C# - PTC Bricklet

This is the description of the C# API bindings for the PTC Bricklet. General information and technical specifications for the PTC Bricklet are summarized in its hardware description.

An installation guide for the C# API bindings is part of their general description.

Examples

The example code below is Public Domain (CC0 1.0).

Simple

Download (ExampleSimple.cs)

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using Tinkerforge;

class Example
{
    private static string HOST = "localhost";
    private static int PORT = 4223;
    private static string UID = "XYZ"; // Change to your UID

    static void Main() 
    {
        IPConnection ipcon = new IPConnection(); // Create IP connection
        BrickletPTC ptc = new BrickletPTC(UID, ipcon); // Create device object

        ipcon.Connect(HOST, PORT); // Connect to brickd
        // Don't use device before ipcon is connected

        // Get current temperature (unit is °C/100)
        int temperature = ptc.GetTemperature();

        System.Console.WriteLine("Temperature: " + temperature/100.0 + " °C");

        System.Console.WriteLine("Press enter to exit");
        System.Console.ReadLine();
        ipcon.Disconnect();
    }
}

Callback

Download (ExampleCallback.cs)

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using Tinkerforge;

class Example
{
    private static string HOST = "localhost";
    private static int PORT = 4223;
    private static string UID = "XYZ"; // Change to your UID

    // Callback function for temperature callback (parameter has unit °C/100)
    static void TemperatureCB(BrickletPTC sender, int temperature)
    {
        System.Console.WriteLine("Temperature: " + temperature/100.0 + " °C");
    }

    static void Main() 
    {
        IPConnection ipcon = new IPConnection(); // Create IP connection
        BrickletPTC ptc = new BrickletPTC(UID, ipcon); // Create device object

        ipcon.Connect(HOST, PORT); // Connect to brickd
        // Don't use device before ipcon is connected

        // Set Period for temperature callback to 1s (1000ms)
        // Note: The temperature callback is only called every second if the 
        //       temperature has changed since the last call!
        ptc.SetTemperatureCallbackPeriod(1000);

        // Register temperature callback to function TemperatureCB
        ptc.Temperature += TemperatureCB;

        System.Console.WriteLine("Press enter to exit");
        System.Console.ReadLine();
        ipcon.Disconnect();
    }
}

Threshold

Download (ExampleThreshold.cs)

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using Tinkerforge;

class Example
{
    private static string HOST = "localhost";
    private static int PORT = 4223;
    private static string UID = "XYZ"; // Change to your UID

    // Callback for temperature greater than 30 °C
    static void ReachedCB(BrickletPTC sender, int temperature)
    {
        System.Console.WriteLine("We have: " + temperature/100.0 + " °C");
        System.Console.WriteLine("It is too hot, we need air conditioning!");
    }

    static void Main() 
    {
        IPConnection ipcon = new IPConnection(); // Create IP connection
        BrickletPTC ptc = new BrickletPTC(UID, ipcon); // Create device object

        ipcon.Connect(HOST, PORT); // Connect to brickd
        // Don't use device before ipcon is connected

        // Get threshold callbacks with a debounce time of 10 seconds (10000ms)
        ptc.SetDebouncePeriod(10000);

        // Register threshold reached callback to function ReachedCB
        ptc.TemperatureReached += ReachedCB;

        // Configure threshold for "greater than 30 °C" (unit is °C/100)
        ptc.SetTemperatureCallbackThreshold('>', 30*100, 0);

        System.Console.WriteLine("Press enter to exit");
        System.Console.ReadLine();
        ipcon.Disconnect();
    }
}

API

Generally, every method of the C# bindings that returns a value can throw a Tinkerforge.TimeoutException. This exception gets thrown if the device did not respond. If a cable based connection is used, it is unlikely that this exception gets thrown (assuming nobody plugs the device out). However, if a wireless connection is used, timeouts will occur if the distance to the device gets too big.

Since C# does not support multiple return values directly, we use the out keyword to return multiple values from a method.

The namespace for all Brick/Bricklet bindings and the IPConnection is Tinkerforge.*.

All methods listed below are thread-safe.

Basic Functions

public class BrickletPTC(String uid, IPConnection ipcon)

Creates an object with the unique device ID uid:

BrickletPTC ptc = new BrickletPTC("YOUR_DEVICE_UID", ipcon);

This object can then be used after the IP Connection is connected (see examples above).

public int GetTemperature()

Returns the temperature of connected sensor. The value has a range of -246 to 849 °C and is given in °C/100, e.g. a value of 4223 means that a temperature of 42.23 °C is measured.

If you want to get the temperature periodically, it is recommended to use the callback Temperature and set the period with SetTemperatureCallbackPeriod().

public bool IsSensorConnected()

Returns true if the sensor is connected correctly.

