serial-interface 2.4.4

Extends pyserial to make serial device interfaces.

• About

• Example Usage

• Installation

• Development

About

- Name: serial_interface
- Description: Extends pyserial to make serial device interfaces.
- Version: 2.4.4
- Python Version: 3.10
- Release Date: 2025-03-20
- Creation Date: 2018-01-11
- License: BSD-3-Clause
- URL: https://github.com/janelia-python/serial_interface_python
- Author: Peter Polidoro
- Email: [e-mail]
- Copyright: 2025 Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- References:
  - https://pyserial.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
- Dependencies:
  - pyserial

Example Usage

Python

from serial_interface import SerialInterface, find_serial_interface_ports
find_serial_interface_ports() # Returns list of available serial ports

dev = SerialInterface() # Might automatically find device if one available

# if it is not found automatically, specify port directly
dev = SerialInterface(port='/dev/ttyUSB0') # Linux
dev = SerialInterface(port='/dev/tty.usbmodem262471') # Mac OS X
dev = SerialInterface(port='COM3') # Windows

dev.get_device_info()

from serial_interface import SerialInterfaces

devs = SerialInterfaces()  # Might automatically find all available devices

# if they are not found automatically, specify ports to use
devs = SerialInterfaces(use_ports=['/dev/ttyUSB0','/dev/ttyUSB1']) # Linux
devs = SerialInterfaces(use_ports=['/dev/tty.usbmodem262471','/dev/tty.usbmodem262472']) # Mac OS X
devs = SerialInterfaces(use_ports=['COM3','COM4']) # Windows

devs.get_devices_info()
devs.sort_by_port()
dev = devs[0]
dev.get_device_info()

Command Line

Installation

https://github.com/janelia-python/python_setup

GNU/Linux

Drivers

GNU/Linux computers usually have all of the necessary drivers already installed, but users need the appropriate permissions to open the device and communicate with it.

Udev is the GNU/Linux subsystem that detects when things are plugged into your computer.

Udev may be used to detect when a serial device is plugged into the computer and automatically give permission to open that device.

If you plug a sensor into your computer and attempt to open it and get an error such as: "FATAL: cannot open /dev/ttyUSB0: Permission denied", then you need to install udev rules to give permission to open that device.

Udev rules may be downloaded as a file and placed in the appropriate directory using these instructions:

99-platformio-udev.rules

1. Download rules into the correct directory

   curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/platformio/platformio-core/master/scripts/99-platformio-udev.rules | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/99-platformio-udev.rules
   

2. Restart udev management tool

   sudo service udev restart
   

3. Ubuntu/Debian users may need to add own “username” to the “dialout” group

   sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
   sudo usermod -a -G plugdev $USER
   

4. After setting up rules and groups

   You will need to log out and log back in again (or reboot) for the user group changes to take effect.

   After this file is installed, physically unplug and reconnect your board.

Python Code

The Python code in this library may be installed in any number of ways, chose one.

1. pip

   python3 -m venv ~/venvs/
   source ~/venvs//bin/activate
   pip install 
   

2. guix

   Setup guix-janelia channel:

   https://github.com/guix-janelia/guix-janelia

   guix install python-serial-interface
   

Windows

Drivers

Download and install driver for the specific serial device.

Python Code

The Python code in this library may be installed in any number of ways, chose one.

1. pip

   python3 -m venv C:\venvs\
   C:\venvs\\Scripts\activate
   pip install 
   

Development

Install Guix

Install Guix

Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/janelia-python/serial_interface_python
cd serial_interface_python

Edit metadata.org

make metadata-edits

Tangle metadata.org

make metadata

Test Python package using ipython shell

make ipython-shell # PORT=/dev/ttyUSB0
# make PORT=/dev/ttyUSB1 ipython-shell
import 
exit

Test installation of Guix package

make installed-shell # PORT=/dev/ttyUSB0
# make PORT=/dev/ttyUSB1 installed-shell
exit

Upload Python package to pypi

make upload

Test direct device interaction using serial terminal

make serial-shell # PORT=/dev/ttyUSB0
# make PORT=/dev/ttyUSB1 serial-shell
? # help
settings
[C-a][C-x] # to exit