The latter one is not among the ones exposed in nativemethods. But set/get feature from the same dll is there. So I added this function to nativemethods.

[DllImport("hid.dll", SetLastError = true)]
        public static extern bool HidD_SetOutputReport(IntPtr handle, byte[] lpReportBuffer, int ReportBufferLength);

change write in winhidstream to

fixed (byte* ptr = _writeBuffer)
                    {
                        int offset0 = 0;
                        while (count > 0)
                        {
                            var overlapped = stackalloc NativeOverlapped[1];
                            overlapped[0].EventHandle = @event;

                            bytesTransferred = 33;
                            NativeMethods.HidD_SetOutputReport(_handle, _writeBuffer, 33);

                            //bool result = NativeMethods.WriteFile(_handle, ptr + offset0, Math.Min(minOut, count), IntPtr.Zero, overlapped);

                            //int win32Error = Marshal.GetLastWin32Error();

                            //NativeMethods.OverlappedOperation(_handle, @event, WriteTimeout, _closeEventHandle,
                            // result,
                            // overlapped, out bytesTransferred);
                            count -= (int)bytesTransferred; offset0 += (int)bytesTransferred;
                        }
                    }

Crude change I know, but it works flawlessly. I guess the skylander rfid portal is real picky about exactly the type of transfer/message it gets. As I said, I know to little about usb to completely understand this. But I'am happy it works at least.

Is it possible to make a new version that exposes this setreport function somehow? Keeping de write intact, but adding a WriteReport function to the stream?

I also expect a similar change is needed on the linux side of things.... But I know even less where to look on that platform.

edit: Digging a little more it seems that writefile does different thing depending on the device. It uses the control endpoint to send reports unless it finds a interrupt out endpoint. (I don't know if this behavior is controllable).

I thing the rfid portal uses the interrupt pipe to send a constant stream of status updates. But that it still expects commands on the control endpoint or something like that.

The analyser gives the same report data in both cases and in both cases an actual "report" seems to be send.

But the analyser has a summerize windows and it show this for the working c++ version. Note the text at URB function.
  URB Class Interface issued
Device Object    FFFFD40A17A13CB0h
Driver Object    hhdusbh64

URB Function    URB_FUNCTION_CLASS_INTERFACE

Request    Set Report
Report Type    Output
Report Length    32

when I write using c# using hidsharp I get:

Device Object    FFFFD40A17A13CB0h
Driver Object    hhdusbh64

URB Function    URB_FUNCTION_BULK_OR_INTERRUPT_TRANSFER

Endpoint 01h    1 Out, Interrupt

Report Type    Output
Report Length    32

Seems to me there is some difference in the type of data transfer. The working c++ code does set report and hidsharp does not? Somewhere in this difference seems to be something the portal does not like.

I don't have this device.

I could hope, but this was to be expected. You cannot have every device.

Yes is does return 33 both for in and output report.

It assumes a lot. But I did not write it . I'm just happy someone wrote it, as figuring out usb devices is not exactly a big skillset of mine

To be more specific.
* I can detect the portal just fine and get the device.
* I can open a HidStream
* I then try to send the "restart" message. Basically report Zero and the letter R, the rest all zeros.
* As soon as this is send out the portal starts sending status messages which I receive continuously. So the message did wake up something.
* However the write errors out with an exception. On my linux laptop its and I/O exception hardcoded in the output source code of hidsharp and on windows its a timeout exception.

I'm no usb export and have little clue why this happens.

I converted portalIO.cpp to the C# code below. I must be missing something silly I think. No reason for it to work using the original cpp code and not thru HidSharp. The first write failure occurs on the call to restartportal. After that I am buried in status output from the portal but nothing else. Any further write messages give the same result

If anyone has a clue or suggestion on what to try next? That would be appreciated.

using System;
using System.Text;
using HidSharp;
using System.Linq;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using HidSharp.Reports;
using HidSharp.Reports.Input;

namespace SkyReaderLib
{
    public class PortalIO
    {
        public const int rw_buffer_size = 0x21;
        public const int TIMEOUT = 30000;
        public const int SKYLANDER_SIZE = 1024;
        public const int MAX_STR = 255;
        private HidDevice portal;
        private HidStream portalStream;

        private bool initialized = false;

        public event EventHandler<StatusChangedEventArgs> StatusEvent;

        public static IEnumerable<HidDevice> ListPortals()
        {

            IEnumerable<HidDevice> devices = DeviceList.Local.GetHidDevices()
                .Where(x => (x.VendorID == 0x12ba || x.VendorID == 0x54c || x.VendorID == 0x1430)
                    && (x.ProductID == 0x150 || x.ProductID == 0x967));

