Operate LEGO MINDSTORMS Inventor Hub from your computer

This module allows you to operate the LEGO mindstorms hub from your computer. This means that instead of sending entire python files to the hub and letting it run them, you can run the command one after another from your computer. This allows easy experimenting from a python shell on your computer, showing you completions and API documentation on the way. This also allows you to use the regular debugging facilities you're used to.

The API mirrors that of the actual micropython API, so programs that run on the hub (and don't use callbacks) should run on your computer using this module and vice versa.

The API documentation was copied from the official LEGO MINDSTORMS Inventor Hub documentation.

Managing the actual connection to the hub is using the excellent rshell project.

Getting Started

Run:

pip install mindstorms

Connect the hub to your computer using the USB cable, and then run this from Python:

from mindstorms import Hub
hub = Hub()
while True:
    while hub.motion.gesture() != hub.motion.TAPPED:
        pass
    hub.sound.play('/extra_files/Hello')

Tap the hub, and hear it say "hello".

Easier usage of sensors using spikedev

You can use Daniel Walton's spikedev for easier usage of the sensors, like this:

pip install git+https://github.com/noamraph/spikedev.git@sensor-support-cpython

>>> from mindstorms import *
>>> from spikedev.sensor import *
>>> hub = Hub()
>>> color = ColorSensor(hub.port.D)
>>> color.value()
[0]
>>> dist = DistanceSensor(hub.port.E)
>>> dist.set_mode(DistanceSensorMode.DISTL)
>>> dist.value()
[58]

This currently relies on my pull-request. I hope it will be merged, and then you'll be able to use it directly from his repository.

Notes

The only missing classes from the official API are hub.BT_VCP and hub.USB_VCP. Adding them shouldn't be too difficult, I just didn't know how to test them.

I added all the methods from the official API, except for those that contains a callback.

License

MIT license.

Copyright (c) 2022 - Noam Raphael.

Based on the official API docs:

The MIT License (MIT)

Copyright (c) 2017-2021 - LEGO System A/S - Aastvej 1, 7190 Billund, DK

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the “Software”), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.