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Python or C++ for serial communication

asked 2012-04-15 07:51:36 -0600

mrtc

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updated 2014-01-28 17:11:58 -0600

ngrennan
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I've created a node which uses the PySerial library to communicate with an XBee module wirelessly. The only occasional issue I encounter is dropped communication, which I resolved by just setting the node to auto-respawn in the launch file.

It did get me thinking though. I'm not a programming expert so I'm not sure what sort of overhead behind the scenes I'm encountering when I use python to perform serial communication.

My question is would it be better in the long run to use C++ for serial communication (ie would computations be faster, more reliable, etc.) over Python?

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answered 2012-04-15 08:17:14 -0600

Kevin

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I prefer C/C++, but I don't think it really matters for serial comm. If you are comfortable with Python and it does what you want, then I would stick with it. If you really want to learn C/C++ then go for it. It really depends on what you want to do. My understanding is Python is already highly optimized, so I doubt you are really missing anything.

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That's great to hear. I think I got a good handle on C/C++ but why reinvent the wheel right?

mrtc ( 2012-04-16 04:48:21 -0600 )edit

If you use C++, I strongly suggest using boost::asio for serial communication. It is not the easiest library to use, but it saves you from reinventing the entire wheel (i.e. setting up the serial port). In any case, you can't go wrong going with PySerial.

mkoval ( 2012-04-16 10:23:44 -0600 )edit

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Asked: 2012-04-15 07:51:36 -0600

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Last updated: Apr 15 '12

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Python or C++ for serial communication