robus-core

Core connection component of the bot controlling system, which provides the infrastructure for framework nodes to communicate via Redis.

How it works

• Nodes are Python scripts named node_*.py, placed in the parent directory of robus-core/
• Each node communicates with others through a shared Redis instance using the TelemetryBroker library (libs/lib_telemtrybroker.py)
• utils/detect_nodes.py scans for nodes and writes their paths to tmp/node_list.csv
• utils/starter.py detects and launches all nodes, each in its own terminal window
• To disable a node without deleting it, prefix its filename with _ (e.g. _node_sensor.py)

Directory structure

robus-core/
├── libs/               # Shared libraries (TelemetryBroker, sensor drivers)
├── tmp/                # Runtime output (gitignored)
├── utils/              # Core python scripts (starter, stop, node detection)
└── various helper scripts

../                     # Parent directory — place node_*.py files here

Setup

1. Install Redis (Linux)

bash setup_redis.sh

2. Configure autostart (optional)

Linux:

bash configure_startup.sh

Windows:

configure_startup.bat

Running

Start all nodes

Linux:

bash start.sh

Windows:

start.bat

A '--debug' flag can be added to prevent nodes from closing automatically on error or process end.

This activates the virtual environment if one is found at venv/ or env/, then launches utils/starter.py.

Stop all nodes

Linux:

bash stop.sh

Windows:

stop.bat

This activates the virtual environment if one is found at venv/ or env/, then launches utils/stop.py.

Virtual environment

If a virtual environment exists at robus-core/venv/ or robus-core/env/, the start scripts activate it automatically. To create one:

python -m venv venv
venv/Scripts/activate      # Windows
source venv/bin/activate   # Linux

pip install redis psutil

---

Creating a Node

A node is a standalone Python script that communicates with other nodes via Redis.

1. Create the file

• The filename must start with node_: e.g. node_sensor.py
• The file belongs in the parent directory of robus-core/:

my-project/
├── robus-core/       ← framework
├── node_sensor.py    ← your node
└── node_motor.py     ← your node

Prefixing a filename with _ (e.g. _node_sensor.py) excludes the node from autostart without deleting it.

2. Import TelemetryBroker

import sys, os
sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "robus-core"))

from libs.lib_telemtrybroker import TelemetryBroker

broker = TelemetryBroker()          # connects to localhost:6379
# broker = TelemetryBroker(host="...", port=6379, db=0)  # optional

The broker automatically registers the node in Redis on startup. The key name is the filename without .py.

3. Writing data

broker.set("motor_speed", 42)
broker.set("status", "running")
broker.set("armed", True)           # bool is automatically cast to int (0/1)

broker.setmulti({
    "x": 1.5,
    "y": -3.0,
    "z": 0.0,
})

4. Reading data

speed = broker.get("motor_speed")          # single value
data  = broker.getmulti(["x", "y", "z"])   # multiple values → dict
all   = broker.getall()                     # entire Redis contents → dict
imu   = broker.getallWith("imu_*")         # all keys matching a prefix → dict

Values are automatically cast to int, float, or str depending on their content.

5. Reacting to changes (callback)

def on_change(key, value):
    print(f"{key} changed: {value}")

broker.setcallback(["motor_speed", "armed"], on_change)
broker.receiver_loop()   # blocking — call at the end of main()

receiver_loop() runs indefinitely and invokes the callback whenever a monitored value changes.

6. Permissions

Value	Meaning
0	No access
1	Read only
2	Read, write, delete (default)

broker.get_node_permission()   # returns 0, 1, or 2

The default is 2. Another node can restrict permissions via broker.set("node_sensor", 1).

7. Minimal example

import sys, os, time
sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "robus-core"))
from libs.lib_telemtrybroker import TelemetryBroker

broker = TelemetryBroker()

while True:
    broker.set("sensor_value", 42)
    print(broker.getall())
    time.sleep(0.1)

8. Cleanup

The TelemetryBroker destructor calls close() automatically, which removes the node's key from Redis. To call it explicitly:

broker.close()