Reading from the serial port in C#

Question

I have tried using Readline() and data gets dropped, I tried using Read() but I am not sure how to have an error proof method of doing it, since I may get several packets one after another and I have no way of knowing that there is going to be another packet coming in. In between packets BytesToRead is 0, so I can't use it. When reading data to the buffer to you have a timer or put the thread to sleep to allow for all the packets to arrive?

I am lost. Don't know what to try next.

I should mention that I get no guarantee that the string coming off the serial port will be ended with \n or \r or \r\n. I simply need a fool proof way to read ALL the packets that will come from the scale when the user presses PRINT on it.

Someone answered here with the idea I liked - waiting for a certain amount of time for all the packets, but they erased their answer. ANy chance you could re-post it?

Answer 1

Have you tried listening to the DataRecieved event of the SerialPort class?

public class MySerialReader : IDisposable
{
    private SerialPort serialPort;
    private Queue<byte> recievedData = new Queue<byte>();

    public MySerialReader()
    {
        serialPort = new SerialPort();
        serialPort.Open();

        serialPort.DataReceived += serialPort_DataReceived;
    }

    void serialPort_DataReceived(object s, SerialDataReceivedEventArgs e)
    {
        byte[] data = new byte[serialPort.BytesToRead];
        serialPort.Read(data, 0, data.Length);

        data.ToList().ForEach(b => recievedData.Enqueue(b));

        processData();
    }

    void processData()
    {
        // Determine if we have a "packet" in the queue
        if (recievedData.Count > 50)
        {
            var packet = Enumerable.Range(0, 50).Select(i => recievedData.Dequeue());
        }
    }

    public void Dispose()
    {
        if (serialPort != null)
            serialPort.Dispose();
    }