LabReportAPI - TCP Listener + Web API for Lab Data Logging

LabReportAPI is a .NET 9 WebAPI application that listens for lab machine data over TCP using a custom STX/ETX protocol. Valid lab data is parsed and saved to a USB drive as a JSON file. The Web API provides endpoints to monitor status and trigger data saving.

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🧠 How the Code Works

✅ TCP Listener (TcpListenerService)

• Listens on 0.0.0.0:12377 for incoming TCP messages.
• Each message must be wrapped in STX (0x02) and ETX (0x03) characters.
• Valid messages are in the format: PATIENT123|GLUCOSE|120|mg/dL
• Parsed data is stored in-memory as LabMessage objects. If the system has been idle (no TCP messages) for 30+ seconds, it saves data.
• Data is appended to LabData.json on the USB drive.
• Works even if the USB path is not explicitly configured (auto-detects removable drives).

✅ Web API Endpoints (LabDataController)

• /api/labdata/status: Shows the server IP, port, last message time, and write status.
• /api/labdata/save: Manually triggers a save to USB.

🧪 Lab Machine Configuration

For the LabReportAPI to receive data, you will need to configure your lab machine's settings to send data to the IP address where LabReportAPI is running, on port 12377.

The image below shows an example of the kind of configuration settings you might encounter on a lab machine to set up the host and protocol parameters:

Key settings to look for on your lab machine:

• IP Address/Host: Set this to the IP address of the machine running LabReportAPI.
• Port: Set this to 12377.
• Protocol/Delimiter: Ensure the machine is configured to send data with STX (Start of Text, 0x02) and ETX (End of Text, 0x03) delimiters. You may also need to configure other protocol parameters like Baud Rate, Parity, Data Length, and Stop Bits to match the machine's default output or a standard configuration.

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How to Build

You can build using the .NET CLI:

dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true

Config USB Path (Optional)

Edit appsettings.json:

{
  "LabSettings": {
    "UsbPath": "E:\"
  }
}

If left empty, the app will try to auto-detect the first available removable USB drive.

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📩 Need Help?

If you're unsure how to send TCP messages or need help testing, please reach out to me.

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