Serial communication using multiple forms

viniltc

Hello all,

I'm developing a GUI application (with multiple forms) to communicate with a serial device.
I have a class which has methods to communicate with hardware. I open Serial Port in this class's constructor as follows:

tetra_grip_api::tetra_grip_api(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent)
{

    serial = new QSerialPort();
    serial->setPortName("com5");
    serial->setBaudRate(1000000); 
    serial->setDataBits(QSerialPort::Data8);
    serial->setParity(QSerialPort::NoParity);
    serial->setStopBits(QSerialPort::OneStop);
    serial->setFlowControl(QSerialPort::HardwareControl); 
    serial->open(QIODevice::ReadWrite);
}

I want a permanent communication with the hardware when I open the application and navigate through the forms. In order to do this I call this class in the main.cpp as follows:

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QApplication a(argc, argv);

    tetra_grip_api();

    StageOneMain w;
    w.show();
    return a.exec();
}

My question is what is correct method to use signals and slot mechanism to use the same serial port(opened in class) to send commands to hardware, for example if i press some button on a different form?

In other words: How can I connect the serial object opened in the above mentioned tetra_grip_api class in other forms?

Please inform me if you need any other information from me.

Thank a lot !!

Vinil

jsulm

@viniltc said in Serial communication using multiple forms:

How can I connect the serial object opened

Don't connect the serial port object itself. Define slots in tetra_grip_api and connect those to signals in your UI. To be able to connect you can pass the pointer to the tetra_grip_api instance to constructor of StageOneMain.

viniltc

@jsulm thanks a lot for your suggestion.

Could you please provide an example.
Now I defined serial as follows in the header file:

class tetra_grip_api : public QObject
{
    Q_OBJECT
public:
    explicit tetra_grip_api(QObject *parent = nullptr);

    void static send_config_file(QByteArray config, bool nonvolatile);
    
    QSerialPort *serial;

signals:

public slots:

};

#endif // TETRA_GRIP_API_H

Are you suggesting to make it as public slot? Can you give an example?

SGaist

Hi,

Can you give a bit more of details about what you are going to send to the device ?

jsulm

@viniltc Example for what? How to declare a slot? How to connect a signal to a slot?
Whether you need slots in tetra_grip_api or not depends on how you want to use it.
You can also use slots in your UI where you then call methods in tetra_grip_api. You just need to let the UI classes know about tetra_grip_api instance. For example:

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QApplication a(argc, argv);

    tetra_grip_api api();

    StageOneMain w(&api);
    w.show();
    return a.exec();
}

Now StageOneMain can access public methods in the tetra_grip_api instance (you need to adapt tetra_grip_api constructor of course).

viniltc

@SGaist @jsulm
Hi,

I will be writing/reading message packets from the device. For example , I created a class file called tetra_grip_api having functions to communicate with the serial device's registers as follows:

     void static send_config_file(QByteArray config, bool nonvolatile);
     void static send_long_register(uint8_t, uint32_t, uint8_t *);
     void static clear_stim_config(void);
     bool static send_short_block(STIM_GUI_MESSAGE_S_BLOCK_T *pblock);
     void static stimulation_pause(bool);
     void static stimulation_start(bool);
     void static toggle_pause(void);
     void static read_stim_status_reg(void);
     void static stimulation_set_current(unsigned int, unsigned int);

I defined these functions as public
I also opened the serial port in the constructor of tetra_grip_api as shown in the previous message.
I have multiple UI forms , but I need to call these API functions from any forms (to read/write to the device)

I need a permanent connection with the device when I open the application, that's why I defined the serial configuration in the constructor of the API and called in the main.cpp.

Then, for example , if I use objects in the UI forms , I should call the diffenert API functions mentioned above..

viniltc

@jsulm

What should I define in api?

I have different public functions within the tetra_grip_api to communicate with the device (these functions are to create message blocks to communicate with registers in in the serail device).

But the first step is to open the serial port (that's why I defined serial open in the constructor of the tetra_grip_api) .

