comchan 0.2.4

A Blazingly Fast and Minimal Serial Monitor for Embedded Applications
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![Banner](./docs/src/images/banner.png)

---

<!-- START doctoc generated TOC please keep comment here to allow auto update -->
<!-- DON'T EDIT THIS SECTION, INSTEAD RE-RUN doctoc TO UPDATE -->
<!--**Table of Contents**  *generated with [DocToc](https://github.com/thlorenz/doctoc)*-->

- [ComChan](#comchan)
  - [Installation](#installation)
    - [From crates.io](#from-cratesio)
    - [From AUR](#from-aur)
    - [Using Homebrew](#using-homebrew)
    - [From source](#from-source)
- [Documentation Link](#documentation-link)
  - [Common Commands](#common-commands)
    - [Basic Serial Monitor](#basic-serial-monitor)
    - [Verbose Mode](#verbose-mode)
    - [Log Mode](#log-mode)
    - [Serial Plotter](#serial-plotter)
    - [Automatically detect serial ports](#automatically-detect-serial-ports)
    - [Use a Configuration file](#use-a-configuration-file)
  - [Features](#features)
    - [Legends](#legends)
- [Examples](#examples)
  - ["Hello World" Program](#hello-world-program)
  - [User Input](#user-input)
  - [Serial Plotter](#serial-plotter-1)
  - [Auto Serial Port Detector](#auto-serial-port-detector)
  - [Using the Configuration file](#using-the-configuration-file)
    - [Serial Monitor (`plot = false`)](#serial-monitor-plot--false)
    - [Serial Plotter (`plot = true`)](#serial-plotter-plot--true)
    - [Serial Plotter Multiple sensor values](#serial-plotter-multiple-sensor-values)
  - [ComChan in Windows](#comchan-in-windows)
- [Feedback Form](#feedback-form)
- [Stargazers over time](#stargazers-over-time)

<!-- END doctoc generated TOC please keep comment here to allow auto update -->

# ComChan (Communication Channel)

ComChan is a Blazingly Fast Serial monitor for Embedded Systems and Serial Communication.

**Latest Version**: 0.2.3

## Installation

### From crates.io

> [!NOTE]
> `cargo install` NOW AVAILABLE

```bash
cargo install comchan

#Install the binary directly
cargo binstall comchan
```

After installing, check if it has been installed with

```bash
comchan --version
```

### From AUR

Thanks to [orhun](https://github.com/orhun), ComChan now has an AUR package

```bash
# Using yay 

yay -S comchan

# Using paru 

paru -S comchan
```

### Using Homebrew

ComChan can also be installed by using Homebrew taps

```bash
brew install Vaishnav-Sabari-Girish/taps/comchan
```

### From source

```bash
# Clone from GitHub
git clone git@github.com:Vaishnav-Sabari-Girish/ComChan.git

# Clone from Codeberg
git clone ssh://git@codeberg.org/Vaishnav-Sabari-Girish/ComChan.git
```

```bash
cd ComChan

cargo build --release

cargo run
```

# Documentation Link

Documentation Link : https://vaishnav.world/ComChan

## Common Commands

### Basic Serial Monitor

```bash
comchan -p <port> -r <baud_rate>

# OR

comchan --port <port> --baud <baud_rate>
```

### Verbose Mode

```bash
comchan -p <port> -r <baud_rate> -v

# OR

comchan --port <port> --baud <baud_rate> --verbose
```

### Log Mode

```bash
comchan -p <port> -r <baud_rate> -l <log_file_name>

# OR 

comchan --port <port> --baud <baud_rate> --log <log_file_name>
```

For an example log file , get it [here](./test.log)

### Serial Plotter

```bash
comchan --port <port> --baud <baud_rate> --plot

# OR 

comchan -p <port> -r <baud_rate> --plot
```

### Automatically detect serial ports

```bash
comchan --auto    ##Defaults baud rate to 9600

#OR 

comchan --auto --baud <baud_rate>  # For non-default baud rates like 115200

# OR 

comchan --auto -r <baud_rate>
```

### Use a Configuration file

As of version 0.1.9, you can now create your own configuration file to use ComChan, which means that you won't have to type all the flags.

```bash
# Generate default configuration file 

comchan --generate-config   # Generates the default config file at ~/.config/comchan/comchan.toml
```

Here is an example configuration file

```toml
# ComChan Configuration File
#
# This file contains default settings for comchan serial monitor.
# Command line arguments will override these settings.
#
# To use auto-detection, set port = "auto"
# Available parity options: "none", "odd", "even"
# Available flow control options: "none", "software", "hardware"

port = "auto"
baud = 9600
data_bits = 8
stop_bits = 1
parity = "none"
flow_control = "none"
timeout_ms = 500
reset_delay_ms = 1000
verbose = false
plot = false
plot_points = 100
```

> [!NOTE]
> Note that the default baud rate is `9600`, you can change it later on in the config file

The above default config file values can be overridden by using the flags (`--auto`, `--port or -p`, `--baud or -r`, `--plot`).

## Features

- [x] Read incoming Serial data from Serial ports
- [x] Write to Serial port i.e Send data to Serial device.
- [x] Basic logging.
- [x] Auto detect Serial Ports
- [x] Use a `.toml` file for config instead of flags
- [ ] Write serial data to a file for later use (can be .txt , .csv and more)
- [x] Terminal based Serial Plotter (to be implemented with the `--plot` command)
- [x] Plot multiple sensor values in the Serial Plotter with legends

### Legends

- [x] Implemented Features
- [ ] Yet to me implemented

# Examples

## "Hello World" Program

![GIF](./docs/src/videos/basic_serial_mon.gif)

[code file hw](./code_tests/test_comchan_arduino_uno/test_comchan_arduino_uno.ino)

## User Input

![User IP](./docs/src/videos/basic_user_input.gif)

[Code file](./code_tests/test_user_input/test_user_input.ino)

## Serial Plotter

![Serial Plotter](./docs/src/videos/plotter.gif)

[code file 2](./code_tests/random_sensor_vals/random_sensor_vals.ino)

## Auto Serial Port Detector

![auto](./docs/src/videos/auto.gif)

## Using the Configuration file

### Serial Monitor (`plot = false`)

![plotfalse](./docs/src/videos/config_mon.gif)

### Serial Plotter (`plot = true`)

![plottrue](./docs/src/videos/config_plot.gif)

### Serial Plotter Multiple sensor values

![multiple_plot](./docs/src/videos/multiple_sensor_plot.gif)

[code file multiple vals](./code_tests/random_sensor_vals_multiple/random_sensor_vals_multiple.ino)

## ComChan in Windows

As of Version 0.2.2, ComChan can be used in Windows with no drawbacks

[![IMAGE ALT TEXT HERE](https://img.youtube.com/vi/23sSd4_bcxM/0.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23sSd4_bcxM)

To use ComChan in Windows, you can download the .exe file from the releases and use it as follows. 

Let's say you have downloaded the .exe file to `Downloads/`, you have to first open `cmd` or Powershell and `cd` to `Downloads/` and then 

```pwr 
comchan.exe --help
```

# Feedback Form

The Feedback form was created using Bashforms (Forms in the terminal itself).

To give you feedback, please type this on your terminal

```bash
ssh -t bashform.me f comchan
```

# Stargazers over time

[![Stargazers over time](https://starchart.cc/Vaishnav-Sabari-Girish/ComChan.svg?variant=dark)](https://starchart.cc/Vaishnav-Sabari-Girish/ComChan)