Reading values from OpenBuilds Control software

Appveyor/Travis is just used as CI compile tools (instead of manually compiling, uploading to git, and then creating a release - The CI services compiles a new release, for win, linux and mac, whenever a new git commit is done (we thus have to be mindful to update version number in package.json to not overwrite existing releases) and puts it on git, in a draft release ready for us to click "release" on - saves a lot of manual work

Basically, EXCEPT its a little more modern, instead of a Poll/response type API, it uses Socket.IO Socket.IO to be fully event based. Socket.IO has plugins for node, python, any many more. What did you want to build your app on? (language)

The difference is instead of polling "is the job still running" or "where in the queue are we" on a loop, with socket.io events you get an "event" sent from the backend, you just subscribe to the events in your app:

For example
(using js example as I have code onhand to copy paste)

- CONTROL runs, and has a websocket server on 127.0.0.1:3000
- You setup an app that imports the socket.io libraries and establish a connection to the Socket.io server

Code:

var socket = io(); // or  var socket = io('http://ip-address:3000);

socket.on('status', function(status) {
   console.log(status)
});

All you need to get a full status report every 400ms and print it to the console

The full status event on the event named "status" contains

Code:

var status = {
  driver: {
    version: require('./package').version,
    ipaddress: ip.address(),
    operatingsystem: false,
    powersettings: {
      usbselectiveAC: null,
      usbselectiveDC: null
    },
  },
  machine: {
    name: '',
    inputs: [],
    overrides: {
      feedOverride: 100, //
      spindleOverride: 100, //
      realFeed: 0, //
      realSpindle: 0 //
    },
    //
    tool: {
      nexttool: {
        number: 0,
        line: ""
      }
    },
    probe: {
      x: 0.00,
      y: 0.00,
      z: 0.00,
      state: -1,
      plate: 0.00,
      request: {}
    },
    position: {
      work: {
        x: 0,
        y: 0,
        z: 0,
        a: 0,
        e: 0
      },
      offset: {
        x: 0,
        y: 0,
        z: 0,
        a: 0,
        e: 0
      }

    },
    firmware: {
      type: "",
      version: "",
      date: "",
      buffer: [],
      features: [],
      blockBufferSize: "",
      rxBufferSize: "",
    },
  },
  comms: {
    connectionStatus: 0, //0 = not connected, 1 = opening, 2 = connected, 3 = playing, 4 = paused, 5 = alarm, 6 = firmware upgrade
    runStatus: "Pending", // 0 = init, 1 = idle, 2 = alarm, 3 = stop, 4 = run, etc?
    queue: 0,
    blocked: false,
    paused: false,
    controllerBuffer: 0, // Seems like you are tracking available buffer?  Maybe nice to have in frontend?
    interfaces: {
      ports: "",
      activePort: "" // or activeIP in the case of wifi/telnet?
    },
    alarm: ""
  }
};

Which covers most of the info you may want to react to

Other cool events are

Code:

socket.on('grbl', function(data) {
    // emits true whenever a grbl startup string is found
});

Code:

socket.on('data', function(data) {
    // data.command = command the response was in response to
    // data.response = responses from the backend (printed to serial log tab)
});

Code:

socket.on('queueCount', function(queueCount) {
    // queueCount[0] == queueleft
    // queueCount[1] == queuetotal
    // useful for progress detection
});

Code:

socket.on('jobComplete', function(data) {
    // data.completed = true
    // data.jobCompletedMessage = message set when sending the job (used in CONTROL to create a popup when things like Probe operatings completes)
});

Talking to the backend is very simlar, it subscribes to some events, and you just emit events into those listeners:

for example, server listens for:

Code:

socket.on('runJob', function(object) {
    // debug_log(data)
    var data = object.data
    if (object.isJob) {
      uploadedgcode = data;
    }

    if (object.completedMsg) {
      jobCompletedMsg = object.completedMsg
});

So we can send it

Code:

socket.emit("runJob", {
    data = "G1 .... gcode block with \n linebreaks etc",
    isJob = true, // if isjob==true, it gets stored and can be retrieved when the UI restart/refreshes, use for actual jobs, for quick little tasks, set to false
    completedMsg = "String you want to print in control in a popup on completion"
});

Other events the server listens for, that may be of interest are:

Code:

  socket.on('runCommand', function(data) { // data=single gcode/command });
  socket.on('feedOverride', function(data) { });
  socket.on('spindleOverride', function(data) { });
  socket.on('clearAlarm', function(data) { // Clear Alarm where data == 1 just clears the lockout, data == 2 clears the lockout, clears the queues, and resets all statusses back to the Stopped state});
  socket.on("connectTo", function(data) { // If a user picks a port to connect to, open a Node SerialPort Instance to it });
      console.log("Connecting via " + data[0] + " to " + data[1] + " at baud " + data[2]);
  });
  socket.on('closePort', function(data) { // Close machine port and dump queue });

Watch for status.comms.connectionStatus in the "status" event:
connectionStatus: 0, //0 = not connected, 1 = opening, 2 = connected, 3 = playing, 4 = paused, 5 = alarm, 6 = firmware upgrade
So you'd start when it changes to "3", and stop anytime it changes to some other number

Start counting time when it goes to "3" and stop when it goes to any other status then log time

Watch for the socket.on('jobComplete', function(data) event
BUT do not leave machine unattended! (; i can see what this email idea is for (;

Code:

    socket.emit('runCommand', "$$")

then listen for the output of the "data" event:

Code:

  if (data.response.indexOf('$') === 0) {
        var key = data.response.split('=')[0];
        var param = data.response.split('=')[1]

        if (key == "$130") {
            // then param = x max travel
        }
        if (key == "$131") {
            // then param = y max travel
        }
        if (key == "$132") {
            // then param = z max travel
        }
    }

 

Oh and just to reply to this section: Yes, seperate app that would be better. Allows it to function separately. But do use socket.io - web scraper wouldn't work, the "web" section is static, and updated by JS based on socket.io events

Though any features you need, do run it past OpenBuilds/OpenBuilds-CONTROL - if it truly benefits everyone it can be added as an official feature too
(as long as it fits the big CONTROL mantras:
- nothing in control required "configuration" unless it can't be helped, auto configured based on info from grbl settings, etc is a must
- CONTROL is still the "beginner friendly" host and always will be, the focus is on ease of use, not all the bells and whistles imaginable)

One warning though, we may change APIs at any time without notice (the ones above probably hasn't had any breaking changes in 2 years - but you never know)

 

We'll take that as a compliment

You get two kinds of open source devs: The ones that one to show off how many obscure one liners than can write, to score a job with, and the other kind that writes easy to read code, because we actually want our code to mean something to someone else (;
In my past I made the mistake of partnering with the prior too - and lost control of some of my own projects. Nothing chases collaboration away faster than unfriendly and unreadable code.

 

(; as per

Actually, an http get to 127.0.0.1:3000/gcode will get you gcode while a job is running

 

At least once every 400ms but there are other events that emit status: search index.js for

Code:

.emit("status

and maybe single quote too

Code:

.emit('status