#if DEBUG
            if (devices.Any())
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Found portal usb devices:");
                foreach (HidDevice device in devices)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine($"\t{device.GetFriendlyName()}");
                }

            }
#endif
            return devices;
        }

        // Send a command to the portal
        private void Write(byte[] message)
        {

            try
            {
                byte[] buffer = new byte[portal.GetMaxOutputReportLength()];
                message.CopyTo(buffer, 0);
#if DEBUG
                Console.WriteLine("Issued report out:");
                Console.WriteLine(string.Join(" ", buffer));
#endif
                portalStream.Write(buffer);
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($"Exception while issuing a report occured: {e}");
            }
       

        }

        private bool CheckResponse(out RWBlock response, byte expect)
        {
            response = new RWBlock();
#if DEBUG
            Console.WriteLine(">>> CheckResponse\n");
#endif

            int result = portalStream.Read(response.buffer, 0, rw_buffer_size);

            if (result < 0)
                throw new Exception("Could not read response");

#if DEBUG
            Console.WriteLine("CheckResponse read = {0} bytes\n", result);
#endif

            response.dwBytesTransferred = result;

            // found wireless USB but portal is not connected
            if (response.buffer[0] == 'Z')
                throw new Exception("Found portal dongle, but portal not connected");

            // Status says no skylander on portal
            // if (response->buffer[0] == 'Q' && response->buffer[1] == 0)
            //     throw 11;

#if DEBUG
            Console.WriteLine("<<< CheckResponse\n");
#endif
            return (response.buffer[0] != expect);

        }

        //
        public void PortalStatus()
        {
            byte[] buffer = new byte[portal.GetMaxOutputReportLength()];

            buffer[0] = 0;
            buffer[1] = (byte)'S';
           
            Write(buffer);
        }

        // Start portal
        public void RestartPortal()
        {
            byte[] buffer = new byte[portal.GetMaxOutputReportLength()];

            buffer[0] = 0;
            buffer[1] = (byte)'R';
            Write(buffer);
                       
        }

        // Antenna up / activate
        public void ActivatePortal(int active)
        {
            byte[] buffer = new byte[portal.GetMaxOutputReportLength()];
           
            buffer[0] = 0;
            buffer[1] = (byte)'A';
            buffer[2] = (byte)active;

            Write(buffer);
        }

        // Set the portal color
        public void SetPortalColor(byte r, byte g, byte b)
        {
            byte[] buffer = new byte[portal.GetMaxOutputReportLength()];

            buffer[0] = 0;
            buffer[1] = (byte)'C';
            buffer[2] = r; // R
            buffer[3] = g; // G
            buffer[4] = b; // B

            Write(buffer);
        }

        // Release hPortalInstance
        ~PortalIO()
        {
            ActivatePortal(0);
            portalStream.Close();
        }

        public void Flash()
        {

            for (; ; )
            {
                ActivatePortal(1);
                ActivatePortal(0);
            }
        }

        public PortalIO(HidDevice portal)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Connecting to portal.\n");

            this.portal = portal;

            initialized = OpenPortal(portal);
            if (initialized)
            {
                RestartPortal();
                ActivatePortal(1);
                SetPortalColor(0xC8, 0xC8, 0xC8);
            }
            else
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Error initializing portal.");
            }
        }

        private bool OpenPortal(HidDevice portal)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(portal.GetMaxInputReportLength());
            ReportDescriptor descriptor = portal.GetReportDescriptor();

            HidDeviceInputReceiver reciever = descriptor.CreateHidDeviceInputReceiver();
            bool opened = portal.TryOpen(out portalStream);

            var x = portal.GetReportDescriptor();

            reciever.Start(portalStream);
            reciever.Received += OnReceiverReceived;
           
            portalStream.Closed += PortalStreamOnClosed;
           
            return opened;
        }

        private void PortalStreamOnClosed(object? sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Closed!");
        }

        private void OnReceiverReceived(object sender, EventArgs args)
        {
            try
            {
                var receiver = (HidDeviceInputReceiver)sender;

                if (receiver.Stream?.Device == null)
                {
                    return;
                }

                var length = receiver.Stream.Device.GetMaxInputReportLength();

                var buffer = new byte[length];

                if (receiver.TryRead(buffer, 0, out Report report))
                {
                   // Console.WriteLine($"Received report with id: {report.ReportID}, type: {report.ReportType}");

                    report.Read(buffer, 0, (bytes, offset, item, dataItem) =>
                    {
                       // Console.WriteLine(string.Join(" ", bytes));
                    });

                    switch((char)buffer[1])
                    {
                        case 'S':
                            StatusEvent?.Invoke(this, new StatusChangedEventArgs(buffer));
                            break;
                        default:
                            break;
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Failed to read report.");
                }
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($"Exception while reading report occured: {e}");
            }
        }

    }
}