C#

Secondary Develop Elastel Gateways by C#

Elastel gateways are built on an Open Linux OS embedded computer, allowing users to create custom applications using C#. it support running C# applications by installing the .NET runtime environment on Elastel embedded computer.

Typical use cases like:

• High-performance data processing and device control
• Serial, network, and protocol communication (e.g., Modbus RTU/TCP, MQTT, TCP/UDP)
• Real-time control and edge logic processing
• Integration with low-level device drivers or GPIO access

1. Supported Models

Series	Model	Processor Type	Support Status
Industrial Raspberry Pi Series	EG500, EG410, ElastBox400	Arm64	Supported
ARM-based IIoT Gateway Series	EG324 (Ubuntu OS)	Arm32	Supported
	EG324 Lite	Arm64	Supported
	EC212, EC211	Arm32	Not Supported (limited storage)

Note

✅ EG500/EG410/ElastBox400/EG324L use Arm64 processors.
✅ EG324 uses Arm32 processors.
❌ EC212 and EC211 do not support C# due to limited storage.

---

2. C# Runtime Environment Setup (Elastel Gateway)

Different Elastel gateway uses different types of ARM processors, requiring the download of corresponding software package versions. The embedded computer does not require the full SDK; only the runtime is needed, such as ASP.NET Core Runtime or .NET Runtime.

1. .NET Runtime Download
   Open the official download page: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/6.0 (using .NET 6.0 as an example).
   • For EG500/EG410/ElastBox400/EG324L (64-bit processors), select the Arm64 version for download.
     

• For EG324 (32-bit processors), select the Arm32 version for download.

2. Decompress and Set Environment Variables
   On the embedded computer, download the file using the curl command and decompress it to the /usr/local/dotnet directory:

   sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/dotnet
   curl -SL https://builds.dotnet.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspnetcore/Runtime/6.0.36/aspnetcore-runtime-6.0.36-linux-arm64.tar.gz | sudo tar -xz -C /usr/local/dotnet
   Note

   The URL in the curl command example above is for the Arm64 version of ASP.NET Core Runtime 6.0.36. Please download the appropriate version and type (ASP.NET Core Runtime or .NET Runtime) as needed.

   Set the system environment variables (based on the actual decompression path):

   export PATH=/usr/local/dotnet:$PATH

   You can then use the dotnet --info command to check the .NET version number.

---

3. C# SDK Environment Setup (Windows System)

This section uses Visual Studio 2022 as an example; please install VS2022 beforehand.

1. .NET SDK Download
   Open the official download page: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/6.0, and download the Windows version of the SDK (e.g., for a 64-bit Windows system).
2. SDK Installation
   Download and install the SDK to complete the PC-side development environment setup.

---

4. Programming Example: LED Control (ledtest)

The following program controls the system LED blinking via /dev/led:

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading;

FileStream fs = File.Open("/dev/led", FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Write, FileShare.None);

while (true)
{
    fs.WriteByte(0);
    fs.Flush();
    Thread.Sleep(500);
    fs.WriteByte(1);
    fs.Flush();
    Thread.Sleep(500);
}

fs.Close();

4.1. Compiling the Test Program

Copy the C# test program to the PC. Here take above ledtest as an example.
Open the project in Visual Studio 2022 and set the target CPU type.

• For EG500/EG410/ElastBox400/EG324L (64-bit ARM processors), select ARM64.
• For EG324 (32-bit ARM processors), select ARM32.

If the desired option is not in the dropdown, click "Configuration Manager" in the options, then select "New" in the pop-up Configuration Manager, and choose the required platform.

Finally, in the VS2022 menu, click "Build" → "Build Solution" to complete the compilation.

4.2. Upload and Run on the Gateway

Copy the compiled folder from the bin directory of the test program's source to the embedded computer.

Method 1: Upload via Web Terminal (Check ElastPro for more details)

• Open browser at http://192.168.1.1 → System → Terminal → Upload Files

• Move the uploaded file to persistent path:

  sudo mv /tmp/terminal/testfile /home/admin/

Method 2: Using MobaXterm / Xshell

• Drag and drop via SFTP to /home/admin/.

Run the program:

cd /home/admin
dotnet ledtest.dll

The LED will blink every 0.5 seconds, indicating successful control.

---

5. Recommended Practices

• Use built-in interfaces (e.g., serial ports, GPIO, LED) for development
• Configure /etc/init.d/rcS for startup services or use crontab for scheduled runs.

---

6. Appendix Tables

EG324 Peripheral Resource	Device Interface Name
COM1	/dev/ttyAMA0
COM2	/dev/ttyAMA1
COM3	/dev/ttyAMA2
COM4	/dev/ttyAMA3
SYS LED Indicator	/dev/led
SYS2 LED Indicator	/dev/led2
Buzzer	/dev/buzzer
Ethernet Port 1	eth0
Ethernet Port 2	eth1

Note

For other models, please contact Elastel support or refer to models hardware manuals for Peripheral Interface tables.

• Official Website: https://www.elastel.com
• Support Email: support@elastel.com