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2026-03-21 23:51:53 +01:00

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Digital Read Out (DRO) Application

The dro.py file implements a Digital Read Out system for a lathe. It displays the current position of the lathe tool on two axes (X and Z) by reading encoder data from an Arduino via I2C communication.

Overview

The application follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern, which separates concerns:

Model: Manages the state of the axes and their positions
View: Displays the positions in a Tkinter GUI
Controller: Handles user input and I2C communication

Architecture

Data Flow

Arduino (Encoder Data)
    ↓ (I2C)
Controller (Serial Communication) → Model (Position Calculation)
    ↓                                   ↓
View (GUI Update) ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← Observers

Classes

Axis

Represents a single axis (X or Z) with position, scale, and offset.

Attributes:

_position: Current position in mm
_scale: Scale factor (mm per encoder step)
_offset: Offset applied to position (mm)
_name: Axis identifier ('x' or 'z')

Methods:

set_position(pos): Set the raw position
get_position(): Get the raw position
set_scale(scale): Set the scale factor
get_scale(): Get the scale factor
set_offset(offset): Set the offset
get_offset(): Get the offset

Model

Manages the state of both axes and notifies observers of changes. Implements the Observer pattern for MVC binding.

Enums:

XMode.RADIUS (0): X axis displays radius (default)
XMode.DIAMETER (1): X axis displays diameter
Updated.POS_X (0): X position changed
Updated.POS_Z (1): Z position changed
Updated.X_MODE (2): X mode (radius/diameter) changed
Updated.FULLSCREEN (3): Fullscreen state changed

Key Methods:

attach(observer): Register an observer (typically the View)
notify(updated): Notify all observers of changes
steps_to_position(axis, steps): Convert encoder steps to millimeters
set_position(axis, pos): Update a position (notifies if changed)
set_offset(axis, offset): Set the zero offset for calibration
get_effective_position(axis): Get position with offset applied; converts diameter to radius if needed
set_toggle_x_mode(): Toggle between radius and diameter display
set_scale(axis, scale): Set the steps-to-mm conversion factor

Special Behavior:

Position updates only trigger notifications if the change is ≥ 0.005 mm (prevents chatter)
When X axis is in DIAMETER mode, displayed position is doubled

Controller

Handles user interaction and I2C communication with the Arduino.

Hardware:

I2C Bus: 1 (standard Raspberry Pi I2C)
Arduino Address: 0x08

Data Format:

Reads 4 bytes from Arduino every poll cycle
Bytes 0-1: X position (little-endian signed 16-bit integer)
Bytes 2-3: Z position (little-endian signed 16-bit integer)

Methods:

poll_i2c_data(): Read encoder positions from Arduino via I2C
handle_x_position_update(steps): Process X encoder data
handle_z_position_update(steps): Process Z encoder data
handle_btn_x0_press(): Set X zero point (sets offset to -current position)
handle_btn_z0_press(): Set Z zero point
handle_btn_toggle_x_mode(): Switch between radius/diameter display
hanlde_btn_x(): Open dialog to manually set X position
hanlde_btn_z(): Open dialog to manually set Z position
toggle_fullscreen(): Toggle fullscreen display (F11)
end_fullscreen(): Exit fullscreen mode (Escape)
handle_btn_calc(): Launch system calculator (galculator)
shutdown(): Shutdown the system (produces clean shutdown)

View

Tkinter GUI displaying positions, buttons, and status. Acts as an observer of the Model.

GUI Layout:

┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ X Position  │ [X]  [X_0]        │
│ Z Position  │ [Z]  [Z_0]        │
│ Mode        │                   │
│             │ [r/D] [Calc] [Off]│
└─────────────────────────────────┘

Display Features:

Large font (80pt) for easy reading from distance
Green text on black background for visibility
Real-time position updates at 10 Hz
Mode indicator (R for radius, D for diameter)

Button Functions:

X / Z: Open dialog to set position
X_0 / Z_0: Set zero point (calibrate)
r/D: Toggle radius/diameter mode
Calc: Launch calculator
Power: Shutdown system

