Part 1: Setup
Select your Operating System:
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
Step 2: Connect Devices
Step 3: Verify Connection
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
Before you begin using your Phidgets, you will need to install the Phidget Library.
1. Download the installer for your system:
● 32-bit Installer Download
● 64-bit Installer Download
If you're unsure which one you should get, press ⊞ WIN + Pause/Break:
Before installing our libraries, be sure to read our Software License.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
2. Open the download. If it asks you for permission, select Run
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3a. Select Next
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3b. Read the Licence Agreement. Select Next.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3c. Choose Installation Location. Select Next.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3d. Confirm Install
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3e. Wait for Installation to complete. This should only take a few moments.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3f. Installation Complete. Close installation Window.
Step 2: Connect Devices
● Connect USB Cable to your Windows Computer
● Connect VINT Device(s)
Step 3: Verify Connection
1. Open the Phidgets Control Panel:
If your Control Panel does not open, look in your taskbar. Double click the Phidget Icon.
Step 3: Verify Connection
2. If connected, your Phidgets will appear in the Phidget Control Panel.
Done!
If you're able to see and interact with your devices in the Phidget Control Panel, you're done with the Setup part of this guide.
Scroll down to Part 2: Using Your Phidget for the next step.
For more help installing in Windows (e.g. manual install, using a VM, etc.), visit this page:
● Windows Advanced Information
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
Step 2: Connect Devices
Step 3: Verify Connection
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
Before you begin using your Phidgets, you will need to install the Phidget Library.
1. Download the installer for your system:
● OS X 10.11+: Installer Download
● Mac OS X 10.7 - OS X 10.10: Installer Download
● Mac OS X 10.5 - OS X 10.6: Installer Download
Before installing our libraries, be sure to read our Software License.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
2. Open the download and double click on Phidgets.pkg
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3a. Select Continue
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3b. Read and continue. Read the License and click Agree.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3c. Here, you have the option to select the installation location. Select Install to continue.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3d. MacOS may ask for permission to install. Enter your username and password and Install Software.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3e. Wait for Installation to complete. This should only take a few moments.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3f. You may see a message that the extension has been blocked. Select Open Security Preferences.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3g. Beside the message for Phidgets Inc, Click Allow.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3h. Installation Complete, Click Close.
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3i. To delete the installer, click Move to Trash.
Step 2: Connect Devices
● Connect USB Cable to your Mac
● Connect VINT Device(s)
Step 3: Verify Connection
1. Open the Phidgets Control Panel:
Step 3: Verify Connection
2. If connected, your Phidgets will appear in the Phidget Control Panel.
Done!
If you're able to see and interact with your devices in the Phidget Control Panel, you're done with the Setup part of this guide.
Scroll down to Part 2: Using Your Phidget for the next step.
For more info installing in MacOS (e.g. developer tools, driver extension, etc.), visit this page:
● MacOS Advanced Information
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
Step 2: Connect Devices
Step 3: Verify Connection
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
1. First, you need to install the libusb-1.0 development libraries. For example, in Debian based distributions:
apt-get install libusb-1.0-0-dev
You’ll also need a C compiler and builder, if you don’t already have one installed.
apt-get install gcc
apt-get install make
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
2. Next, download and unpack the Phidgets library:
● libphidget22
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
3. Use the following commands in the location you unpacked to install the library:
./configure
make
sudo make install
Step 1: Install Phidgets Library
4. (Optional) You can also download and unpack the following optional packages:
● phidget22networkserver - Phidget Network Server, which
enables the use of Phidgets over your network
● phidget22admin - Admin tool to track who is connected to your
Phidgets when using the network server
● libphidget22extra - Required for phidget22networkserver
and phidget22admin
● libphidget22java - The Java libraries for Phidget22
For installation instructions for these packages, see the README file included with each one.
Step 2: Connect Devices
● Connect USB Cable to your Linux Computer
● Connect VINT Device(s)
Step 3: Verify Connection
1. The easiest way to verify that your libraries are working properly is to compile and run an example program. Download and unpack this C example that will
detect any Phidget:
● HelloWorld C Example
Step 3: Verify Connection
2. Next, open the terminal in the location where you unpacked the example. Compile and run using:
gcc HelloWorld.c -o HelloWorld -lphidget22
sudo ./HelloWorld
ou should receive a “Hello” line for each Phidget channel that is discovered:
You need to run it with sudo in order to be able to access USB devices. In order to use
Phidgets without sudo, you need to set your udev rules. See the Advanced Information page on the final slide of this guide for details.
Done!
If you're able to see your devices in the Hello World example, you're done with the Setup part of this guide.
Scroll down to Part 2: Using Your Phidget for the next step.