For example I defined tetra_grip_api as follows:

#include "tetra_grip_api.h"
#include <QDebug>
#include <QFile>
#include <QMessageBox>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>


#define _CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE

using namespace::std;

tetra_grip_api::tetra_grip_api(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent)
{

}



bool tetra_grip_api::send_short_block(STIM_GUI_MESSAGE_S_BLOCK_T *pblock)
{
contents....
}

void tetra_grip_api::clear_stim_config(void)
{
contents....
}

void tetra_grip_api::send_long_register(uint8_t reg, uint32_t data_len, uint8_t *data)

{
contents....
}

void tetra_grip_api::send_config_file(QByteArray config, bool nonvolatile)

{
contents....
}

void tetra_grip_api::stimulation_start(bool start)

{
contents....
}

void tetra_grip_api::stimulation_pause(bool paused)

{
contents....
}

void tetra_grip_api::stimulation_set_current(unsigned int channel_number)

{
contents....
}



void tetra_grip_api::toggle_pause(void)

{
contents....
}

void tetra_grip_api::read_stim_status_reg(void)

{
  contents....
}

and tetra_grip_api.h as follows:

#ifndef TETRA_GRIP_API_H
#define TETRA_GRIP_API_H

#include <QObject>
#include "Stim_includes/stim_gui_protocol.h"
#include <QtSerialPort/QSerialPort>
#include <QtSerialPort/QSerialPortInfo>


#define _CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE

class tetra_grip_api : public QObject
{
    Q_OBJECT

public:
    explicit tetra_grip_api(QObject *parent = nullptr);

     void static send_config_file(QByteArray config, bool nonvolatile);
     void static send_long_register(uint8_t, uint32_t, uint8_t *);
     void static clear_stim_config(void);
     bool static send_short_block(STIM_GUI_MESSAGE_S_BLOCK_T *pblock);
     void static stimulation_pause(bool);
     void static stimulation_start(bool);
     void static toggle_pause(void);
     void static read_stim_status_reg(void);
     void static stimulation_set_current(unsigned int);


signals:

public slots:
};

#endif // TETRA_GRIP_API_H

What I understood from your suggestion is to open serial port as public slot, also other serial functions like write/read data, something like this :

private slots:
    void openSerialPort();
    void writeData(const QByteArray &data);
    void readData();

Then If I use UI element in some forms, I need call API fucntion to create message blocks and to send to the serial device using writeData .

My doubt where should I open the serial. And how to use signals and slot mechanism in other UI forms to communicate with the tetra_grip_api fucntions?

jsulm

@viniltc said in Serial communication using multiple forms:

What should I define in api?

What do you mean? api is an instance of your tetra_grip_api class.
Define what ever you need there.

viniltc

@jsulm

Sorry for not being clear enough
My doubt is: I have a number of publc fucntions inside the tetra_grip_api class , they are to create message packets and will be sent to device. ALSO, I have basic fucntions such as openSerial , writeData and readData..

you suggested to use instance of api in the main as

tetra_grip_api api();

So that means , I can access to any public functions and public slots from the form ( StageOneMain ) ?
What to define in the constructor?

Any suggestions?

jsulm

@viniltc said in Serial communication using multiple forms:

What to define in the constructor?

Which constructor do you mean? The one from StageOneMain? Well, simply store the pointer to tetra_grip_api in a member variable to be able to use it when needed:

StageOneMain::StageOneMain(tetra_grip_api *api) : m_api(api)
{
    // Now you can access the public members in tetra_grip_api like m_api->open()
}

viniltc

@jsulm
Thanks a lot for the feedback.

In my case StageOneMain is a one of the form, defined as:

StageOneMain::StageOneMain(QWidget *parent) : QMainWindow(parent)

In this case, how can I modify it in order to access public functions from tetra_grip_api?

mrjj

@viniltc

Hi

What @jsulm show is:
1:
Add a new variable in the StageOneMain class, in the .h file.
tetra_grip_api *m_api;
Note that you will need to type
class tetra_grip_api; in the top or include its .h file for it to know the
type there.
2:
Change constructor to accept a tetra_grip_api pointer from main

StageOneMain::StageOneMain(QWidget *parent, tetra_grip_api *api) : QMainWindow(parent), m_api(api)

here we change the constructor so that it can take a new parameter and
also store that new parameter in the class so we can use it anywhere in StageOneMain.

That is the m_api(api) part. its like m_api = api; so we store the pointer in the class.

Now in all StageOneMain functions , you can use
m_api->xxxx to call any public function.

I hope this is more clear ?

viniltc

@mrjj Thanks a lot, now it's more clear.

I was wondering, what change I need to make to my main.cpp?
Right now i defined it as :

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QApplication a(argc, argv);

    tetra_grip_api api();
    StageOneMain w(&api);
    w.show();
    return a.exec();
}

One more thing: I have a method in the tetra_grip_api called openSerial (opening a QSerialPort* called serial) to open the serial port as soon as I start the program, so I thought to call it in the main. What's the correct method to call it?

mrjj

Hi
Super.

Well if new ctor now looks like
StageOneMain::StageOneMain(QWidget *parent, tetra_grip_api *api)

then in main
...
tetra_grip_api api;
StageOneMain w(nullptr, &api);

// open serial
api.openSerial(xxx);

viniltc

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