Package: brainstem
BrainStem Python LibraryThe BrainStem python package gives access to simple python commands
to control and interact with a collection of BrainStem devicesFeaturesEasily interact with BrainStem devices using pythonLearn more about the capabilities of BrainStem devices inAcroname's reference documentationDownloadAs of version 2.9.21, the BrainStem Python library is available onPyPIIt is also available from the BrainStem Development Kit atAcroname's downloads pageDownload the operating system specific BrainStem Development KitOnce downloaded and contents extracted, inside the extracted folder, navigate to:[project_root]/development/pythonto find the latest version of thebrainstem-*.whlInstallationOn Windows, to install a new version of BrainStem (or update an existing one), simply execute:$>pipinstall--userbrainstem--upgradeOr from wheel file:$>pipinstall--userbrainstem-*.whl--upgradeOn MacOS and Linux, pip is for the older Python 2 version, pip3 must be executed instead:$pip3install--userbrainstem--upgradeOr from wheel file:$pip3install--userbrainstem-*.whl--upgradeTo uninstall the library, the easiest way is with pip:Windows:$>pipuninstallbrainstemMacOS and Linux:$>pip3uninstallbrainstemTroubleshootingSome additional requirements for installing python wheels in general and the BrainStem wheel specifically may be neededIf any errors are encountered installing or running the BrainStem python package, see theAdditional Requirementssection near the bottom of this documentA Tour of the Python ExampleAfter navigating to[project_root]/development/python_examples, choose the folder that corresponds with the product being used.For example, the most common product sold is Acroname's 8-port hub, so the folder needed in this case will beusbhub3p_example.To run the example, execute:$>pythonusbhub3p_example.pyfor your specific BrainStem device.The example requires that a USB BrainStem link module be connected to the host computer.If the following message is seen, there is likely no module connected or the incorrect example program was run:'Could not find a module.'Once the example starts running, it will print out some basic information about
the module and then blink the user LED on the module.Working with BrainStem from the InterpreterThe following is a brief introduction to writing a python program that talks to a connected BrainStem:Start up the python interpreter:$>pythonThe first step is to import the BrainStem package:>>>importbrainstemstemanddiscoverare the two primary modulesstemcontains classes for each of the distinct module types:USBStemEtherStemMTMIOSerialMTMPM1MTMEtherStemMTMUSBStemUSBHub2x4MTMRelayUSBHub3pMTMDAQ1USBCSwitchMTMDAQ2MTMLoad1USBHub3cNext search for all connected modules:>>>specs=brainstem.discover.findAllModules(brainstem.link.Spec.USB)>>>print[str(s)forsinspecs]Then search for the first USB module:>>>spec=brainstem.discover.findFirstModule(brainstem.link.Spec.USB)>>>printspecIf a USB module is found, create a USBStem object and connect to it using
the spec object that was returned by discover:>>>stem=brainstem.stem.USBStem()>>>stem.connectFromSpec(spec)Then get some information about the module:>>>result=stem.system.getModel()>>>printbrainstem.defs.model_info(result.value)Finally, flash the user LED, on or off every 100ms.>>>fromtimeimportsleep>>>foriinrange(0,51):...err=stem.system.setLED(i%2)...iferr!=brainstem.result.Result.NO_ERROR:...break...sleep(0.1)...>>>That's it! Once this basic example is running, a good place to go is the
documentation to learn about all the other features available.At the prompt type the following:>>>help(stem.system)# or>>>help(brainstem.stem)Additional RequirementspythonThe BrainStem python package is currently compatible with python 2.7 and python
3.6 through 3.10. When using 2.7 it is recommended that your python version be
at least 2.7.9.MS Windows generally does not include Python, and a suitable Python package will need to bedownloaded and installedbefore proceeding with the following guide.The BrainStem wheel is compatible with both 32 and 64bit python packages.Python version >= 2.7.9 is recommended.MacOS X and most Linux distributions generally include a Python installation.However, the installation may not include pip and setuptools which are required to install the BrainStem Python module.pipThe BrainStem python package is installed via a platform specific wheel.To install these wheels, a relatively up to date version of pip and setuptools is needed.Pip can be installed by following the instructions at:https://pip.pypa.io/en/latest/installing.htmlIf pip is installed it may still be helpful to update pip.Administrator privileges may be required on MacOS and Linux.Instructions for updating pip can be found at:https://pip.pypa.io/en/latest/installing.html#upgrade-piplibffiThe BrainStem python library relies on libffi.On MacOS X and Windows, this is generally available.Linux users may need to install libffi via the distro's package manager.The package is generally named libffi-dev or similar.Python development headersLinux users may need to install the development package for python
via the distro's package manager before the brainstem wheel can be installed.The package is generally named python-dev or similar.CentOS package managerOn CentOS and yum based distros the following command will install the required packages:$>sudoyuminstalllibffi-develpython-develLicenseLicensed under Proprietary License, see full license text herefull license text here.SupportIf these troubleshooting steps don't solve the issue, please let us know.We have a mailing list located at:support@acroname.comand asupport pageto get in touch with Acroname support staff.Enjoy!The Acroname Team.