Platex

Platex is an experimentation platform based on Arduino, Firmata and Python that will allow you to interface with chips, sensors and shields without writing a single line of code. It works in Windows, Linux and Mac OS.

Installation

NOTE: packages versions should be updated for the script not to fail.

Windows

Download the windows installer from the Downloads section.

Once the installation is completed a shortcut will appear in your Start Menu.

Linux

Download the appropiate version for your Linux distribution from the Downloads section.

To install and run the project in Ubuntu, download the latest deb package, install it by double-clicking and once finished run platex in a terminal.

If an Error 13 appears when connecting to the board, execute in a terminal usermod -a -G dialout YOUR_USER, then logout and then in again. Now it should be working correctly.

Building

Windows

1. Download and execute Python(x,y)
2. Select at least required libraries:
   • Python 2.7.x
   • Python
     • PyQt
     • PyQwt
     • PySerial
3. Download Platex source code

4. Build Qt files :

   > mkpyqt.py -b -r

5. Execute platex.pyw

Linux¹

Execute this in a terminal :

$ sudo bash -c "wget https://raw.github.com/gist/1427486/build-linux.sh && bash build-linux.sh"

DO NOT BUILD IN PRODUCTION ENVIROMENTS !!!

When finished a Platex-dist folder will appear where you executed the script. It contains the rpm and deb package installers for the different flavours of Linux.

Mac²

Execute this in a terminal :

$ sudo bash -c "curl -O https://raw.github.com/gist/1427486/build-mac.sh && bash build-mac.sh"

DO NOT BUILD IN PRODUCTION ENVIROMENTS !!!

Until a packaging and installing toolchain is developed you can run the main script inside the Platex folder created where you run the previous script :

$ /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin/python platex.pyw

---

1. For Linux 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot↩

2. For Mac OS X 10.7 Lion↩