For more info installing in Linux (e.g. Udev rules, old versions, etc.), visit this page:
● Linux Advanced Information
Part 2: Using Your Phidget
About
The VINT Hub provides a stable interface to connect your devices to your computer via USB. The VINT Hub has 6 ports. Each port can:
- Connect to a VINT Device
- Read a 0-5V Voltage or ratiometric sensor (connect to Analog Input sensors)
- Act as a digital output (control LEDs, relays, digital circuits, and other simple electronics)
- Act as a digital input (read the state of a switch)
The HUB0001 has improved performance on some newer VINT devices. For more details, see the Advanced Topics section at the bottom of this page.
Explore Your Phidget Channels Using the Control Panel
The VINT Hub is a connecting point between your computer and device allowing for simple communication. You can use your Control Panel to view your attached Phidgets. Explore the 5 types of connections bellow:
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VINT Devices like the TMP1101 or DCC1003 are Phidgets that digitally communicate with the VINT Hub. Each device will have unique features, so it is recommended you visit the individual product page for more details.
When attached correctly these Phidgets will appear by name in your Control Panel, with each channel listed below the name. For example, when the HUM1000 is attached you will see:
Digital Input is one of the VINT Hub’s built-in Channel Classes. Any of the these ports can act as an active-low digital input, making them useful for reading switches and buttons. The above image provides an example of how to wire a switch to be used with the VINT Hub.
If you open Digital Input Mode in the Control Panel you will be able to see the state of your button/switch.
Digital Output is one of the VINT Hub’s built-in Channel Classes. Any of these ports can be used as a 3.3V digital output, making them useful for blinking LEDs. The above image demonstrates how to connect your LED to be used with the VINT Hub.
Open Digital Output Mode in the Control Panel to control the 3.3V output.
Voltage Input is one of the VINT Hub’s built-in Channel Classes. Any of these ports can be used to read voltage, making them great for reading non-ratiometric sensors and monitoring 5V digital circuits.
Open Voltage Input Mode in the Control Panel to view your device’s output voltage.
Voltage Ratio Input is one of the VINT Hub’s built-in Channel Classes. Any of these ports can act as a Voltage Ratio Input comparing the voltage provided to the voltage returned by the device, making it useful for connecting ratiometric sensors. The voltage ratio is reported in Volts per Volt. For example, if the Phidget is providing 5V and the sensor is sending back 2.5V, the ratio will be 0.5V/V.
Open Voltage Ratio Input Mode in the Control Panel to view your device’s voltage ratio.
Part 3: Create your Program
Part 4: Advanced Topics and Troubleshooting
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Before you open a Phidget channel in your program, you can set these properties to specify which channel to open. You can find this information through the Control Panel.
1. Open the Control Panel and double-click on the red map pin icon:
2. The Addressing Information window will open. Here you will find all the information you need to address your Phidget in your program.
See the Phidget22 API for your language to determine exact syntax for each property.
Note: Graphing and logging is currently only supported in the Windows version of the Phidget Control Panel.
In the Phidget Control Panel, open the channel for your device and click on the 
icon next to the data type that you want to plot. This will open up a new window:
If you need more complex functionality such as logging multiple sensors to the same sheet or performing calculations on the data, you'll need to write your own program. Generally this will involve addressing the correct channel, opening it, and then creating an Event Handler and adding graphing/logging code to it.
The quickest way to get started is to download some sample code for your desired programming language and then search google for logging or plotting in that language (e.g. "how to log to csv in python") and add the code to the existing change handler.
Filtering
You can perform filtering on the raw data in order to reduce noise in your graph. For more information, see the Control Panel Graphing page.
Graph Type
You can perform a transform on the incoming data to get different graph types that may provide insights into your sensor data. For more information on how to use these graph types, see the Control Panel Graphing page.
The Change Trigger is the minimum change in the sensor data needed to trigger a new data event.
The Data Interval is the time (in ms) between data events sent out from your Phidget.
The Data Rate is the reciprocal of Data Interval (measured in Hz), and setting it will set the reciprocal value for Data Interval and vice-versa.
You can modify one or both of these values to achieve different data outputs. You can learn more about these properties here.
For more information on the capabilities of the ports on the VINT Hub, see the VINT Primer.
When opening channels with Phidgets, you can set several properties to make sure you are accessing the precise channel you want. The HUB0001 has a unique serial number that can be used to find its ports or any VINT devices connected to them. If you want something more customizable and human-readable, you can use the device label instead. You can customize the device label by using writeDeviceLabel on the Hub object after it has been opened.
With the device label, you can address any of the VINT Hub's channels, or any connected VINT device channels. The device label will remain after the VINT Hub is unplugged as it is stored in flash memory.
