Receive Serial (string or byte) Data in Visual Basic

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I have a serial device which sends me data at the baudrate of 38400 and i get it like this ?@D00014C000 000. I can see data comes in on a ritchtextbox but what im trying to do is to use some characters from the string in a list box. For example i want characters "14C" appears in the listbox3. I tried the substring and mid function but listbox lidnt work properly and losses characters or confuse them . Here is my code. Any suggestions please?? i am using visual studio express 2012

Imports System
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.IO.Ports
 
Public Class frmMain
    Dim myPort As Array
    Delegate Sub SetTextCallback(ByVal [text] As String)
  
 
    'Serial Port Receiving Code Starts Here ....
    Private Sub SerialPort1_DataReceived(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.IO.Ports.SerialDataReceivedEventArgs) Handles SerialPort1.DataReceived
        ReceivedText(SerialPort1.ReadExisting())
 
    End Sub
    'Serial Port Receiving Code Ends Here ....
 
    'Serial Port Receiving Code(Invoke) Starts Here ....
    Private Sub ReceivedText(ByVal [text] As String)
        If Me.rtbReceived.InvokeRequired Then
            Dim x As New SetTextCallback(AddressOf ReceivedText)
            Me.Invoke(x, New Object() {(text)})
 
           
 
        Else
            Me.rtbReceived.Text &= [text]
              Dim fine As String = Mid([text], 7, 3)
            Dim list As Integer = ListBox3.Items.Add(fine)
        End If
 
    End Sub
 

End Class

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VASILIS PALAVRATZISElectrical EngineeringAsked:
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ste5anSenior DeveloperCommented:
First of all: be precise.. Does the serial device send strings or bytes? Huge difference. Strings depend in charsets. Bytes not. Luckily it is often US-ASCII (7 bit).

Then much more important: A serial device must be always threated as a streaming device. Thus you need to read data into a buffer and examine its content. And only process entire messages. E.g.

Imports System
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.IO.Ports

Public Class frmMain

    Dim myPort As Array
    Delegate Sub SetTextCallback(ByVal [text] As String)

    Dim buffer As String

    Private Sub SerialPort1_DataReceived(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.IO.Ports.SerialDataReceivedEventArgs) Handles SerialPort1.DataReceived
        Dim datagram As String

        buffer = buffer & SerialPort1.ReadExisting()
        datagram = DequeueDatagram()
        Do While Not datagram Is Nothing
            HandleDatagram datagram
            datagram = DequeueDatagram()
        Loop
    End Sub

    Private Function DequeueDatagram() As String
        Const LINE_FEED As String = Chr(10)
        Dim linefeed As Long
        Dim result As String = Nothing
		
        If (buffer.IndexOf(LINE_FEED) > -1) Then
            linefeed = buffer.IndexOf(LINE_FEED)
            result = buffer.Substring(0, linefeed)
            buffer = buffer.Substring(linefeed + 1)
        End If

        Return result
    End Function

    Private Sub HandleDatagram(ADatagram As String)
        If Me.rtbReceived.InvokeRequired Then
            Dim x As New SetTextCallback(AddressOf ReceivedText)
            Me.Invoke(x, New Object() {(text)})
        Else
            Me.rtbReceived.Text &= [text]
            Dim fine As String = Mid([text], 7, 3)
            Dim list As Integer = ListBox3.Items.Add(fine)
        End If
    End Sub

End Class

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VASILIS PALAVRATZISElectrical EngineeringAuthor Commented:
Thank you so much for your time. I ll try apply your advices. You can see my device setup here on page 26 https://www.stalkerradar.com/sportsradar/documents/011-0093-00_Pro_II_operator_manual.pdf   Its the bE format
ste5anSenior DeveloperCommented:
The bE message starts with a Message type = 0x88 and ends with Last Byte ASCII Carriage Return = 0x0D. So you can basically do the same, but you need some housekeeping for the start byte, e.g.

