Yoctopuce Yocto-RangeFinder, User Manual, Page: 28 / 497

The YSensor class is the parent class for all Yoctopuce sensors, and can provide access to any
sensor, regardless of its type. It includes methods to access all common functions. This makes it
easier to create applications that use many different sensors. Moreover, if you create an application
based on YSensor, it will work with all Yoctopuce sensors, even those which do no yet exist.
Programmation
In the Yoctopuce API, priority was put on the ease of access to the module functions by offering the
possibility to make abstractions of the modules implementing them. Therefore, it is quite possible to
work with a set of functions without ever knowing exactly which module are hosting them at the
hardware level. This tremendously simplifies programming projects with a large number of modules.
From the programming stand point, your Yocto-RangeFinder is viewed as a module hosting a given
number of functions. In the API, these functions are objects which can be found independently, in
several ways.
Access to the functions of a module
Access by logical name
Each function can be assigned an arbitrary and persistent logical name: this logical name is stored in
the flash memory of the module, even if this module is disconnected. An object corresponding to an
Xxx function to which a logical name has been assigned can then be directly found with this logical
name and the YXxx.FindXxx method. Note however that a logical name must be unique among all
the connected modules.
Access by enumeration
You can enumerate all the functions of the same type on all the connected modules with the help of
the classic enumeration functions
FirstXxx and nextXxxx available for each YXxx class.
Access by hardware name
Each module function has a hardware name, assigned at the factory and which cannot be modified.
The functions of a module can also be found directly with this hardware name and the
YXxx.FindXxx
function of the corresponding class.
Difference between Find and First
The YXxx.FindXxxx and YXxx.FirstXxxx methods do not work exactly the same way. If there is no
available module, YXxx.FirstXxxx returns a null value. On the opposite, even if there is no
corresponding module, YXxx.FindXxxx returns a valid object, which is not online but which could
become so if the corresponding module is later connected.
Function handling
When the object corresponding to a function is found, its methods are available in a classic way.
Note that most of these subfunctions require the module hosting the function to be connected in
order to be handled. This is generally not guaranteed, as a USB module can be disconnected after
the control software has started. The
isOnline method, available in all the classes, is then very
helpful.
Access to the modules
Even if it is perfectly possible to build a complete project while making a total abstraction of which
function is hosted on which module, the modules themselves are also accessible from the API. In
fact, they can be handled in a way quite similar to the functions. They are assigned a serial number
at the factory which allows you to find the corresponding object with
YModule.Find() . You can also
assign arbitrary logical names to the modules to make finding them easier. Finally, the YModule
class contains the YModule.FirstModule() and nextModule() enumeration methods allowing you to list
the connected modules.
6. Programming, general concepts
22 www.yoctopuce.com