Framework for easy signal monitoring and getting / setting variables in an AVR program from Python through a serial interface using Z85 encoding.

Provide a flexible, fast and easy to use data-acquisition and control interface between controller boards like AVR microcontrollers and Python.

• Flash the file avr_cfw.c in the AVR microcontroller (hook up sensors / actuators and adjust the code if necessary)

make flash

• Start python (e.g. ipython), loa the module cfw and start an instance of Cfw:

ipython
from cfw import *
cfw = Cfw()

• You should see a Matplotlib figure showing you a running monitor of a sensor signal.
• Now you should be able to get and set for example the counter:

print(cfw.counter)
cfw.counter = 0
print(cfw.counter)

• You should also be able to get the latest sample of the sample and a numpy-array of the last DATASIZE samples:

print(cfw.sensor)
print(cfw.data_meas)

• Document protocol (it's not that difficult, but documentation should be there!)
• Add PID control
• Simplify the creation of 'shared' variables / datastructures on both the AVR and the Python side.
• Work out a nice example and improve documentation
• Make an Arduino equivalent of avr_cfw.c
• Promote the code such that it may be of use to others, may get feedback, and may be of inspiration to others to augment, extend to other platforms, improve, etc.
• Extend to other (micro)controller platforms (PIC, but also Raspberry-pi, BeagleBone Black, pcDuino, Intel Edison, ...)
• Extend to other interfaces (sockets, zeromq, memory maps?, ...)

• AVR-Programming by Elliot Williams
• PyZMQ (for Z85.py)