python-automationshield 0.4.0

A Python interface to AutomationShield's Arduino shields

python-automationshield

python-automationshield is a Python package that implements a Python interface to Automationshield's devices. Automationshield creates cheap and accessible tools for control engineering education in the form of Arduino shields. Currently, this package has Python implementations for the following shields:

• Aeroshield
• Floatshield
• Magnetoshield

This project was built to allow TU Delft students learning control engineering to use Python in their assignments, since that is what they are thought in the curriculum. This package provides a flexible controller class that lets users conveniently implement a controller and run it on the Arduino hardware.

Installation

python-automationshield requires Python >= 3.10 and can be installed with the following command:

$ pip install python-automationshield

Usage

Below is a very simple example with the AeroShield to get started. Read more in the documentation.

Use the AeroShield class to interface directly with the Arduino.

from automationshield import AeroShield


with AeroShield() as aero_shield:
    for _ in range(100):
        aero_shield.write(flag=aero_shield.RUN, motor=50)
        out = aero_shield.read()
        print(f"Potentiomneter [%]: {out[0]}, Angle [°]: {out[1]}")

Use the ShieldController class to conveniently implement a controller.

from automationshield import AeroShield, ShieldController


class MyController(ShieldController):
    def controller(self, t: float, dt: float, ref: float, pot: float, angle: float) -> float:
        """Set the motor value to the provided reference."""
        return ref

# create controller instance
my_controller = MyController(AeroShield())
# run the controller on the Arduino.
hist = my_controller.run(freq=200, cycles=1000, ref=45)

Plot the experiment data using the plotting.Plotter class

from automationshield.plotting import Plotter


fig, ax = Plotter.plot(hist)
fig.show()

Below is an example of a figure plotting the result of a PID controller with a constant reference at 45°.

Contributing

Interested in contributing? Check out the contributing guidelines. Please note that this project is released with a Code of Conduct. By contributing to this project, you agree to abide by its terms.

License

python-automationshield was created by Bert Van den Abbeele. It is licensed under the terms of the MIT license.

Credits

python-automationshield was created with cookiecutter and the py-pkgs-cookiecutter template.