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Fischertechnik RevPi Controller

A Python software architecture designed for the automation, control, and monitoring of Fischertechnik industrial plants/stations based on the Revolution Pi (RevPi) controller (with hardware I/O interface managed via revpimodio2) and data transmission integration via MQTT.

📐 Project Architecture

The project structure follows a modular, object-oriented approach, divided into the following main layers:

fishertechnik-revpi-controller/
├── requirements.txt
└── src/
  ├── __init__.py
  ├── multiprocess_manager.py
  ├── components/
  │ ├── basic_components/
  │ │ ├── generic_revpi_actuator.py
  │ │ └── generic_revpi_sensor.py
  │ ├── revpi_single_motion_actuator.py
  │ ├── revpi_double_motion_actuator.py
  │ ├── revpi_vacuum_actuator.py
  │ ├── revpi_light_barrier_sensor.py
  │ └── revpi_reference_sensor.py
  ├── machines/
  │ ├── compressor_service.py
  │ ├── conveyor_carrier.py
  │ ├── oven_station.py
  │ ├── oven_station_temperature_control.py
  │ ├── saw_station.py
  │ ├── turntable_carrier.py
  │ ├── vacuum_carrier.py
  │ ├── additional_components/
  │ │ └── motor_retarder_system.py
  │ └── configurations/
  │ ├── compressor_service_conf.py
  │ ├── conveyor_carrier_conf.py
  │ ├── default_station_configs.py
  │ ├── multiproc_dept_conf.py
  │ ├── oven_station_conf.py
  │ ├── saw_station_conf.py
  │ ├── turntable_carrier_conf.py
  │ └── vacuum_carrier_conf.py
  └── mqtt/
    ├── mqtt_publisher.py
    ├── mqtt_conf_listener.py
    ├── mqtt_conf_pub_test.py
    └── mqtt_conf/
      └── mqtt_conf_parameters.py

🛠️ Main Modules and Components

1. Hardware Abstraction (src/components/)

Abstracts the actuators and sensors connected to the Revolution Pi hardware using the revpimodio2 library:

  • Basic Components: generic_revpi_actuator.py and generic_revpi_sensor.py, which define the general interface for hardware signal manipulation.
  • Specific Actuators:
  • revpi_single_motion_actuator: Controls single-directional motors or actuators.
  • revpi_double_motion_actuator: Controls two-directional motors (e.g., forward/backward, up/down).
  • revpi_vacuum_actuator: Management of vacuum suction cups and suction valves.
  • Specific Sensors:
  • revpi_light_barrier_sensor: Management of photocells/light barriers for part detection.
  • revpi_reference_sensor: Limit switch/reference position sensors.

2. Stations and Machines (src/machines/)

Implements the status and work logic of the various physical modules of the Fischertechnik model:

  • conveyor_carrier: Management of the conveyor belt for moving parts.
  • vacuum_carrier: Manipulator or arm with vacuum gripper for loading/unloading materials.
  • turntable_carrier: Rotating table for redirecting machined parts.
  • oven_station & oven_station_temperature_control: Oven station with temperature and cooking cycle regulation/control.
  • saw_station: Processing/sawing station.
  • compressor_service: Central compressed air generation and management service.
  • configurations/: Contains the RevPi I/O pin mapping and configuration parameters for each individual station/machine.

3. Communication and Telemetry (src/mqtt/)

MQTT-based network and messaging interface (paho-mqtt):

  • mqtt_publisher: Publishes machine statuses, sensor data, and telemetry in real time to dedicated topics.
  • mqtt_conf_listener & mqtt_conf_parameters: Listens for remote configuration messages/commands and manages dynamic parameters.
  • mqtt_conf_pub_test: Test script to verify message publishing and subscription.

4. Multiprocess Orchestration (src/multiprocess_manager.py)

Main script for starting and managing multiple physical stations simultaneously. It uses multiprocessing to run the stations in parallel, ensuring synchronization and independent execution on embedded/Linux systems.

📦 Dependencies

The project's dependencies are listed in the requirements.txt file:

  • paho-mqtt (==1.6.1): MQTT client for managing data flows.
  • revpimodio2 (==2.5.10): Official Python framework for interfacing with the Kunbus Revolution Pi I/O image process.
  • pkg-resources (==0.0.0): Python package management utility.

To install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

🚀 Startup and Use

  1. Hardware Configuration: Make sure the I/O configuration (PiCtory) on the Revolution Pi matches the assignments defined in the files in the src/mach folder. ines/configurations/`.

  2. Running the Orchestrator: To start the entire multi-control system and station management:

python src/multiprocess_manager.py
  1. Test MQTT Communication: To test sending/receiving configuration parameters via MQTT:
python src/mqtt/mqtt_conf_pub_test.py