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Python For Serial Communication

This document discusses using Python and the pySerial module for serial communication. It covers serial communication architecture, installing drivers, using pySerial functions like open, write, and read, and developing a GUI tool in PyQt. It provides tips for checking the buffer for new data using timers, threads, or polling and detecting new serial devices connected to the system. The document demonstrates serial communication on the console and in a GUI application.

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Devis Styo Nugroho
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269 views

Python For Serial Communication

This document discusses using Python and the pySerial module for serial communication. It covers serial communication architecture, installing drivers, using pySerial functions like open, write, and read, and developing a GUI tool in PyQt. It provides tips for checking the buffer for new data using timers, threads, or polling and detecting new serial devices connected to the system. The document demonstrates serial communication on the console and in a GUI application.

Uploaded by

Devis Styo Nugroho
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Python for Serial Communication

PyCon APAC 2011, Singapore

Eka A. Kurniawan
@ekaakurniawan

Outline

Serial Communication Architecture

Driver Installation

pySerial Module

Demo on Console

GUI Tool Development

Demo on GUI

Serial Communication
Architecture

Data Flow Point of View


USB to UART
Driver

FPGA
UART
Connection

USB
to
UART
FPGA Board

USB Cable

Buffer

Request

User

Laptop

Driver Installation

Silicon Labs CP2103 USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers

Serial Communication
Architecture with pySerial

Data Flow Point of View


USB to UART
Driver

FPGA

pySerial

UART
Connection

USB
to
UART
FPGA Board

USB Cable

Buffer

Request

User

Laptop

pySerial Module
pySerial module encapsulates the access for the serial port. It
provides backends for Python running on Windows, Linux, BSD
(possibly any POSIX compliant system), Jython and IronPython
(.NET and Mono). The module named serial automatically selects
the appropriate backend. - Chris Liechti
Benefits:

Run on multi-platform

100% Python

Easy to install

Easy to use

pySerial Module
Installation

From Source
Get the archive (pyserial-x.y.tar.gz) from
http://pypi.python.org/pypi/pyserial. Unpack it, go to pyserial-x.y
directory and run:
python setup.py install

Ubuntu 10.10

pySerial Module
Basic Functions

Importing pySerial Module


import serial

Serial Class
ser = serial.Serial('/dev/ttyUSB0', 9600)

open and isOpen Functions


ser.open()
ser.isOpen()

write Function
ser.write('1')

pySerial Module
Basic Functions

inWaiting Function
ser.inWaiting()

read Function
ser.read(455)
ser.read(ser.inWaiting())

close Function
ser.close()

pySerial API
http://pyserial.sourceforge.net/pyserial_api.html

Demo on Console

GUI Tool Development

Using PyQt

SPPyQt Tool

Tip 1: Checking for New Data

Tip 2: Detecting New Device

Tip 1: Checking for New Data

Polling Method

Open Connection

Advantage: Easy to
Develop
Disadvantages:
Resource Inefficiency
and Signal Blocking

Get Data
Qt Engine

is buffer empty?

No

Display Data

Yes

is user input?
No

Yes

Send Data

Tip 1: Checking for New Data

Timer Method

Open Connection

Advantage: Resource
Efficiency
Disadvantage:
Chance of Triggering
Buffer Overflow

Qt Engine

is buffer empty?

No

Yes

Get Data
Display Data

Send Data

Tip 1: Checking for New Data

Code Implementation for Timer Method Using PyQt

During __init__
self.logTimer = None

Inside connect Function


self.logTimer = Qtimer()
QObject.connect(self.logTimer, SIGNAL("timeout()"),
self.checkBuffer)
self.logTimer.start(100)

Inside disconnect Function


self.logTimer.stop()

Tip 1: Checking for New Data

Thread Method

Open
Connection

Advantage: No
Blocking Signal
Thread Combined
with Read Blocking
Provides Resource
Efficiency

Reader
Send Data
Writer

ser.Read(1)
Close
Connection
Threads

Tip 1: Checking for New Data

Code Implementation for Thread with Read Blocking Method


Using PyQt
Reader Thread Keeps Looping on Following Code
data = self.ser.read(1)
n = self.ser.inWaiting()
if n:
data = data + self.ser.read(n)
self.emit(SIGNAL("newData(QString)"), data)

Writer Thread Executes Following Code


self.ser.write(str(self.cmd))

Checking for New Data


CPU Usage

Timer Method (1ms)

Thread Polling Method

Timer Method (10ms)

Thread with Read Blocking

CPU1

CPU2

Tip 2: Detecting New Device

Detecting New Device in Linux

Serial Port Communication


/dev/ttySx

USB-to-Serial Communication
/dev/ttyUSBx

Code Implementation to Detect New Device Using Python


import glob
glob.glob("/dev/ttyS*")
glob.glob("/dev/ttyUSB*")

Demo on GUI

Links

Silicon Labs CP2103 USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers

Downloading pySerial

pySerial Documentation

pySerial API

PyQt Reference Guide

SPPyQt Tool Project Home

Special Thanks

Chris Liechti (pySerial Developer)

Loke Kwan Ng

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