Package: aves
aves: Acquisition, Visualization and Exploration SoftwareThis python module makes it easy to acquire data from a serial port, visualize it
on real time and record it. It also provides a module for visualizing data previously
aquired with this tool.Installationpip3 install avesQuick startWe will use an Arduino to send data through the serial port.We will useavesto acquire, represent and record the data.Arduino codeCreate a file with the contents fromexample/arduino.ino.This sample code reads the analog ports from the arduino board and prints them on the serial port.Take note of:The SAMPLE_TIME (in ms):100The Serial port speed (in bauds):9600The Analog Read Resolution (in bits):10The input range of the analog ports (in volts):(check your board, usually 5V or 3.3V)Aves configurationAves is configured using ayamlfile. Please take the example file fromexample/config.yaml.The yaml file has four sections:version: Just a value, must be 2.input: Defines the aves input sources.gui: Controls the real time plotting optionsoutput: Defines the columns with sensor data that will be saved in a text file.TheinputsectionAves uses two sources of information, thearduinoand thecomputer clock.For the arduino input, we have multiple parameters:baudrate: The baudrate specified in the arduino code.timeout: The seconds the python code will wait for data until it believes the serial connection has been dropped.columns: Aves must know what is the arduino printing on the serial port.columnsis a list with as many elements as columns.
Each element is defined bynamewhich gives a name to the column andconversion_factorthat is used to convert the
number printed by the arduino to a magnitude meaninful for us. For instance, the conversion_factor is used in the example
to convert the time printed by the arduino from milliseconds to seconds (0.001), and the sensor reads (in the range 0-1023) to Volts
(in the range 0-5V): (5V/1023 = 0.004887586). The columns should be given in the order that they are printed by the arduino.The computer clock does not have an entry, as it has no options. However, we should remember that besides the columns defined
in thearduinosection, we also have thetime_computercolumn, useful to synchronize our experiment with other information.TheguisectionTheguidefines the visualization options, including:The name of the column used in thexaxis (x_column). It usually is the time given by the Arduino.Whether or not the zoom for all the subplots should be shared. It is often convenient to have it shared (zoom_all_together).Theaxes: The subplots available in the window. Imagine the subplots layed out in a grid. The first subplot (top-left) would be
inrow: 0,col: 0. The subplot below the first would appear inrow: 1,col: 0, etc. Subplots may span several rows or columns,
to make them larger, with therowspanandcolspanoptions, by default both set to1. Each subplot should plot at least one column
from the input, although more than one column can be plotted. The column names to be plotted for each subplot are given incolumns.
Additional plotting options (limits, labels) can be given inoptions.Besides, there is the name of the windowwindow_titleand therefresh_time_msthat controls how often the GUI is refreshed.TheoutputsectionControls the columns that will be printed to the text file. Note how we have in the example
both the computer time and the arduino time printed.Run it:python3 -m aves.realtime --port *Serial port where your arduino is connected* --outfile "test.txt"Checkpython3 -m aves.realtime --helpfor all other command line options, for instance:--no-saveDo not save the captured data to a file--outfile test.txtSave the capture data totest.txt--tmeas 600Capture data for 600 seconds maximum (default: unlimited)--port COM3Use theCOM3serial port--plot_every_n_samples 10Wait for at least 10 samples to refresh the GUI--plot_win_size 200Keep up to 200 samples in the plot (use 0 for unlimited)--config another.yamlUseanother.yamlas config file.Explore the acquired data:python3 -m aves.explorer --filename "test.txt"Known works using avesThe prototype for fire detection developed at IBEC under the SafeSens project