Software Overview

Phidgets can run on a variety of Operating Systems, and be driven by a variety of Programming Languages.

On Windows and Mac OSX, we provide graphical tools to simply plug a Phidget in to your computer and display basic data to your computer screen.

But to work directly with a Phidget and do things with the data you collect from it, you will need to write code.

To control a Phidget via code, you will need:

1. The Phidget Core Drivers and libraries for your operating system
2. Libraries for your programming language

We also provide help for using the drivers and libraries:

1. Example Code in your programming language
2. An API Reference list of functions you can use in your language
3. A list of the Specific API calls you can use with your device, as found on your device page

This Software Overview is the first step in writing code to work with your Phidget.

Here you can find links to operating system pages with drivers, language pages with code libraries, and references for using Phidgets in each language. After you have the core drivers and language libraries, you can learn more about designing code for your Phidget, as well as read more in-depth into our General API

Map

Lost? Here's how you can learn to write code for your Phidget:

(You are here, at the start)

1. Pick your Operating System

   Download core drivers

2. Learn about Phidget libraries

   Learn ways to design your code

   Learn about the general API

3. Pick your Programming Language

   Learn about libraries for your specific language

   Compile and Run examples

4. Learn about functions for your specific device
5. Ready to do anything with Phidgets!

Operating System Support

This section describes how to set up your operating system to write and run code for Phidgets. Getting your operating system ready is the first step toward writing code.

On the pages linked below, you will find the core drivers and libraries for using your Phidget either directly through USB or remotely via the Phidget Webservice.

The Webservice controls a Phidget by connecting to a host computer and its Phidget over a network. So, the host computer must be able to run a Phidget directly.

The Windows and Mac OSX pages also include a graphical program to view and run basic tests on your Phidget. On other operating systems, only code is available, although ready-to-compile examples are provided for every language.

Phidgets can run directly or be driven remotely on these operating systems:

• Windows
• Mac OSX
• Linux (Kernel 2.6+)
• Windows CE ??
• Android (3.1 and above)
• Phidget SBC

Phidgets can be only driven remotely by these operating systems:

• IPhone iOS
• Android (3.0 and earlier)

Language Support

This section outlines what languages you can write code in for Phidgets and how to set them up.

We provide a variety of supported languages for using Phidgets. Each language has its own libraries, which may be found on the language pages below. Many languages also depend on the core drivers being installed as well. These drivers can be found on the operating system pages above.

Phidgets can be controlled using our high level API which allows for either an event driven style of code design, or by traditional logic code. All languages below support logic code. Most - but not all - languages support our complete API, which includes support for event-driven design.

If you are flexible on what language you can use, we suggest choosing a language which supports event-driven code.

When you visit the page below for your language, make sure you download:

1. Software libraries
2. Example code
3. The specific API

Then, for a high-level introduction to programming Phidgets, please return here and continue reading.

Phidgets have libraries to support event driven design in the following languages:

• Language - Adobe Director
• Android Java
• Language - Applescript
• Language - AutoIt
• C/C++
• C Sharp
• C Sharp (.NET)
• Language - Cocoa
• Language - Cocoa Touch
• Language - Delphi
• Language - Flash AS3
• Language - Flex AS3
• Language - iOS
• Java
• Language - LabVIEW
• Language - LiveCode
• Language - Max/MSP
• Language - Microsoft Robotics Studio
• Python
• Language - REALBasic
• Language - Simulink
• Language - Visual Basic .NET
• Language - Visual Basic 6.0
• Language - Visual Basic for Applications
• Language - Visual Basic Script

Phidgets have libraries to support only logic code in the following languages:

• MATLAB
• ...