This project is a python service split into two different units. One controls the microlab hardware, and the other provides an API for getting the state of the microlab and for running recipes on it. The Microlab gui is the main consumer of this API.
See README.md in the root directory for instructions on running the service.
Some general configuration for the microlab can be found at /etc/microlab after running the backend for the first time.
To make it simpler to extend support to new devices or alternate lab setups the microlab makes use of yaml files describing the hardware available on the SBC and connected to it. This is split up into two different files, one for the SBC called controller hardware, and the other for lab hardware.
Both of these file types can be selected, downloaded and uploaded from the settings menu of the microlab.
A reference for the possible hardware devices and the settings used can be seen in the following two files.
If you want to use something other than a pi or the potato, you can do so by creating a custom controller hardware file. backend/data/controllerhardware/ contains the hardware device description for the two currently supported boards which you can reference.
Only a device named gpio-primary using some kind of gpiochip describing the available gpio ports is needed at the moment.
The microlab by default loads recipes from files located in /var/lib/microlab/recipes/. Recipe files can be uploaded to the microlab from the recipes page. See solderless-microlab/backend/recipes/base.py for information on the format required for recipe files.
The Microlab backend API includes several endpoints described below. This list is incomplete, for more details, see the implementation at /backend/api/routes.py
/list - Returns an array of the currently available recipe names
Example response:
["aspirin"]
/recipe/<name> - Returns the full details for a recipe
/status - Returns an object containing the status of the microlab hardware. It provides a human-readable status message, and information on the current recipe's progress.
Example response:
{
"message":"Place 2.0 g salicylic acid in chamber",
"options":["Done"],
"recipe":"aspirin",
"icon":"reaction_chamber",
"status":"user_input",
"step":0
}
/start/<name> POST - Starts the recipe with corresponding name
Example responses:
{"response":"ok"}
or, if you try to start a recipe when one is running:
{"message":"Recipe aspirin is running. Stop it first.","response":"error"}
/stop POST - Stops the current recipe
/selectOption POST - When in a recipe in a user_input step, select an option
/uploadRecipe POST - Upload a JSON file to the microlab.
File must be valid JSON.
/controllerHardware - Gets the currently configured controller hardware name
/controllerHardware/list - Lists possible controller hardware name