If this function returns false, there is either no Pt100 or Pt1000 sensor connected, the sensor is connected incorrectly or the sensor itself is faulty.

public void SetWireMode(byte mode)

Sets the wire mode of the sensor. Possible values are 2, 3 and 4 which correspond to 2-, 3- and 4-wire sensors. The value has to match the jumper configuration on the Bricklet.

The default value is 2 = 2-wire.

The following constants are available for this function:

  • BrickletPTC.WIRE_MODE_2 = 2
  • BrickletPTC.WIRE_MODE_3 = 3
  • BrickletPTC.WIRE_MODE_4 = 4
public byte GetWireMode()

Returns the wire mode as set by SetWireMode()

The following constants are available for this function:

  • BrickletPTC.WIRE_MODE_2 = 2
  • BrickletPTC.WIRE_MODE_3 = 3
  • BrickletPTC.WIRE_MODE_4 = 4

Advanced Functions

public int GetResistance()

Returns the value as measured by the MAX31865 precision delta-sigma ADC.

The value can be converted with the following formulas:

  • Pt100: resistance = (value * 390) / 32768
  • Pt1000: resistance = (value * 3900) / 32768

If you want to get the resistance periodically, it is recommended to use the callback Resistance and set the period with SetResistanceCallbackPeriod().

public void SetNoiseRejectionFilter(byte filter)

Sets the noise rejection filter to either 50Hz (0) or 60Hz (1). Noise from 50Hz or 60Hz power sources (including harmonics of the AC power's fundamental frequency) is attenuated by 82dB.

Default value is 0 = 50Hz.

The following constants are available for this function:

  • BrickletPTC.FILTER_OPTION_50HZ = 0
  • BrickletPTC.FILTER_OPTION_60HZ = 1
public byte GetNoiseRejectionFilter()

Returns the noise rejection filter option as set by SetNoiseRejectionFilter()

The following constants are available for this function:

  • BrickletPTC.FILTER_OPTION_50HZ = 0
  • BrickletPTC.FILTER_OPTION_60HZ = 1
public byte[] GetAPIVersion()

Returns the version of the API definition (major, minor, revision) implemented by this API bindings. This is neither the release version of this API bindings nor does it tell you anything about the represented Brick or Bricklet.

public bool GetResponseExpected(byte functionId)

Returns the response expected flag for the function specified by the function ID parameter. It is true if the function is expected to send a response, false otherwise.

For getter functions this is enabled by default and cannot be disabled, because those functions will always send a response. For callback configuration functions it is enabled by default too, but can be disabled by SetResponseExpected(). For setter functions it is disabled by default and can be enabled.

Enabling the response expected flag for a setter function allows to detect timeouts and other error conditions calls of this setter as well. The device will then send a response for this purpose. If this flag is disabled for a setter function then no response is send and errors are silently ignored, because they cannot be detected.

See SetResponseExpected() for the list of function ID constants available for this function.

public void SetResponseExpected(byte functionId, bool responseExpected)

Changes the response expected flag of the function specified by the function ID parameter. This flag can only be changed for setter (default value: false) and callback configuration functions (default value: true). For getter functions it is always enabled and callbacks it is always disabled.

Enabling the response expected flag for a setter function allows to detect timeouts and other error conditions calls of this setter as well. The device will then send a response for this purpose. If this flag is disabled for a setter function then no response is send and errors are silently ignored, because they cannot be detected.

The following function ID constants are available for this function:

  • BrickletPTC.FUNCTION_SET_TEMPERATURE_CALLBACK_PERIOD = 3
  • BrickletPTC.FUNCTION_SET_RESISTANCE_CALLBACK_PERIOD = 5
  • BrickletPTC.FUNCTION_SET_TEMPERATURE_CALLBACK_THRESHOLD = 7
  • BrickletPTC.FUNCTION_SET_RESISTANCE_CALLBACK_THRESHOLD = 9
  • BrickletPTC.FUNCTION_SET_DEBOUNCE_PERIOD = 11
  • BrickletPTC.FUNCTION_SET_NOISE_REJECTION_FILTER = 17
  • BrickletPTC.FUNCTION_SET_WIRE_MODE = 20
public void SetResponseExpectedAll(bool responseExpected)

Changes the response expected flag for all setter and callback configuration functions of this device at once.

public void GetIdentity(out string uid, out string connectedUid, out char position, out byte[] hardwareVersion, out byte[] firmwareVersion, out int deviceIdentifier)

Returns the UID, the UID where the Bricklet is connected to, the position, the hardware and firmware version as well as the device identifier.

The position can be 'a', 'b', 'c' or 'd'.

The device identifier numbers can be found here. There is also a constant for the device identifier of this Bricklet.

