Which API is right for me?

Within our Developer Tools for PC/Mac, there are multiple methods to connect to our headsets. These methods differ based on the platform(s) you'd like to work with and the language(s) you'd like to code with:

1. ThinkGear Connector (TGC)

Runs as a background program, allowing your program to get ThinkGear data from a standard TCP/IP socket

easiest (The TGC daemon app provides UI for setting up and maintaining the COM port connection to the headset for you)
Platforms: Any platform that can communicate through sockets (The TGC daemon program itself must run on a Windows or Mac OSX system though)
Languages: Flash, or any language that can communicate through sockets (which includes almost all popular programming languages)

Documentation Link

2. ThinkGear Communications Driver (TGCD) for Various Languages

Link a shared library: .dll or .bundle

moderate (You have to call functions from the shared library)
Platforms: Windows, Mac OSX, Windows Mobile, or any platform that can use functions from a .dll or .bundle
Languages: C/C++, C#, Java (through JNI), or any language that can call shared library functions

A J2ME .jar library

moderate (You have to call functions from the .jar library, and only for J2ME platforms)
Platforms: J2ME
Languages: Java

3. ThinkGear Communications Protocol

Specification Document

harder (You have to open and read from the serial I/O port, and then parse the incoming data stream)
Platforms: Any platform that can open and read from a serial I/O (or UART) port
Languages: Any language that can open and read from a serial I/O port

NeuroSkyLab

Included with the Research Tools Matlab programming

specialized (This API allows you to program within the Matlab framework)
Platforms: Any platform that can run Matlab
Languages: Matlab programming language

More Information

Remember to look in the Developers Guide in the MDT for more info about your chosen API.

If you still have a question about which API will be right for you and your application, please describe your envisioned application to us through our Support Site or send us an email.