Extras > White Paper > Objects

This is getting difficult again. How, then, do you work with serial ports or send and receive network data?

All I/O available on a particular hardware device is accessible through so-called objects. Again, readers with Windows programming experience will find this familiar. Objects have properties, methods, and events. For example, there is a "ser" object that implements all serial port (UART) functionality. This object has properties like "baud rate" or "parity mode", methods like "send data" and events such as "data arrival".

So, if objects are not part of the language, then where do they come from?

A collection of objects forms a "platform". A platform is basically a description of a particular hardware device, expressed through objects. For example, there is a platform for the EM202 Ethernet Module. When you choose to write a program for the EM202 you select "EM202 platform" in TIDE and then get a set of objects that relate to all hardware facilities of the EM202. And if you choose to write a program for a different device you only need to select another platform and get familiar with its objects — the programming language stays exactly the same!

So, Tibbo is going to provide a platform for each programmable device it will release?

Correct. Keep in mind, though, that this doesn't mean that platforms will all be completely different. On the contrary, most objects will be "shared" between platforms! This way you will need to spend minimum time learning about all those new devices we have coming.

This was a chat with Mr. Dmitry Slepov, Managing Director and one of the founders of Tibbo Technology.