Callback Configuration Functions

public void SetTemperatureCallbackPeriod(long period)

Sets the period in ms with which the Temperature callback is triggered periodically. A value of 0 turns the callback off.

Temperature is only triggered if the temperature has changed since the last triggering.

The default value is 0.

public long GetTemperatureCallbackPeriod()

Returns the period as set by SetTemperatureCallbackPeriod().

public void SetResistanceCallbackPeriod(long period)

Sets the period in ms with which the Resistance callback is triggered periodically. A value of 0 turns the callback off.

Resistance is only triggered if the resistance has changed since the last triggering.

The default value is 0.

public long GetResistanceCallbackPeriod()

Returns the period as set by SetResistanceCallbackPeriod().

public void SetTemperatureCallbackThreshold(char option, int min, int max)

Sets the thresholds for the TemperatureReached callback.

The following options are possible:

Option Description
'x' Callback is turned off
'o' Callback is triggered when the temperature is outside the min and max values
'i' Callback is triggered when the temperature is inside the min and max values
'<' Callback is triggered when the temperature is smaller than the min value (max is ignored)
'>' Callback is triggered when the temperature is greater than the min value (max is ignored)

The default value is ('x', 0, 0).

The following constants are available for this function:

  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_OFF = 'x'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_OUTSIDE = 'o'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_INSIDE = 'i'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_SMALLER = '<'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_GREATER = '>'
public void GetTemperatureCallbackThreshold(out char option, out int min, out int max)

Returns the threshold as set by SetTemperatureCallbackThreshold().

The following constants are available for this function:

  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_OFF = 'x'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_OUTSIDE = 'o'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_INSIDE = 'i'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_SMALLER = '<'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_GREATER = '>'
public void SetResistanceCallbackThreshold(char option, int min, int max)

Sets the thresholds for the ResistanceReached callback.

The following options are possible:

Option Description
'x' Callback is turned off
'o' Callback is triggered when the temperature is outside the min and max values
'i' Callback is triggered when the temperature is inside the min and max values
'<' Callback is triggered when the temperature is smaller than the min value (max is ignored)
'>' Callback is triggered when the temperature is greater than the min value (max is ignored)

The default value is ('x', 0, 0).

The following constants are available for this function:

  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_OFF = 'x'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_OUTSIDE = 'o'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_INSIDE = 'i'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_SMALLER = '<'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_GREATER = '>'
public void GetResistanceCallbackThreshold(out char option, out int min, out int max)

Returns the threshold as set by SetResistanceCallbackThreshold().

The following constants are available for this function:

  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_OFF = 'x'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_OUTSIDE = 'o'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_INSIDE = 'i'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_SMALLER = '<'
  • BrickletPTC.THRESHOLD_OPTION_GREATER = '>'
public void SetDebouncePeriod(long debounce)

Sets the period in ms with which the threshold callback

is triggered, if the threshold

keeps being reached.

The default value is 100.

public long GetDebouncePeriod()

Returns the debounce period as set by SetDebouncePeriod().

Callbacks

Callbacks can be registered to receive time critical or recurring data from the device. The registration is done by appending your callback handler to the corresponding event:

void Callback(BrickletPTC sender, int value)
{
    System.Console.WriteLine("Value: " + value);
}

ptc.ExampleCallback += Callback;

The available events are described below.

Note

Using callbacks for recurring events is always preferred compared to using getters. It will use less USB bandwidth and the latency will be a lot better, since there is no round trip time.

public event Temperature(BrickletPTC sender, int temperature)

This callback is triggered periodically with the period that is set by SetTemperatureCallbackPeriod(). The parameter is the temperature of the connected sensor.

Temperature is only triggered if the temperature has changed since the last triggering.

public event TemperatureReached(BrickletPTC sender, int temperature)

This callback is triggered when the threshold as set by SetTemperatureCallbackThreshold() is reached. The parameter is the temperature of the connected sensor.

If the threshold keeps being reached, the callback is triggered periodically with the period as set by SetDebouncePeriod().

public event Resistance(BrickletPTC sender, int resistance)

This callback is triggered periodically with the period that is set by SetResistanceCallbackPeriod(). The parameter is the resistance of the connected sensor.

Resistance is only triggered if the resistance has changed since the last triggering.

public event ResistanceReached(BrickletPTC sender, int resistance)

This callback is triggered when the threshold as set by SetResistanceCallbackThreshold() is reached. The parameter is the resistance of the connected sensor.

If the threshold keeps being reached, the callback is triggered periodically with the period as set by SetDebouncePeriod().

Constants

public int DEVICE_IDENTIFIER

This constant is used to identify a PTC Bricklet.

The GetIdentity() function and the EnumerateCallback callback of the IP Connection have a deviceIdentifier parameter to specify the Brick's or Bricklet's type.

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