Papywizard Developper Guide

• Introduction
• API
• Architecture
  • Hardware
  • Model
    • Custom presets
  • View
• Distributing
  • Make Debian package
  • Make Maemo package
  • Make Windows installer
• The future

Introduction

Papywizard is entirely written in python. It uses PyGTK (Python bindings for GTK) toolkit for the GUI, and a few additional modules, mainly for hardware control (pybluez and pyserial). Optionnaly, vpython (OpenGL-based module) can also be used to simulate the position of the head (note that this will be soon a separate application).

API

The API documentation is available as web page in the html/ directory.

Architecture

Papywizard uses a MVC-like pattern, which keeps the model separated from the views. This allows to use any other toolkit if needed; I recently switched from Tkinter to PyGTK, to run Papywizard on Nokia plateform. I hope, one day, to be able to run Papywizard on QTopia-based devices, like Openmoko. But I first need to get such device ;o)

Low-levels routines which control the hardware are also in their own package; I plan to made them even more modular, to be used in an external project to control the head. For know, only Merlin/Orion head is supported, but it is very easy to implement other heads.

A word about the simulation (to come).

Hardware

Merlin/Orion protocole

• Parameters:
  • <axe>: 1=vertical, 2=horizontal (1 ascii digit)
  • <pos> position coded with 24 bits (6 ascii digits, hex). low byte is sent first (A35483 is read 8354A3). When switched on, read value is 800000. Right sens increments axis 1; left sens decrements it. Up sens increments axis 2; down decrements it. A complete turn (360°) increments/decrements by 0E6600 (so, the axis can make almost 9 turns before the counter overflow).

• Read axis position:

   command        response
   :j<axe>        =<pos>
  
   * Read axis status:
   command        response
   :f<axe>        =<s1><s2><s3>
  
  === Merlin/Orion commands ===
  
  At switch on:
  {{{
   command        response
   :F1            =
   :F2            =
   :a1            =D3620E
   :D1            =F90600
   :a2            =D3620E
   :D2            =F90600
   :D2            =F90600
  }}}
  
  Press up button in fast mode:
  {{{
   command        response
   :L2            =
   :G230          =
   :I2220000      =
   :J2            =
  }}}
  
  Release up button in fast mode:
  {{{
   command       response
   :L2            =
   :f2            =503
  }
  
  Drive up to xxx position:
  {{{
   todo
  }}}
  
  === Model ===
  
  === View ===
  
  == Distributing ==
  
  === Make Debian package ===
  
  Papywizard includes an distutils extension script to build debian package in a easy way:
  
  {{{
  $ python debian/setup.py bdist_debian
  }}}
  
  The package is build in the {{{dist/}}} directory.
  
  === Make Maemo package ===
  
  Same for debian package:
  
  {{{
  $ python maemo/setup.py bdist_debian
  }}}
  
  === Make Windows installer ===
  
  This is a little bit tricky (as always on this plateform!).
  
  You first need to build the executable, by launching the windows setup script. The easier is to use [http://ipython.scipy.org Ipython]:
  
  {{{
  In [1]: run windows/setup.py py2exe
  }}}
  
  Then, run the script {{{windows/papywizard.nsi}}} (need to install NSIS software) to build the installer itself.
  
  == The future ==
  }}}