esp-pal 0.1.1
ESP32 development tool with daemon-based serial port sharing
Requires Python: >=3.6
Keywords: esp32, embedded, serial, platformio, arduino, esp-idf, monitoring

# ESPal - ESP32 Development Tool

ESPal is a daemon-based tool for ESP32 development that solves the serial port sharing problem between monitoring and firmware uploads.

## The Problem

When developing for ESP32, the serial port is used for both:
- **Monitoring** - viewing debug output from your device
- **Uploading** - flashing new firmware

These operations conflict because only one process can hold the port at a time. ESPal solves this with a daemon architecture where:
- A daemon continuously monitors the serial port
- Data is cached in a ring buffer (50MB default)
- Multiple clients can read simultaneously
- Build/upload operations coordinate port access automatically

## Features

- **Daemon Architecture** - Background daemon owns the serial port
- **Ring Buffer** - Cached output survives uploads, can replay "since last upload"
- **Multiple Clients** - User and AI assistants can monitor simultaneously
- **Auto-spawn** - Daemon starts automatically when needed
- **VID:PID Detection** - Track devices by USB ID, not port number
- **Build Integration** - PlatformIO, Arduino CLI, and ESP-IDF support
- **Idle Shutdown** - Daemon auto-exits after 30 minutes idle

## Installation

### Using pipx (recommended)

```bash
pipx install esp-pal
```

### Using pip

```bash
pip install esp-pal
```

### From source

```bash
git clone https://github.com/appositeit/esppal.git
cd esppal
pip install -e .
```

### Requirements

- Python 3.10+
- Linux or macOS (uses Unix sockets)

## Quick Start

```bash
# List available ESP32 devices
esppal list

# Start monitoring (daemon starts automatically)
esppal monitor

# Build and upload (daemon releases port automatically)
esppal run

# Check daemon status
esppal status

# Stop daemon
esppal daemon stop
```

## Usage

### Monitor Commands

```bash
# Live monitoring (default)
esppal monitor

# Monitor from last upload marker
esppal monitor --since-upload

# Start with last N lines from buffer
esppal monitor --tail 100

# Replay buffer and exit (no live monitoring)
esppal monitor --replay

# Use legacy direct serial mode (no daemon)
esppal monitor --legacy
```

### Build Commands

```bash
# Build project
esppal build

# Upload firmware
esppal upload

# Build and upload
esppal run

# Clean project
esppal clean
```

### Daemon Commands

```bash
# Show daemon status
esppal status

# Stop the daemon
esppal daemon stop
```

### Device Selection

```bash
# Specify device manually
esppal -d /dev/ttyUSB0 monitor

# Set baudrate
esppal -b 115200 monitor

# Specify project directory
esppal -p /path/to/project build

# Use USB VID:PID for device detection
esppal --vidpid 10c4:ea60 monitor

# Or separate VID and PID
esppal --vid 10c4 --pid ea60 monitor
```

### Build System Integration

```bash
# PlatformIO
esppal platformio esp32dev build
esppal platformio esp32dev upload

# Arduino CLI
esppal arduino esp32:esp32:esp32doit-devkit-v1 build

# ESP-IDF
esppal espidf build
esppal espidf flash
```

## Configuration

### PlatformIO

Add VID/PID to your `platformio.ini`:

```ini
[env:esp32dev]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32dev
monitor_speed = 115200
upload_vidpid = 10c4:ea60
```

### Common ESP32 VID:PID Values

| Chip | VID:PID |
|------|---------|
| Silicon Labs CP2102 | `10c4:ea60` |
| CH340 | `1a86:7523` |
| FTDI FT232 | `0403:6001` |
| Espressif USB JTAG | `303a:1001` |

### Finding Your Device's VID:PID

```bash
# Interactive discovery (recommended)
esppal discover

# List devices with details
esppal list
```

## Architecture

ESPal uses a daemon-client architecture:

```
┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐
│   Client    │────▶│   Daemon    │────▶ Serial Port
│  (esppal)    │     │  (esppal.d)  │
└─────────────┘     └─────────────┘
                          │
┌─────────────┐           │
│  AI Client  │───────────┘
└─────────────┘
```

- **Daemon** - Owns serial port, manages ring buffer, coordinates builds
- **Clients** - Connect via Unix socket, subscribe to data stream
- **Ring Buffer** - 50MB default, stores timestamped data with markers

### Data Flow

1. Daemon continuously reads from serial port
2. Data stored in ring buffer with timestamps
3. Markers inserted at key events (upload_start, upload_complete)
4. Clients subscribe and receive data in real-time
5. Clients can request replay from any marker

## Development

```bash
# Run tests
pytest tests/ -v

# Run specific test file
pytest tests/test_buffer.py -v
```

## License

MIT License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.