As part of a series of articles on a set of projects targeted at using a Windows Surface device as the presentation layer for a RPI or Arduino device, this article views the apps as state machines and documents the app states coupling through message passing between them.

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In the previous articles in this series, a UWP app was developed as an array of XAML buttons that acts as the UI for an app running on a remote embedded or IoT device. Once connected the remote app sends a configuration for the UI as a Json string. Connectivity between the UWP and remote apps over Bluetooth and USB Serial has been covered. In this article connectivity over network sockets is covered. The article includes 101 on TCPIP Network Sockets for UWP and Arduino.

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This article reworks the previous few articles that use BT Serial and the connectivity  so that USB virtual serial is used for communication. It covers in detail USB Serial connectivity between a UWP app and an Arduino devices as well as with a Windows 10 IoT-Core device (eg RPI).

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Turn your old Surface into into a large touchpad:

Have you got an old RT Surface 1 or 2 gathering dust and don't know what to do with it?

• Create a UWP app to run on a Surface (ARM or x86), or any touchscreen Windows laptop. Could even recycle an Windows Mobile (8.1/10) phone.
• Uses rounded boxes a touch keys.
• Can remotely act as the UI for an app running on any system that supports Serial, Bluetooth(serial) or has network connectivity.  Azure IoT Hub is also envisaged as a communication medium.

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