Read-Sensor-Resistances/README.md

# Read Resistances

## Required & Dependencies
### Required
- Python 3 (but below 3.10). And the following packages using `pip`.  
  Alternatively, you can just switch the file source of the Command line Prompt by using 'cd \file address\\' and after that, run `pip install -r requirements.txt` in to have all packages installed automatically 
  - matplotlib
  - pyserial
  - wxPython  
- PlatformIO IDE, which could be downloaded as an extension in vs code
### Recommended
- Code Runner (for VSCode only)
- wxFormBuilder
- [Arduino IDE](https://makeabilitylab.github.io/physcomp/arduino/arduino-ide.html)

## How to use
### Direct use
 First download the `.ino` file from `ReadRaw` folder using Arduino IDE. Or if you are using Arduino Mega 2560 you can 
use the code in `ReadAnalog` folder by open the folder in VSCode and run with PlatformIO, or just run `flash.py` in a terminal
Then you can just run `python toplevel.py` and start from the UI. Enter the relevant information and start collect and measuring data.
### develop & build
Beside the c-based code for the Arduino board to read raw data from the board, everything has now been done in the python
files. The main program is `toplevel.py`, which calls `UI.py` to prompt for input. It is NOT recommended modifying the `ui.py`
as it is generated from wxFormBuilder from `sealammonia.fbp`, which could be modified if any frontend feature need to change.
the main program will generate `settings.json` which saves all required parameters needed to calculate and graph and save the
sensor's values. It also creates a .csv file under `RecordedData` directory to save all recorded+calculated data.  
`read_arduino.pyw` read raw data from Arduino board and convert it to the correct resistance, which could be plotted out 
using `serial_plot.pyw`. Note that all .pyw are still Python files and should be correctly opened using any IDE/text edtiors
as .py file does, except not going to pop up a black terminal when running directly. `test.py` is the alternative version of the frontend writting using `tkinter`.

## Issues
- Currently can only use 5V as input voltage. May need to change the algorithm in `read_arduino.py`. Newer hardware will require 3.3V.
- Should call `writerandomvalues.py` to simulate Arduino data when nothing is connected but user still want to run. Currently just pop up error
- "plot" button is completely disabled, should be enabled whenever is not plotting but is reading data
- Matplotlib cannot really run in multithread, this might going to be an issue for packing the program into an executable

## Todos & [Specs](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Km2HZel7rILOvgHG5iXlUcXFx4Of1ot2I7Dbnq8aTwY/edit?usp=sharing):
- [ ] Fix Issues
- [ ] display sensor value in either the UI or on the plot
- [ ] Reopen plot window from the UI when closed
- [x] Need to continue writing to file when graphing window is closed
- [ ] Make it so the time stamp is the actual time
- [x] No blank line in between lines of csv file (new line may be added when file is closed) 
- [ ] Make it so we have the option to run multiple graphs at the same time, setting window size in UI
- [ ] Inputting value of 0 for window size should have an infinite window size
- [ ] Accept any inputs (such as resistor values, plot window size, base voltage etc.) as either command line argument or as input at beginning of program
- [ ] Write random values to simulate a sensor if no sensor available (this feature might be removed in the future)
- [ ] Advanced option menu in the UI to allow user to make more adjustments
- [ ] Add resolution option in the UI to allow interchange between arduino (10bit) and esp32 (12 bits)
- [ ] Possibly adding new module to support ESP32
- [ ] Support for non-Windows platforms
- [ ] Make it into one executable