Keyboard Shortcuts:

F11: Toggle fullscreen
Escape: Exit fullscreen
A/Z (test mode): Rotate X encoder clockwise/counterclockwise
S/X (test mode): Rotate Z encoder clockwise/counterclockwise

Usage

Basic Startup

python3 dro.py

Command Line Options

# Maximize window on startup
python3 dro.py --zoomed

# Run in test mode (no I2C communication, use keyboard to simulate encoders)
python3 dro.py --test

# Both options
python3 dro.py --zoomed --test

Typical Workflow

Startup: Application connects to Arduino via I2C and displays current encoder positions
Zero Axes: Press X_0 and Z_0 buttons at the tool's starting position
Move Tool: As you move the tool, positions update in real-time
Set Position: Click X or Z button to set a specific position (useful for manual adjustments)
Toggle Mode: Press r/D to switch X axis between radius and diameter display
Shutdown: Click the power button or use the system menu

Offset/Zero Calibration

The offset mechanism allows setting the zero point at any position:

Displayed Position = Raw Position + Offset

When you press X_0 or Z_0, the system sets:

Offset = -Current_Position

This makes the current display read zero.

Radius vs Diameter Mode

The X axis can display in two modes:

Radius (r): Shows actual distance from spindle centerline
Diameter (D): Shows diameter (actual = radius × 2)

The Model automatically converts when displaying:

Diameter Display = Radius × 2

Configuration

Default Scales

model.set_scale('x', -2.5/200)  # -12.5 mm per 1000 steps (negative = flip direction)
model.set_scale('z', 90/1000)   # 0.09 mm per step

These calibration values should be adjusted based on your encoder specifications:

Negative X scale flips the direction to match lathe conventions
Scale = (Distance Travel in mm) / (Encoder Steps)

Update Frequency

GUI updates every 100ms (10 Hz)
I2C polling rate matches GUI updates

Dependencies

Python Packages

tkinter: GUI framework (built-in with Python)
smbus2: I2C communication (falls back to fake_smbus.py if not available)
Standard library: enum, subprocess, getopt, sys, shutil, logging

Hardware

Raspberry Pi (tested on Pi 4)
Arduino Nano (with I2C firmware at address 0x08)
2 Rotary encoders connected to Arduino

System

galculator: Calculator application (optional)
sudo access for shutdown command

Error Handling

The application gracefully handles several error conditions:

I2C Communication Errors

try:
    data = self._bus.read_i2c_block_data(self._address, 0, 4)
except IOError as e:
    logger.error(f"I2C read error: {e}")
except OSError as e:
    logger.error(f"I2C OS error: {e}")

Errors are logged but don't crash the application. The last known position is retained.

Missing Dependencies

If smbus2 is not installed, the application falls back to the local RPi/fake_smbus.py:

try:
    import smbus2
except ImportError:
    import RPi.fake_smbus as smbus2
    logger.warning('smbus2 not available; using fake smbus2.py')

Testing Mode

The --test flag enables keyboard simulation of encoder rotation:

X Axis:
  A = Rotate clockwise (increase X)
  Z = Rotate counterclockwise (decrease X)

Z Axis:
  S = Rotate clockwise (increase Z)
  X = Rotate counterclockwise (decrease Z)

This allows testing the GUI without physical encoders or Arduino.

Known Issues / Notes

Method name typo: hanlde_btn_x() and hanlde_btn_z() should be handle_btn_x() and handle_btn_z()
Position updates use a 0.005 mm hysteresis threshold (prevents noise-induced updates)
Fullscreen mode requires the Tkinter window to support the platform's fullscreen API

Performance Considerations

GUI updates are non-blocking and scheduled on the Tkinter event loop
I2C reads are synchronous and run every 100ms (10 Hz update rate)
Position filtering reduces redundant updates by ~99% in typical operation
StringVar widgets minimize GUI redraws by only updating when values change

Future Enhancements

Add tool offset/wear compensation
Support more than 2 axes
Persistent configuration file for scales and offsets
Network interface for remote monitoring
Data logging of position history

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