Version française / French version

UTest : Make USB Devices with Arduino

Demo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTq_U3kP7iU

Utest is a base to make python application to control arduinos on Windows.
This application turn on/off the internal led on an arduino nano (clone)
A python module manages the arduino
The application can be saved as an executable to be easily share.

Usage

• Install drivers for arduino nano (clone ch340g) : http://nano.madnerd.org
• Download arduino/python code : http://utest.madnerd.org
• Upload sketch utest.ino
• Download application : http://utestapp.madnerd.org

How to install drivers : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3CsftsfiQU

Features

• Easy to understand and modify code
• Serial port autodetection
• Auto reconnection even if the serial port change
• You don't need to manage detection and serial communication.
• Control multiples arduinos

Issues

The application might not work on Windows 7 due to missing .dll
This shouldn't happen if your computer is up to date

• Why?: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/34218333/pyinstaller-onefile-does-not-start-on-some-windows-7-machines
• Update needed: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/2999226

Create your own application

This application use tkinter (which is included in python) to manage the gui
Documentation : http://www.tkdocs.com/tutorial/index.html

Prerequisites

• Download python 3 : https://www.python.org/downloads/

• During the installation, tick Add Python 3.5 to PATH
  

• Open a command prompt (Windows Key + cmd) and install pyserial

pip install pyserial

Start the application

• Open a command prompt (Windows key + cmd)
• Go to the source code (apps/utest/)
• Type:

python utest.py

Compile

You can compile the application to share it as an .exe file
However, You need to install pyinstaller

pip install pyinstaller

Then you can compile it using the script compile.bat or

pyinstaller --onefile --noconsole utest.py 

If you wan't to display debug messages

pyinstaller --onefile utest.py 

How to use the library : USB.py

In order to manage the arduino the easiest way possible, everything is handle by the module usb.py
Check the source code (in apps/utest and /utest) for more information

Windows

The module only has two commands

Manage arduino serial communication

from lib import USB
device_name = "CH340" #Device name in Windows
device_type = "UTest" #Device type (in the arduino sketch)
device_return_string = "OK" #Answer when a response is correct
device_baudrate = 115200 #Baudrate
usb = USB.Device(device_name,device_type,device_return_string,device_baudrate)

Send a string to the arduino

usb.write("ON")

Arduino

Define device type

const String usb_name = "UTest";

Usage

void loop() {
  serialManager(); //This function manages serial

  //If string received
     if (readString.length() > 0) {
      serialCheck(); //Check arduino type

      //Insert actions list here
      if (readString == "ON"){
        digitalWrite(13,1);
      }
      if (readString == "OFF"){
        digitalWrite(13,0);
      }
      
    }

  //Clear serial buffer
  readString = "";
}

Licences

Software by Rémi Sarrailh (madnerd.org) Licence: MIT