ubitlogger

A micro:bit serial port logger

Stack

• Python 3.8, 3.9, 3.10
• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS jammy on
  • WSL 2 on Windows 11
    • usbipd-win to attach micro:bit to WSL
  • Raspberry Pi 4B, 8GB
• micro:bit
  • Board revision 1.3B
  • Bootloader 02xx
  • Interface 0253
  • See update daplink version

Installation

From PyPI

(venv) $ pip install ubitlogger
(venv) $

or from GitHub

(venv) $ pip install git+https://github.com/p4irin/ubitlogger.git
(venv) $

Usage

# Show version
(venv) $ ubitlogger -V
x.y.x

# Show help
(venv) $ ubitlogger -h
usage: ubitlogger [-h] [-V] {start,flash} ...

micro:bit serial port logger

options:
  -h, --help     show this help message and exit
  -V, --version  show version and exit.

Sub commands:
  {start,flash}
    start        start logging
    flash        Flash an example sensor reader script to the micro:bit.
                 Does NOT work on WSL! On Ubuntu jammy the micro:bit is
                 NOT auto mounted! You need to mount it like "sudo mount
                 /dev/<device> /media/MICROBIT" Figure out the <device>
                 with "sudo fdisk -l". To flash, you need sudo and the
                 path to ubitlogger! I.e., "sudo venv/bin/ubitlogger
                 flash -s light", assuming you use a virtualenv venv.

# Show help on start sub command
(venv) $ ubitlogger start -h
usage: ubitlogger start [-h] [-d] [-t TIMEOUT] [-i INTERVAL]

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -d, --debug           show debugging output
  -t TIMEOUT, --timeout TIMEOUT
                        set a timeout (float)
  -i INTERVAL, --interval INTERVAL
                        time between readings

# Show help on the flash sub command
(venv) $ ubitlogger flash -h
usage: ubitlogger flash [-h] -s {temperature,light,accelerometer,radio} [-rg RADIO_GROUP]

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -s {temperature,light,accelerometer,radio}, --sensor {temperature,light,accelerometer,radio}
                        Specify the sensor to read
  -rg RADIO_GROUP, --radio-group RADIO_GROUP
                        Specify the "group" the radio should listen on.
                        A "group" is a number between 0 and 255, inclusive.
                        The default is 0.

# Log to the console with defaults
(venv) $ ubitlogger start
...
<data>
...
# Hit CTRL-C to stop logging
^C
Exited by CTRL-C
Cleaning up thread
--> Waiting for thread to finish

# Log to a file
(venv) $ ubitlogger start > data.log

# Flashing an example script to read a sensor (temperature, light, accelerometer and radio).
# This doesn't work on WSL as we can't mount the micro:bit as a
# USB mass storage device.
# On Ubuntu jammy the micro:bit isn't auto mounted.
# First figure out the device with
(venv) $ sudo fdisk -l
# and then mount it like this
(venv) $ sudo mount /dev/<device> /media/MICROBIT

# Flash a script to the micro:bit that reads the light sensor and sends
# readings to the serial port.
(venv) $ sudo venv/bin/ubitlogger flash -s light

# Flash a script to the micro:bit that lets it act like a
# receiver of data send by other micro:bits. Data received
# is sent over the serial link to ubitlogger.
# This example flashes a script that listens on radio group 6.
(venv) $ sudo venv/bin/ubitlogger flash -s radio -rg 6
(venv) $ ubitlogger start -d

Using ubitlogger from a linux distro on WSL 2

Connect a USB device to your linux distro on WSL 2 using usbipd-win

List USB devices

PS C:\Users\p4irin> usbipd list --usbids

Connected:
BUSID  VID:PID  DEVICE                          STATE
1-1    046d:c534  Logitech, Inc., NanoReceiver  Not shared
1-3    0d28:0204  NXP, ARM  mbed                Not Shared
...

Register/bind a USB device for sharing. Device "NXP, ARM mbed" with busid 1-3 identifies our micro:bit:

PS C:\Users\p4irin> usbipd bind --busid 1-3

If you list USB devices again, the microbit wil show up as Shared:

PS C:\Users\p4irin> usbipd list --usbids

Connected:
BUSID  VID:PID  DEVICE                          STATE
1-1    046d:c534  Logitech, Inc., NanoReceiver  Not shared
1-3    0d28:0204  NXP, ARM  mbed                Shared
...
PS C:\Users\p4irin>

Attach the USB device to WSL:

PS C:\Users\p4irin> usbipd attach --wsl --busid 1-3 --auto-attach

usbipd: info: Using WSL distribution 'Ubuntu-22.04' to attach; the device will be available in all WSL 2 distributions.
usbipd: info: Using IP address 172.21.144.1 to reach the host.
usbipd: info: Starting endless attach loop; press Ctrl+C to quit.

PS C:\Users\p4irin>

Listing USB devices will show the micro:bit attached:

PS C:\Users\p4irin> usbipd list --usbids

Connected:
BUSID  VID:PID  DEVICE                          STATE
1-1    046d:c534  Logitech, Inc., NanoReceiver  Not shared
1-3    0d28:0204  NXP, ARM  mbed                Attached
...
PS C:\Users\p4irin>

In your WSL distro's terminal, check if the micro:bit is listed:

$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0d28:0204 NXP ARM mbed
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
$

Now run ubitlogger in your Python virtualenv:

(venv) $ ubitlogger start -d -t 3

Found a micro:bit on: /dev/ttyACM0
Listening on port /dev/ttyACM0
Baudrate: 115200
Data bits: 8
Stop bits: 1
Parity: N
timeout: 3.0
18 17
18 6
^C
Exited by CTRL-C
Cleaning up thread
--> Waiting for thread to finish.

(venv) $

To detach the device from WSL:

PS C:\Users\p4irin> usbipd detach --busid 1-3

Reference

• pySerial
• usbipd-win
• micro:bit 1.3x