ArduinoControlUtilities

Utilities designed to enable controlling GPIO output from a microcontroller without writing code.

Utilities

• csv_to_sketch.py - Translates a CSV table representing a sequence of GPIO output values to an Arduino Sketch
• websocket_connector.py - Websocket server for controlling a microcontroller over serial using PyFirmata
• pyfirmata_servo.py - Live Control of a Servo via a GUI using pyFirmata
• servo_sketch_generator.py - Translates a CSV table into an Arduino sketch that performs a series of servo sweeps
• convert_lightshow.py - Interprets a ShowXpress lightshow project as an Arduino sketch that controls a neopixel LED strip

csv_to_sketch.py

Translates a CSV table representing a sequence of GPIO output values to an Arduino Sketch

Uses zero compression to save memory

Dependencies

• Python 3
• python-benedict
• appdirs

CSV File Schema (in no particular order):

frame,pin_A,value_A,type_A,pin_B,value_B,type_B,...

• frame (integer) - 1-indexed frame number
  • file must have a complete set of frames 1 through n
  • n will be determined automatically from the largest frame number in the file
• pin_ (integer) - output pin number on microcontroller
• value_ (integer) - output value to go out on pin on this frame
• type_ (string) - type of pin, assumed to be a constant
  • Valid Types
    • servo - A connected servo on the pin. Uses Arduino Servo library (valid values 0-180)
    • digital - digital pin (D2,D3,..) for digital output (valid values 0-1)
    • digital_pwm - digital pin (D2,D3,..) for pwm output (valid values 0-1)

websocket_connector.py

Creates a websocket server for interactively controlling a microcontroller over serial using PyFirmata or Telemetrix. Intended for use with Pixel Composer using the WebSocket Sender node: https://makham.itch.io/pixel-composer

Dependencies

• Python 3
• appdirs
• argparse
• tkinter (for GUI when opened without arguments)
• pyfirmata (for PyFirmata option)
• telemetrix (for Telemetrix option)
• telemetrix_aio_esp32 (for TelemetrixAioEsp32 option)

Expects to receive the following data values:

• port (string) - string of serial port where microcontroller is connected
• frame (integer) - 1-indexed frame number
  • file must have a complete set of frames 1 through n
  • n will be determined automatically from the largest frame number in the file
• pin_ (integer) - output pin number on microcontroller
• value_ (integer) - output value to go out on pin on this frame
• type_ (string) - type of pin, assumed to be a constant
  • Valid Types
    • servo - A connected servo on the pin. Uses Arduino Servo library (valid values 0-180)
    • digital - digital pin (D2,D3,..) for digital output (valid values 0-1)
    • digital_pwm - digital pin (D2,D3,..) for pwm output (valid values 0-1)

pyfirmata_servo.py

Live Control of a Servo via a GUI using pyFirmata. Records a history of servo sweeps which can be played back or exported to CSV.

Dependencies

• Python 3
• pyFirmata (https://github.com/tino/pyFirmata)
• tkDial (https://github.com/Akascape/TkDial)

Setup

• Install Python 3
• Install python package dependencies, pyFirmata and tkDial (see: install_python_dependencies.bat)
• Connect your microcontroller to your PC and install StandardFirmata or ServoFirmata via the Arduino IDE
• Take note of the serial port name for your microcontroller
• Double-Click pyfirmata_servo.py, or run it from a commandline terminal.

How to use

• Enter the serial port of your microcontroller connected to your PC
• Set the parameters to define the servo to use and how it should move
• Click Sweep to connect to the board via serial and perform the sweep
• Once connected, directly controlling the dial with mouse controls will move the physical servo in real-time.
• Mouse controls for using the dial on the right
  • Use the scroll wheel to move the needle
  • Left-Click to select the "Start" position
  • Right-Click to select the "End" position
  • Middle-Click to perform the sweep
• Buttons in the main window:
  • Sweep - perform the sweep using the current parameters
  • Reverse - swap "Start" and "End"
  • Perform Selected - perform the sweep selected in the "Sweep History" window (second screenshot)
  • Perform History - perform all the sweeps in the order they appear in the "Sweep History" window (second screenshot)
  • Export CSV - exports the sweeps in the order they appear in the "Sweep History" window to a CSV file called servo_history.csv. This CSV can be used as input to servo_sketch_generator.py
• Buttons in the "Sweep History" window:
  • Remove Action - deletes the selected line representing a previously performed servo sweep
  • Move Up - moves the selected line upwards. This will change the order the sweeps are performed by "Perform History"
  • Move Down - moves the selected line downwards. This will change the order the sweeps are performed by "Perform History"
• Parameters
  • Port - Serial port name of connected microcontroller running listening via Firmata
  • Pin - Pin on your microcontroller that is controlling the servo
  • Max angle - The largest degree position your servo can be set to
  • Start - The starting position of the sweep
  • End - The end position of the sweep
  • Duration - The duration of the sweep (milliseconds)
  • Ease In - Period at the start of the sweep to accelerate (cubic)
  • Ease Out - Period at the end of the sweep to deccelerate (cubic)
  • Update Interval - Interval to update the positon of the servo

servo_sketch_generator.py

Translates a CSV table representing a sequence of servo sweeps to an Arduino sketch. The generated Arduino sketch uses Renaud Bédard's coroutine library to handle concurrent operation of multiple servos (https://github.com/renaudbedard/littlebits-arduino/tree/master/Libraries/Coroutines). CSV exported from pyfirmata_servo.py can be used directly as input.

Dependencies

• Python 3
• python-benedict
• appdirs
• pyFirmata (For "Perform Scenes" feature)

Interface

• Select Routine CSV file - path to a CSV file with the sequence of servo sweeps
• Select ServoInfo CSV file (optional) - path to a CSV file with specifications for each servo
• Select output directory - path to an existing directory to place the sketch.
• Use motion Sensor (checkbox) - whether to check on a input pin for motion before executing the routine
• Pin - input pin to listen for motion. Debouncing not addressed, HIGH = motion
• Enter output file name - What to call the output sketch (not a path)
• Write Sketch (button) - Generate the Arduino sketch
• Perform Scenes - Connect to serial port and perform the sequence of sweeps using pyFirmata
• Port - serial port of a connected microcontroller running StandardFirmata or ServoFirmata

Routine CSV File Format (column order is not important)

Scene	Name	Pin	Position	Time	Ease In	Ease Out
Integer	String	Integer	Integer	Integer	Integer	Integer

• Scene - Integer id of scene during which the sweep should be performed (Scene 0 sets the reset sweep and starting position)
• Name - The string name of the sweep (used in the script for readability
• Pin - The output pin on the microcontroller for the servo. Only one sweep should be run on each pin during the same scene
• Position - End position of the sweep. The starting position is implied by the position of that servo the end of the the previous scene
• Time - Duration of the sweep. The length of a scene will be the largest duration of all the sweeps in that scene
• Ease In - Time to accelerate (cubic easing)
• Ease Out - Time to decelerate (cubic easing)

ServoInfo CSV File Format (column order is not important)

Pin	Full Sweep	Minimum	Maximum
Integer	Integer	Integer	Integer

• Pin - The output pin on the microcontroller for the servo.
• Full Sweep - The extreme position in degrees the servo is capable of reaching (default: 270)
• Minimum - The pulse with in microseconds to set the servo to the 0 position (default: 544)
• Maximum - The pulse width in microseconds to set the servo to the extreme position (default: 2400)