title: Low Latency Serial Communications In .Net
body: <p>I have been researching various third party libraries and approaches to low latency serial communications in .Net. I've read enough that I have now come full circle and know as little as I did when I started due to the variety of conflicting opinions.</p>
  
  <p>For example, the functionality in the Framework was ruled out due to some convincing articles stating: "that the Microsoft provided solution has not been stable across framework versions and is lacking in functionality."</p>
  
  <p>I have found articles bashing many of the older COM based libraries. I have found articles bashing the idea of a low latency .Net app as a whole due to garbage collection.</p>
  
  <p>I have also read articles demonstrating how P/Invoking Windows API functionality for the purpose of low latency communication is unacceptable.</p>
  
  <p>THIS RULES OUT JUST ABOUT ANY APPROACH I CAN THINK OF! </p>
  
  <p>I would really appreciate some words from those with been there / done that experience. Ideally, I could locate a solid library / partner and not have to build the communications library myself. I have the following simple objectives:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Sustained low latency serial
  communication in C# / VB.Net</li>
  <li>32/64 bit</li>
  <li>Well documented (if the solution is 3rd party)</li>
  <li>Relatively unimpacted (communication and latency wise) by garbage collection .</li>
  <li>Flexible (I have no idea what I will have to interface with in the future!) The only requirement that I have for certain is that I need to be able to interface with many different industrial devices such as RS485 based linear actuators, serial / microcontroller based gauges, and ModBus (also RS485) devices. </li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Any comments, ideas, thoughts or links to articles that may iron out my confusion are much appreciated!</p>