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piconetcontrol

Client-server package to remotely control a Raspberrypi Pico W.

This package has been tested and is known to work with the following versions:

  • MicroPython: v1.23.0
  • Firmware: v1.23.0 on 2024-06-02 (GNU 13.2.0 MinSizeRel)
  • Python: 3.11

About

This package provides a client-server architecture to remotely control a Raspberry Pi Pico W. The server runs on the Pico W and the client on a computer. For testing/debugging purpose, the server can also run on e.g. a Raspberrypi 4, with limited functionality.

The goal is to handle logic on the client side, while the server is responsible for direct hardware interaction. This enables using more powerful hardware for orchestration with greater functionalities, as the server is executed with MicroPython on the Pico W.

Security

The current security model assumes the LAN is secure. mTLS might be later implemented (if even possible on the Pico W).

Fail-Safe Mechanism

To handle scneraii where client-server connection is disrupted after an actuator has been activated, changing a pin state (write_pin command), requires a timeout to be specified. After the timeout, the server will revert the pin state to its previous value. Initial pin state must be set upon pin setup (setup_pin command).

Installation

Installation on PicoW

Copy Code on Pico

Connect the Pico to your computer via the USB cable. Use e.g. Thonny IDE to copy the following files (under piconetcontrol/server) at the root of Pico filesystem:

  • main.py
  • server_base.py
  • server_pico.py

Subsequent updates can be done via the client-server communication protocol (Client.update_server()).

Configuration files on Pico
  1. Create a config/config_wlan.json with fields ssid and password for the WiFi connection.
  2. Generate the certificate and copy it under config/ec_cert.der and config/ec_key.pem:
openssl ecparam -genkey -name prime256v1 -out ec_key.pem
openssl ec -in ec_key.pem -outform DER -out ec_key.der
openssl req -new -key ec_key.pem -out ec_csr.pem
openssl x509 -in ec_cert.pem -outform DER -out ec_cert.der
Run Server
Run main.py from Thonny, or disconnect it and reconnect to a power source (main.py is executed on boot). You shall see the LED blinking indicating the current status (see section below).
Configure Pico W IP Address
It is recommended to reserve a static IP for the Pico W, see your router's documentation. As of today, mDNS for using a hostname (instead of an IP) seems to not be supposed on Pico W.

Example Usage

We show a simple example both the shell and in Python.

$ python run_client.py 192.168.1.111 12345 -c action=setup_pin pin=2 mode=output value=0 \
    -c action=read_pin pin=2 \
    -c action=write_pin pin=2 value=1 timeout=5 \
    -c action=read_pin pin=2
$ sleep 5 # wait for the write_pin timeout to expire
$ python run_client.py 192.168.1.111 12345 -c action=read_pin pin=2
from time import sleep
from piconetcontrol.client import Client

client = Client('192.168.1.111', 12345)
client.send_commands([
    {"action": "setup_pin", "pin": 2, "mode": "output", "value": 0},
    {"action": "read_pin", "pin": 2},
    {"action": "write_pin", "pin": 2, "value": 1, "timeout": 5},
    {"action": "read_pin", "pin": 2},
])
# wait for the write_pin timeout to expire
sleep(5)
client.send_commands([
    {"action": "read_pin", "pin": 2},
])

Server Blinking Patterns

The Pico W board is equipped with an LED that can be used to indicate the status of the server.

Status Pattern
Connecting to WiFi 3 blinks of 100ms, 200ms apart, then 1s pause
Server Listening (Idling) Infinite blinks of 1.5s on, 1.5s off
Ongoing Connection Continuous 20ms blinks, 100ms apart

If the board isn't blinking:

  • Server might not be running
  • Board might be in light or deep sleep mode
    • If in light sleep, the server wakes up upon receiving a command

Client-Server Communication Protocol

The server and the Raspberry Pi Pico W (client) communicate over a TCP/IP connection. Message exchange occurs via JSON-encoded dictionaries. Multiple instructions can be sent through a single connection, a n EOF signal is used to indicate the end of a command. This enables sending long messages more than 1024 bytes (the buffer size). The client sends a nn EOF signal to indicate no more commands are to be sent, following what the server will close the connection.

Commands

GPIO Control

Setup pin

Instructs client to configure a GPIO pin as input or output, optionally set its value.

Command structure:

{
    "action": "setup_pin",
    "pin": "<pin_number>",
    "mode": "<'input'|'output'>",
    "value": "<0|1> [optional]"
}

Success Response: Client echoes back the command.

Set pin value

Instructs client to set a specified GPIO pin to specified value (high or low) during some specified time.

Command structure:

{
    "action": "write_pin",
    "pin": "<pin_number>",
    "value": "<0|1>",
    "timeout": "<duration_in_seconds>"
}

Success Response: Client echoes back the command (does not wait for timeout).

Read pin value

Requests the current value (high or low) of a specified GPIO pin.

Command structure:

{
    "action": "read_pin",
    "pin": "<pin_number>"
}

Success Response: Client echoes back the command and adds the value field (high/low).

Board Management

Reset board

Instructs client to reset the board, using the machine.reset() method.

Command structure:

{
    "action": "reset"
}

Success Response: Client echoes back the command.

Sleep for low power

Instructs client to enter a low-power state mode for a specified duration.

Command structure:

{
    "action": "sleep",
    "deep": "<0|1>",
    "time_ms": "<duration_in_ms>"
}

Success Response: Client echoes back the command.

Get resource info

Requests information about the client's resources (e.g., memory, CPU).

Command structure:

{
    "action": "get_resource_info"
}

Success Response: Client echoes back the command and adds the info field.

Get server version

Requests the version of the server software.

Command structure:

{
    "action": "get_version"
}

Success Response: Client echoes back the command and adds the version field.

List actions

Requests a list of available actions supported by the client.

Command structure:

{
    "action": "list_actions"
}

Success Response: Client echoes back the command and adds the actions field.

Update server software

Instructs the client to update the server software.

Command structure:

{
    "action": "update"
}

The client will update the server software and restart the server. In case of failure after restart, the server will revert to the previous version.