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Command Line Interface

Warning

This section is fairly incomplete.

To talk to your RFQuack dongle, you have two options:

  • MQTT
  • Serial

Let's see the pros and cons of each.

MQTT Transport

(and hardware serial console)

Install or have access to an MQTT broker (Mosquitto is just perfect for this):

  • PROs
  • you don't need cables (hint: your RFQuack hardware can be battery powered)
  • if you want to connect the RFQuack hardware to your computer, you get a free (hardware) serial console for monitoring on the USB port
  • CONs
  • you need network connectivity (WiFi or cellular)
  • there's latency

Serial Transport

Connect the dongle via USB

  • PROs
  • there's little latency

  • you don't need to rely on network stability

  • CONs

  • your range is limited by the length of your USB cable (you don't say! 😮)

Command Line Interface

Now you can use RFQuack via the IPython-based shell.

Test the Shell

$ rfq --help
Usage: rfq [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...

Options:
  -l, --loglevel [CRITICAL|ERROR|WARNING|INFO|DEBUG|NOTSET]
  -h, --help                      Show this message and exit.

Commands:
  mqtt  RFQuack client with MQTT transport.
  tty   RFQuack client with serial transport.

CLI via MQTT Transport

To use this, you'll have to build a firmware configured to use the MQTT transport. Please check the USE_MQTT configuration variable in this manual.

$ rfq mqtt --help
Usage: rfq mqtt [OPTIONS]

  RFQuack client with MQTT transport. Assumes one dongle per MQTT broker.

Options:
  -i, --client_id TEXT
  -H, --host TEXT
  -P, --port INTEGER
  -u, --username TEXT
  -p, --password TEXT
  -h, --help            Show this message and exit.

CLI via Serial Transport

This is the default transport, unless USE_MQTT is set in the build.env file.

$ rfq tty --help
Usage: rfq tty [OPTIONS]

  RFQuack client with serial transport.

Options:
  -b, --baudrate INTEGER
  -s, --bytesize INTEGER
  -p, --parity [M|S|E|O|N]
  -S, --stopbits [1|1.5|2]
  -t, --timeout INTEGER
  -P, --port TEXT           [required]
  --help                    Show this message and exit.

Examples

More concretely:

$ rfq tty -P /dev/ttyUSB0
2019-04-10 18:04:31 local RFQuack[20877] INFO Transport initialized
2019-04-10 18:04:31 local RFQuack[20877] INFO Transport initialized (QoS = 2): mid = 2

...

RFQuack(/dev/ttyUSB0, 115200,8,N,1)> q.radioA.set_modem_config(modulation="OOK", carrierFreq=434.437)

result = 0
message = 2 changes applied and 0 failed.

RFQuack(/dev/ttyUSB0, 115200,8,N,1)> q.radioA.rx()

result = 0
message =
...

At this point you're good to go from here!

Inline Help

RFQuack(/dev/cu.usbserial-0001)> q.radioA.help()
Help for 'radioA':

> q.radioA.set_modem_config(rfquack_ModemConfig)
        Apply configuration to modem.

> q.radioA.set_packet_len(rfquack_PacketLen)
        Set packet length configuration (fixed/variable).

> q.radioA.set_register(rfquack_Register)
        Sets register on underlying modem.

> q.radioA.get_register(rfquack_UintValue)
        Retrieve register value from underlying modem.

> q.radioA.send_to_transport = ...
        Whatever to send received packets to transport

> q.radioA.send(rfquack_Packet)
        Send a packet over the air

> q.radioA.rx(rfquack_VoidValue)
        Puts modem in RX mode

> q.radioA.tx(rfquack_VoidValue)
        Puts modem in TX mode

> q.radioA.jam(rfquack_VoidValue)
        Starts jamming

> q.radioA.idle(rfquack_VoidValue)
        Puts modem in IDLE mode

Check src/rfquack.proto for type definitions