Arduino Due and ProtoBuf: Where to start?

[dgelman]

Hello Community,

I was provided a test software program that transfers data between a server and client via protobuf. The current implementation, both the server and client is running on my local PC. This was developed in C# using Visual Studio. In addition, the server may generate a .proto file in c++, which (I have been told) describes the incoming data to the device where the .proto file is housed in. Please correct me if I am mistaken, protobuf is completely new to me. 

I would like to replace the client PC with an Arduino Due (w/ an Ethernet Shield), which lead me to nanopb. I am very confused about the .proto file, how to start, and what needs to be done in order for the Due to acquire the data coming from the server. I have years of experiences with the microcontroller.

Any help would be appreciative.

I am using Visual Micro (Arduino IDE plugin for Visual Studio) as my programming environment. My hardware includes an Arduino Due with an Ethernet shield.  

Thank you,

Daniel 

[Petteri Aimonen]

Hi,

> I would like to replace the client PC with an Arduino Due (w/ an Ethernet
> Shield), which lead me to nanopb. I am very confused about the .proto file,
> how to start, and what needs to be done in order for the Due to acquire the
> data coming from the server.

Let's start with the .proto file. Download the nanopb binary package for
your operating system. Then run this command:

...path to nanopb.../generator-bin/protoc --nanopb_out=. whatever.proto

This should give you two files, whatever.pb.h and whatever.pb.c, which
you can include in your project. Take a look at whatever.pb.h, it has
the C structures you can use for your messages.

Then take a look at examples/simple. Perhaps even get that running on
your Arduino before modifying it. It will show the basic way to encode
and decode messages.

--
Petteri