Configuration¶

Every tunable value lives in one place: the CONFIG class in C_config.py. There's no need to understand the whole program's architecture — editing this one file covers most of the behavior.

Common Settings¶

What to adjust	Which variable to change	Default	Notes
Default COM Port to connect to	`COM_PORT`	`"COM3"`	the UI dropdown can still override it, without affecting the saved setting
Baud rate	`BAUD_RATE`	`115200`	must match the hardware side
Serial read timeout	`READ_TIMEOUT`	`1.0` (seconds)	prevents the program from blocking forever waiting for data
Flask listen port	`FLASK_PORT`	`5000`	in `--no-window` mode, the browser connects to `http://127.0.0.1:<this port>/`
UI update rate	`UI_UPDATE_MS`	`1000` (ms)	also the interval Demo mode uses to generate simulated packets
Chart history length	`PLOT_HISTORY`	`200`	only affects how much data is kept in memory for plotting, not the full CSV record
CSV output filename	`CSV_PATH`	`"adcs_data.csv"`	Export CSV in the UI can also save to a new path anytime
Default Replay speed	`REPLAY_INTERVAL`	`0.5` (seconds)	the `Speed (s)` field in the UI can override it live, even during playback
Window size / title	`WINDOW_WIDTH` / `WINDOW_HEIGHT` / `WINDOW_TITLE`	`1400` / `900`	only takes effect in native window mode (pywebview)
Default packet format	`TM_FORMAT`	`"auto"`	auto-detected from the packet's actual length; can also be changed to a fixed format string

After editing C_config.py and saving, restarting the program is enough — no other file needs to change.

Time-Series Chart Colors¶

Each sensor category's (tab's) color also lives in C_config.py, adjustable via HEX color codes:

Variable	Category	Default color
`COLOR_DEMO`	Demo format	`#4FC3F7` (light blue)
`COLOR_GYRO`	Gyro	`#4FC3F7` (light blue)
`COLOR_SUN`	Sun Sensor	`#FFD54F` (yellow)
`COLOR_EARTH`	Earth Sensor	`#90A4AE` (gray)
`COLOR_MGM`	Magnetometer	`#F48FB1` (pink)
`COLOR_IMTQ`	iMTQ	`#CE93D8` (purple)
`COLOR_RW`	Reaction Wheel	`#A5D6A7` (green)
`COLOR_NAV`	NAV/ACS	`#FF8A65` (orange)
`COLOR_GPS`	GPS	`#80CBC4` (teal)

Hook Up Your Own Hardware: Editing Packet Fields¶

This software ships with a generic demo format (13-byte / 9-byte), letting the program run without any hardware while also serving as a template for writing your own format.

To switch to your own packet format, only the C_packet_def.py file needs editing — no changes to the parser, routes, frontend, or any other code. The parser, CSV columns, API, and the UI's parameter list and format dropdown are all generated dynamically from this file.

Each field looks like this:

_field("demo_temperature",  # field identifier, also becomes the CSV column name
       2,                   # byte position relative to the start of its block
       2,                   # how many bytes it occupies
       "little",            # "little" or "big"
       True,                # signed / unsigned integer
       "°C",                # unit (shown in the UI)
       "Demo",              # which Tab it's shown under in the UI
       "Temperature",       # the name shown in the UI
       formula=lambda b, o: struct.unpack_from('<h', b, o)[0] * 0.01)

When formula is None, the UI shows the raw integer value directly (decoded per endian/signed). Handy while a formula hasn't been confirmed yet — check the raw value first, then add the conversion.
formula's signature is always (b, o): b is the full packet's bytearray, o is this field's absolute byte position. o is filled in automatically at assembly time — never hardcode a number in the formula.

Common formula patterns:

formula=lambda b, o: struct.unpack_from('<h', b, o)[0] * 0.01   # signed 16-bit x a coefficient
formula=lambda b, o: struct.unpack_from('<H', b, o)[0] * 0.001  # unsigned 16-bit x a coefficient
formula=lambda b, o: struct.unpack_from('<I', b, o)[0]          # unsigned 32-bit
formula=lambda b, o: struct.unpack_from('<f', b, o)[0]          # float32
formula=lambda b, o: b[o]                                       # a single byte (bit flags)

Once a set of fields is defined, place it at an absolute position with _place(block, base) to form a format, then register it in PACKET_DEFS ({packet length: field table}). Once registered, the [TM v] menu in the UI automatically gains an option for this format — no frontend code changes needed.

A field's Tab category

A field's group decides which Tab it's shown under. The available categories are listed in C_config.py's GROUP_COLORS and C_template.py's GROUPS; add a new category in both places together.

The C_packet_def.py file itself has thorough comments explaining what every block does — it's worth opening directly and editing alongside it.