Read weight from a weighing scale and update the UI - vb.net

Question

I'm facing a big problem here, I'm developing a app to read data from a Weight.
Everything is working perfectly, but the result is not what I expected: when reading the data from the scale, it keeps printing the data without stopping and I would like it to read a single line and whenever there is any change in the scale, just change the value and not add a new line...
The way it's printed:
My code:
Public Class Form1
Dim Q As Queue(Of String) = New Queue(Of String)
Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
For Each s In System.IO.Ports.SerialPort.GetPortNames()
ComboBox1.Items.Add(s)
Next s
End Sub
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Try
If ComboBox1.SelectedIndex = -1 Then
MsgBox("Please select a port")
Exit Sub
Else
SerialPort1.BaudRate = 9600
SerialPort1.DataBits = 8
SerialPort1.Parity = IO.Ports.Parity.None
SerialPort1.StopBits = IO.Ports.StopBits.One
SerialPort1.PortName = ComboBox1.SelectedItem.ToString
SerialPort1.Open()
Timer1.Start()
End If
Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.Message)
End Try
End Sub
Private Sub SerialPort1_DataReceived(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.IO.Ports.SerialDataReceivedEventArgs) _
Handles SerialPort1.DataReceived
Q.Enqueue(SerialPort1.ReadExisting())
End Sub
Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
SyncLock Q
While Q.Count > 0
TextBox1.Text &= Q.Dequeue
End While
End SyncLock
End Sub
Private Sub Button2_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
SerialPort1.Close()
Timer1.Stop()
End Sub
End Class

Answer 1

Here's a simple example using Control.BeginInvoke() to set a Control's property with some data coming from a secondary Thread.
You can use this method since you have all your code in a Form and you use
a SerialPort Component.
Otherwise, build a class to handle the SerialPort and pass a delegate to its Constructor, capture SynchronizationContext.Current and Post() to the delegate.
Or use an IProgress<T> delegate (Progress(Of String) here) and pass this delegate to the class, then just call its Report() method from the event handler.
Assuming ReadExisting() works for you and the Encoding is set correctly (it appears to be, from the results shown in the OP), you could change the code in the DataReceived handler to:
It's required to check whether the handles of the Controls involved (the Form, mainly) are created before calling Invoke() / BeginInvoke(), otherwise you may (will, at some point) get an exception that may kill the application (the IProgress<T> pattern is preferable).
Private Sub SerialPort1_DataReceived(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.IO.Ports.SerialDataReceivedEventArgs) Handles SerialPort1.DataReceived
Dim comPort = DirectCast(sender, SerialPort)
UpdateUI(comPort.ReadExisting())
End Sub
' [...]
Private lastWeight As String = String.Empty
Private Sub UpdateUI(weight As String)
If IsHandleCreated Then
BeginInvoke(New Action(
Sub()
If Not lastWeight.Equals(weight) Then
lastWeight = weight
If TextBox1.IsHandleCreated Then TextBox1.Text = lastWeight
End If
End Sub))
End If
End Sub
Make a test with a threaded Timer, setting the Interval to a low value (e.g., 50ms).
You can also try to close the Form without stopping the Timer.

Answer 2

Found the soluction:
Public Class Form5
Delegate Sub SetTextCallback(ByVal data As String)
Private Delegate Sub UpdateLabelDelegate(theText As String)
Private Sub UpdateLabel(theText As String)
If Me.InvokeRequired Then
Me.Invoke(New UpdateLabelDelegate(AddressOf UpdateLabel), theText)
Else
TextBox1.Text = theText
End If
End Sub
Private Sub SerialPort1_DataReceived(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.IO.Ports.SerialDataReceivedEventArgs) Handles SerialPort1.DataReceived
Dim returnStr As String
returnStr = SerialPort1.ReadExisting
Me.BeginInvoke(Sub()
UpdateLabel(returnStr)
End Sub)
End Sub
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
SerialPort1.Open()
End Sub
Private Sub Button2_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
SerialPort1.Close()
End Sub
End Class