to start automatically when the device is connected?

Thank you.
Dan

 

[Yuretz2]

The XML file is mandatory if I don't want the application to start automatically when the device is connected?

No

There is any way to get the USB device name using this library?
If i try device.DeviceName I get the full path to the device, not the device name.

I'm not sure, but i think no. May be Erel can say for sure.

 

[yo3ggx]

Thank you.
Dan

 

[yo3ggx]

Maybe I will try to use USBserial v2 just to get all the device information with usb.DeviceInfo.

 

[Emanuel Straub]

Is it possible to connect multiple Usb devices with this libary?

 

[Erel]

Yes. You need to create multiple felUsbSerial objects.

 

[Emanuel Straub]

Thanks for your reply.

I wrote this sample code to test the multiple connection:

#Region  Project Attributes
    #ApplicationLabel: USB Example
    #VersionCode: 1
    #VersionName:
    #SupportedOrientations: unspecified
    #CanInstallToExternalStorage: false
#End Region

#Region  Activity Attributes
    #FullScreen: False
    #IncludeTitle: True
#End Region

Sub Process_Globals
    Dim usb As felUsbSerial
    Dim usb2 As felUsbSerial
    Dim manager As UsbManager
    Dim bc As ByteConverter
    Dim Timer1 As Timer
    Dim r_id As Int = 0x6001
    Dim r_vd As Int = 0x403
    Dim s_id As Int = 0x90a
    Dim s_vd As Int = 0xc2e
End Sub

Sub Globals

    Dim btnSend1,btnSend2,btnSend3, btnSend4, btnOpen As Button
End Sub

Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime As Boolean)
    Activity.LoadLayout("1")
    manager.Initialize
End Sub


Sub Activity_Resume

    btnSend1.Enabled = False
    btnSend2.Enabled = False
    btnSend3.Enabled = False
    btnSend4.Enabled = False
End Sub


Sub btnOpen_Click
    Dim UsbDevices() As UsbDevice
    UsbDevices = manager.GetDevices
    If UsbDevices.Length = 0 Then
        ToastMessageShow("No connected usb devices.", True)       
    Else
        For z = 0 To UsbDevices.Length - 1
            Dim UsbDvc As UsbDevice
            UsbDvc = UsbDevices(z)
             If (UsbDvc.ProductId = r_id) And (UsbDvc.VendorId = r_vd) Then           
                 If manager.HasPermission(UsbDvc) = False Then
                       manager.RequestPermission(UsbDvc)
                 Else
                       usb.Initialize("relais", UsbDvc,-1)
                       usb.BaudRate = 9600
                       usb.DataBits = usb.DATA_BITS_8
                       btnSend1.Enabled = True        
                       btnSend2.Enabled = True        
                       btnSend3.Enabled = True        
                       btnSend4.Enabled = True
                       ToastMessageShow("Relaise connected!",True)
                       usb.StartReading
                       Timer1.Initialize("Timer1",5000)
                       Timer1.Enabled = True
                 End If
            End If
            If (UsbDvc.ProductId = s_id) And (UsbDvc.VendorId = s_vd) Then           
                 If manager.HasPermission(UsbDvc) = False Then
                       manager.RequestPermission(UsbDvc)
                 Else
                       usb2.Initialize("scanner",UsbDvc,-1)
                       usb2.BaudRate = 9600
                       usb2.DataBits = usb.DATA_BITS_8
                       usb2.StartReading
                    ToastMessageShow("Scanner connected!",True)
                 End If
            End If
        Next
    End If
End Sub

Sub scanner_DataAvailable (Buffer() As Byte)
    Dim msg As String
    msg = BytesToString(Buffer, 0, Buffer.Length, "UTF8")
    ToastMessageShow(msg,True)
End Sub

Sub Timer1_Tick
    Dim b() As Byte
    Dim s As String
    Dim i As Int
    Dim wert As String
    For i = 1 To 4
        wert="00"
        If Rnd(0,2)=1 Then wert="01"
        s = s & "FF" & NumberFormat(i, 2, 0) & wert & "0D"
    Next
    b = bc.HexToBytes(s)
    usb.Write(b)
End Sub

Sub btnExit_Click
    ExitApplication
End Sub

After the first run into Scanner_DataAvailable my Tablet (Huawei MediaPad X1/Andoid 4.4.2) shows the Toastmessage and then reboot.
Any ideas?

 

[Erel]

Does it only happen when both USB devices are connected?

The second DataAvailable event is missing.