Py-Micro-HIL

Py-Micro-HIL is a modular, lightweight Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing framework for Python.
It provides a unified interface for testing embedded systems, sensors, and communication buses
(Modbus RTU, SPI, I2C, UART, GPIO) both on Raspberry Pi hardware and in PC simulation mode.

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🚀 Overview

Py-Micro-HIL enables automated functional and integration testing of embedded systems.
It supports both real hardware execution on Raspberry Pi and simulated environments on any PC.

With this framework you can:

• Write and organize test suites for hardware peripherals.
• Interface with GPIO, SPI, I2C, UART, or Modbus RTU devices.
• Use mocks for offline or CI/CD testing.
• Generate structured HTML and console reports.
• Integrate easily with pipelines or GitHub Actions.

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🔗 Documentation

📚 Full developer and user documentation is available here:
➡️ https://niwciu.github.io/PY_MICRO_HIL

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⚙️ Installation

🧰 Option 1 – From PyPI (recommended for most users)

pip install py-micro-hil

🧪 Option 2 – From source (for contributors)

git clone https://github.com/niwciu/PY_MICRO_HIL.git
cd PY_MICRO_HIL
pip install -e .

💡 On your hil test server, you can use the flag --break-system-packages to simplify installation and usage for CI/CD environments:

pip install py-micro-hil --break-system-packages

It will make your life easier whe using it in services like GitHub Actions

dependencies

pymodbus, pytest, smbus2, spidev, pyserial

Developer setup

For development and contribution:

git clone https://github.com/niwciu/PY_MICRO_HIL.git
cd PY_MICRO_HIL
pip install -e .[dev]

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🧩 Example usage

1️⃣ Create a configuration file

In the project root for your project hil tests main folder, create a file peripherals_config.yaml, for example:

peripherals:
  gpio:
    - pin: 17
      mode: out
      initial: low
    - pin: 18
      mode: in

Full configuration reference:
📖 Configuration and YAML guide →

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2️⃣ Create test files

Create a directory named hil_tests/ and add your test groups there.
Each .py file should start it's name from test and represents a test group.

Example: hil_tests/test_gpio_led.py

from py_micro_hil.assertions import *
from py_micro_hil.framework_API import *

def setup_group():
    TEST_INFO_MESSAGE("Setting up gpio led test group")

def teardown_group():
    TEST_INFO_MESSAGE("Tearing down gpio led test group")

def test_led_toggle():
    gpio = get_RPiGPIO_peripheral()
    gpio.write(17, 1)
    TEST_
    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL (1, gpio.read(18))

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3️⃣ Run the tests

Before running tests check available options by typing:

hiltests --help

Use the built-in CLI runner:

hiltests --config ./peripherals_config.yaml --test-dir ./hil_tests

Generate a starter group from the editable template without executing any tests:

hiltests --create-test-group gpio_smoke ./hil_tests

If both the YAML configuration and the hil_tests folder are in the same directory,
simply open this directory and run:

hiltests

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4️⃣ Generate reports

Py-Micro-HIL can generate both console log files and HTML reports.

Example:

hiltests --log ./reports/log.txt

or

hiltests --html ./reports/report.html

Reports can be customized with name and path.
See: Reports and Logging →

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💡 Features

• ✅ Unified test structure (TestFramework, TestGroup, Test)
• ✅ Automatic setup/teardown with context isolation
• ✅ YAML-driven configuration system
• ✅ Dynamic test discovery (tests_group_factory)
• ✅ Mock peripherals for PC environment (not RPi)
• ✅ Full logging and HTML report generation
• ✅ Native CLI interface (hiltests)
• ✅ Compatible with Raspberry Pi and Linux hosts

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🧰 Supported peripherals & protocols

Peripheral	Class	Description
GPIO	RPiGPIO	Digital I/O control
PWM	RPiPWM, RPiHardwarePWM	Software and hardware PWM
UART	RPiUART	Serial communication via pyserial
I²C	RPiI2C	SMBus-compatible interface
SPI	RPiSPI	SPI interface via spidev
1-Wire	RPiOneWire	DS18B20 temperature sensors via w1-gpio
Modbus RTU	ModbusRTU	RS-485 communication via pymodbus

🧩 These are the currently implemented peripherals.
You can easily extend the framework by adding your own peripherals in the
src/py_micro_hil/peripherals/ directory and implementing the required abstract interfaces.
The developer documentation includes full guidance on this process.

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🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community!
Please ensure your code follows PEP-8 style and includes tests.

1. Fork this repository
2. Clone and install in development mode:

   git clone <link to your fork>.git
   cd PY_MICRO_HIL
   pip install -e .[dev]
   

3. Create a new branch:

   git checkout -b feature/my-feature
   

4. Make your changes and test:

   pytest -v
   

5. Submit a pull request with a clear description and test coverage.

Full contribution guide:
📘 Developer Guide →

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📄 License

This project is licensed under a custom non-commercial license.

Commercial use is strictly prohibited without prior written permission. See the LICENSE file for full terms.

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