    Private Function DequeueDatagram() As String
        Const CARET As String = Chr(136)
        Const CARRIAGE_RETURN As String = Chr(10)
        Dim caretPosition As Long
        Dim carriageReturnPosition As Long
        Dim result As String = Nothing

        carriageReturnPosition = buffer.IndexOf(CARRIAGE_RETURN)
        If (carriageReturnPosition > -1) Then
            result = buffer.Substring(0, carriageReturnPosition)
            buffer = buffer.Substring(carriageReturnPosition + 1)
            caretPosition = result.IndexOf(CARET)
            If (caretPosition > -1) Then
              ' Only return an entire bE datagram.
              result = result.Substring(caretPosition)
            Else
              ' Without caret it is never a valid bE formatted message.
              ' Thus we drop it here.
              ' TODO: Log invalid datagrams as they may indicate device or transmission errors.
              result = Nothing
            End If
        End If

        Return result
    End Function

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VASILIS PALAVRATZISElectrical EngineeringAuthor Commented:
i ll try it. Thank you soooo much !!!!
VASILIS PALAVRATZISElectrical EngineeringAuthor Commented:
Dear ste5an this is my final hole code. i get nothing when connect to the serial device. Could you please help me ?What i have done wrong?

Imports System
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.IO.Ports
Imports System.ComponentModel


Public Class Form1
    '------------------------------------------------
    Dim myPort As Array
    Dim buffer As String

    Delegate Sub SetTextCallback(ByVal [ADatagram] As String) 'Added to prevent threading errors during receiveing of data
    '------------------------------------------------
    Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

        myPort = IO.Ports.SerialPort.GetPortNames()
        ComboBox1.Items.AddRange(myPort)

        Button2.Enabled = False

    End Sub
    '------------------------------------------------
    Private Sub ComboBox1_Click(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles ComboBox1.Click
    End Sub
    '------------------------------------------------
    Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        SerialPort1.PortName = ComboBox1.Text
        SerialPort1.BaudRate = ComboBox2.Text
        SerialPort1.Open()
        End Sub
    '------------------------------------------------

    Private Sub Button4_Click(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button4.Click
        SerialPort1.Close()
        Button1.Enabled = True
        Button2.Enabled = False
        Button4.Enabled = False
    End Sub

    Private Sub SerialPort1_DataReceived(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.IO.Ports.SerialDataReceivedEventArgs) Handles SerialPort1.DataReceived
        Dim datagram As String

        buffer = buffer & SerialPort1.ReadExisting()
        datagram = DequeueDatagram()
        Do While Not datagram Is Nothing
            HandleDatagram(datagram)
            datagram = DequeueDatagram()
        Loop
    End Sub

   Private Function DequeueDatagram() As String
        Const CARET As String = Chr(63)
        Const CARRIAGE_RETURN As String = Chr(10)
        Dim caretPosition As Long
        Dim carriageReturnPosition As Long
        Dim result As String = Nothing

        carriageReturnPosition = buffer.IndexOf(CARRIAGE_RETURN)
        If (carriageReturnPosition > -1) Then
            result = buffer.Substring(0, carriageReturnPosition)
            buffer = buffer.Substring(carriageReturnPosition + 1)
            caretPosition = result.IndexOf(CARET)
            If (caretPosition > -1) Then
                ' Only return an entire bE datagram.
                result = result.Substring(caretPosition)
            Else
                ' Without caret it is never a valid bE formatted message.
                ' Thus we drop it here.
                ' TODO: Log invalid datagrams as they may indicate device or transmission errors.
                result = Nothing
            End If
        End If

        Return result
    End Function

    Private Sub HandleDatagram([ADatagram] As String)
        If Me.RichTextBox2.InvokeRequired Then
            Dim x As New SetTextCallback(AddressOf HandleDatagram)
            Me.Invoke(x, New Object() {(ADatagram)})
        Else
            RichTextBox2.Text &= ADatagram
            Dim fine As String = Mid(ADatagram, 7, 3)
            Dim list As Integer = ListBox1.Items.Add(fine)
        End If
    End Sub

  

    End Sub

End Class

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VASILIS PALAVRATZISElectrical EngineeringAuthor Commented:
I find it. Finaly i change the :
Const CARET As String = Chr(136) to Const CARET As String = Chr(63) and
Const CARRIAGE_RETURN As String = Chr(13) to Const CARRIAGE_RETURN As String = Chr(10)
VASILIS PALAVRATZISElectrical EngineeringAuthor Commented:
Just all what i need!!! Thank you so much !!!
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