Psyonic Plotting Tools

A collection of Python tools for real-time plotting and data visualization from serial devices.

Requirements

The project requires the following Python packages (specified in requirements.txt):

• pyserial==3.5 - Serial communication library
• matplotlib==3.3.2 - Plotting and visualization library
• numpy==1.21.3 - Numerical computing library

Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7 or higher
• pip (Python package installer)

Step 1: Clone or Download the Repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd psyonic-plotting-tools

Or download and extract the ZIP file to your desired location.

Step 2: Install Python Dependencies

Option A: Install using requirements.txt (Recommended)

# Install all required packages
pip install -r requirements.txt

Option B: Install packages individually

pip install pyserial==3.5
pip install matplotlib==3.3.2
pip install numpy==1.21.3

Option C: Install in a virtual environment (Recommended for isolation)

# Create a virtual environment
python -m venv psyonic_env

# Activate the virtual environment
# On Windows:
psyonic_env\Scripts\activate
# On Linux/macOS:
source psyonic_env/bin/activate

# Install requirements
pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 3: Verify Installation

Test that all packages are installed correctly:

python -c "import serial; print(f'PySerial version: {serial.__version__}')"
python -c "import matplotlib; print(f'Matplotlib version: {matplotlib.__version__}')"
python -c "import numpy; print(f'NumPy version: {numpy.__version__}')"

Usage

plot_lines.py

Main plotting script for real-time data visualization from serial devices.

Basic Usage

python plot_lines.py [options]

Command Line Options

• -b, --baud - Baud rate (default: 115200)
• -n, --num_lines - Number of data lines to plot (default: 1)
• -w, --width - Buffer width for plotting (default: 100)
• -t, --timeout - Serial timeout in milliseconds (default: 1000)
• --ymin - Minimum Y-axis value
• --ymax - Maximum Y-axis value
• --scaler - Data scaling preset (none, cal, peu, fsr, aenc)
• --passfail - Enable pass/fail message checking

Examples

# Basic calibration plot
python plot_lines.py -b 230400 -n 4 -w 50 -t 2000 --ymin -183.84 --ymax 183.84 --scaler cal --passfail

# Simple plotting with default settings
python plot_lines.py -b 115200 -n 2

# Custom scaling and limits
python plot_lines.py -b 9600 -n 1 --ymin 0 --ymax 100 --scaler none

plot_floats.py

Utility module for matplotlib-based plotting functions (used by plot_lines.py).

Scripts

Linux Scripts

Located in scripts/linux/:

• run_calibration_plot.sh - Runs the calibration plot with predefined parameters
• run_fsr_plot.sh - Runs FSR (Force Sensing Resistor) plotting
• run_peu_plot.sh - Runs PEU plotting
• run_aenc_plot.sh - Runs AENC plotting
• install.sh - Installation script for dependencies

Windows Scripts

Located in scripts/windows/:

• run_calibration_plot.bat - Windows version of calibration plot
• run_fsr_plot.bat - Windows version of FSR plotting
• run_peu_plot.bat - Windows version of PEU plotting
• run_aenc_plot.bat - Windows version of AENC plotting
• install.bat - Windows installation script

Quick Start

Using Linux Scripts

# Make scripts executable
chmod +x scripts/linux/*.sh

# Run calibration plot
./scripts/linux/run_calibration_plot.sh

Using Windows Scripts

# Run calibration plot
scripts\windows\run_calibration_plot.bat

Manual Execution

# Run with Python directly
python plot_lines.py -b 230400 -n 4 -w 50 -t 2000 --ymin -183.84 --ymax 183.84 --scaler cal --passfail

Hardware Requirements

• USB-to-Serial device or built-in serial port
• Compatible hardware device sending data over serial
• Proper serial port permissions (Linux: add user to dialout group)

Linux Serial Port Setup

# Add user to dialout group for serial port access
sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER

# Log out and back in, or run:
newgrp dialout

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Import Error: No module named 'serial'

   pip install pyserial==3.5

2. Import Error: No module named 'matplotlib'

   pip install matplotlib==3.3.2

3. Serial Port Permission Denied (Linux)

   sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
   # Log out and back in

4. No Serial Port Found

   • Check device connections
   • Verify correct port name (Linux: /dev/ttyUSB0, Windows: COM1)
   • Ensure device drivers are installed

5. Matplotlib Backend Issues

   # Set non-interactive backend for headless systems
   export MPLBACKEND=Agg

Version Conflicts

If you encounter version conflicts:

# Upgrade pip first
pip install --upgrade pip

# Install with --force-reinstall if needed
pip install --force-reinstall -r requirements.txt

Virtual Environment Issues

# Create fresh virtual environment
python -m venv fresh_env
source fresh_env/bin/activate  # Linux/macOS
# or
fresh_env\Scripts\activate     # Windows

# Install requirements
pip install -r requirements.txt

Development

Adding New Dependencies

1. Install the new package:

   pip install new_package

2. Update requirements.txt:

   pip freeze > requirements.txt

3. Or manually add to requirements.txt:

   new_package==1.2.3
   

Testing

Test the installation:

# Test imports
python -c "import serial, matplotlib, numpy; print('All packages imported successfully')"

# Test plotting (no hardware required)
python plot_lines.py --help

License

[Add your license information here]

Support

For issues and questions:

• Check the troubleshooting section above
• Review the command line help: python plot_lines.py --help
• Ensure all dependencies are installed correctly