Question

i was wondering if it was possible to write my own firmware that will run on a device im making. This device is very similar to the price portable price checkers you see in grocery stores. it scans the barcode which returns an id number. More information about my device and about the big project im working on can be found here:

My Idea For A New Type Of WCP (Wireless Connection Protocol)

I’d like to write this firmware in VB.net because im Very Familiar with it, however if another language would be better please specify which one and where i should start.

An example of what i want the scanning firmware to be like is the iphone/ipod touch application called Qrafter. it allows you to scan any QR code and depending on what its value is, act accordingly.

Firmware Spec Requirements:

Essentially, i want this firmware to get the value of the QR code that the scanner reads, and compare the value to the ID that is stored as a variable in the firmware itself. when i make more devices ill assign each one a unique device ID that corresponds with a QR code to match.

Answer 1

The device you are making surely is using some type of microcontroller. You will need to write the firmware in the language the microcontroller supports.

If you are still in the vaporplanning stages, you can start looking at Netduino microcontrollers that uses the .NET Micro Framework

Some blog posts on Netduino:

• http://www.hanselman.com/blog/TheNETMicroFrameworkHardwareForSoftwarePeople.aspx
• http://10rem.net/blog/2010/09/02/first-experiences-with-netduino-and-the-net-micro-framework