Serial Framework

The Serial Framework is a Software Development Kit (SDK) that simplifies serial port communication (COM, UART, RS232) for developers on Windows and macOS. Streamline your interaction with modems, barcode scanners, IoT devices, and other serial equipment with our robust and easy-to-use API. While it is a part of the Wireless Communication Library, the Serial Framework is designed to be a fully functional, standalone serial library. Note: Native macOS support is available starting from version 8.0.0.0.

Serial Framework Editions

• .NET Edition is a .NET assembly written in C# that can be used with Microsoft .NET, Python, and Unity.
• C++ Edition is a static C++ library written in C++ and can be used with Microsoft Visual Studio or other compatible compilers.
• VCL Edition is a collection of VCL components written in Delphi that can be used with Embarcadero RAD Studio (Delphi and CBuilder) and Lazarus/FreePascal.

More details about supported IDEs...

The Serial Framework offers advantages over some basic or built-in serial communication libraries primarily through its robustness, cross-platform compatibility, and simplified, high-level API for complex tasks.

Here is a breakdown of why it may be considered better than other available options:

• Cross-Platform Compatibility: The VCL Edition of the framework provides a uniform API for both Windows and macOS, which saves significant development time and effort compared to writing separate, low-level code for each operating system's native serial port APIs.
• Simplified API (SDK): It presents a robust and easy-to-use Software Development Kit (SDK) that abstracts the low-level details and complexities of serial communication (such as handling different operating system's APIs or managing specific pin states like Request to Send (RTS) and Clear to Send (CTS)).
• Built-in Asynchronous I/O Handling: Basic serial communication libraries often struggle with asynchronous input/output (I/O), leading to performance issues or increased code complexity. The Serial Framework handles these complexities, often using internal threads or overlapped operations, which prevents the application's main thread (especially in GUI applications) from blocking, ensuring a responsive user interface.
• Reliability and Testing: As a commercial product used in several applications, the framework has been tested by multiple users, leading to the resolution of many bugs that might still be present in custom-written or less-maintained open-source alternatives.
• Faster Development Cycle: By providing a ready-made, comprehensive solution, it allows developers to focus on the application logic rather than the minutiae of serial communication protocols, leading to a faster time to market.
• Integration with Modems and IoT Devices: The framework is specifically designed to streamline interaction with various standard serial equipment, such as modems, barcode scanners, and IoT devices, potentially offering specific features or protocol implementations that generic libraries lack.

In essence, while basic OS-provided or simple libraries allow for fundamental serial communication (reading and writing data), the Serial Framework offers a more complete, reliable, and user-friendly solution for building commercial-grade, cross-platform applications that rely heavily on serial connectivity.

About the Demo Version

The demo version allows you to fully evaluate the Serial Framework's API and features within your development environment. To ensure compliance with our licensing, the demo includes the following:

• A startup notification identifies the application as using an unregistered version.
• The license is intended for evaluation purposes only and cannot be used for developing or distributing applications (including free, commercial, or internal projects).

The Serial Framework demo version can be downloaded as an executable installer (EXE link) or as a Zip archive (ZIP link). The executable installer is not signed, so you may see a Windows warning when running the installer. To avoid this you can use the 7Zip packed version. Please refer to this article to find information about how to install the 7Zip packed version for your IDE. If you are experiencing any installation issue, please contact us.

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Delivering

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