Instrumentino

Using Arduino Interfacing w/ Software on the Computer
1

Hi all,

I would like to ask a general help to use instrumentino. I am a cancer researcher and not a software geek or hardliner coder, so It is so difficult for me to install instrumentino. I am working on a special field of cancer therapeutics, using radiofrequency current to destroy the tumor tissue and I have to prototype a lot of experimental gadgets. Arduino is a great possibility to record the experimental data and Instrumentino can be a good opportunity to do this job.
Unfortunately I can not find any good, step by step guideline to use Instrumentino for those users who are not a software experts.
Can anyone help me?

2

  1. do you have a link to the instrumentino datasheet / website? I've no experience with it either

  2. what do you want to connect to it? Making (semi) medical devices is a occupation in itself. An Arduino (clones) is not directly designed for for this

  3. Tell more about the projects (experimental gadgets) you like to make. That helps us to help you.

3

robtillaart:

  1. do you have a link to the instrumentino datasheet / website? I've no experience with it either

I think Instrumentino is a very useful tool especially in scientific research, according to its description. It is a GUI and is a Python based package.
You can find all the information about it here:

instrumentino ยท PyPI

and the Controlino, which is a microcontroller part of the software:

https://github.com/yoelk/Instrumentino/blob/master/controlino/controlino.cpp

I have downloaded and installed the Python environment as well as the Instrumentino software package, but I have no idea how can I even start the GUI, and how can I upload the Controlino part to the Arduino.

Perhaps this is absolutely obvious for a software expert, but not for me, however I also have a computer literacy, but not in this expert coder level.

I would like to ask some help from an expert who is familiar in Python language.

  1. what do you want to connect to it? Making (semi) medical devices is a occupation in itself. An Arduino (clones) is not directly designed for for this

Yes, of course you are absolutely right. For my professional experimental measurement I use a highly sophisticated measurement electronics which was designed by engineers especially for the specific purpose I need. (During my RF treatments I have to measure a lot of electromagnetic parameters, electrode voltage, load current, phase, etc.)

I use Arduino when I just want to make some preliminary study or I just want to test some new idea and a highly precise measurement is not a requirement, and I can easily set up the AD converter to record some measurement data. I think Arduino is perfect for that purpose.

  1. Tell more about the projects (experimental gadgets) you like to make. That helps us to help you.

At this stage, this is not a real project, I just want to record and graph a signal from a simple photodiode.

Thank you in advance!

4

robtillaart:

  1. do you have a link to the instrumentino datasheet / website? I've no experience with it either

From the playground page the link is to here.

5

Hello

I read what INSTRUMENTINO and I'd love to help you develop your test system with in my web application www.dataino.it, then later make a tutorial to be used at all.

you do not need to install or configure anything hard need only chrome, an app and then connect Arduino.

I am attaching a screen interface that I do in 50 seconds and its self-generated code.

Web interface:

code : http://iot.dataino.it/instrumentino/research.txt

Carmelo G.

6

Thank you for this interesting information. I have already checked this software.

To tell the truth this can not really help for me. As I wrote I am not a software geek, so I can not handle this software tool what you recommended without a detailed description.

The only thing I need is a very clear, step by step guidance for the Instrumentino application.

Thank you in advance!

7

For some reason I have been experiencing similar problems obtaining information on Instrumentino and Controllino software.

After much frustration, I have only determined that Instrumentino and Controllino are complementary software packages that allow a user to easily interact with the hardware on an Arduino board. This interaction may include reading data from sensors or resistors attached to the input of an Arduino, or changing the output values of an Arduino by altering the parameters of variables inherent within the sketch it is running.

More specifically, Instrumentino is design software that allows you to build a custom GUI, specific to the needs of your project. Once completed, this program resides and runs on a local computer. Consequently, the local computer 'hosts' the GUI, providing the user with a graphical environment in which to make or read the changes to the Arduino previously described.

Controllino, on the otherhand, is the second half of the equation. It is the control software that allows the hardware attached to your Arduino to communicate directly with the GUI software. It does this, over a serial connection established between the two entities, the host computer and the Arduino board. This software is uploaded to your Arduino as a sketch and as such, runs on the Arduino concurrent to the GUI program on the host computer. It acts much like the driver software in your computer's operating system, allowing software and hardware to interface seamlessly.

While I am uncertain how to download and use Instrumentino, I believe Controllino has to be downloaded as a library to your Arduino IDE. Like other libraries not native to the IDE software, the library is initially saved on your computer and then imported to the IDE separately. After being imported, the Controllino library will be available from within the IDE. The features of the library can be accessed from within a sketch by referencing the appropriate include statement. IE - #include controllino

Unfortunately, most of the websites claiming to be devoted to Instrumentino and Controllino are vague, confusing or contradictory. They either redirect the individual to a respository on GitHub or offer convoluted lessons on how GitHub is suppose to work. They consistently fail to provide any clear instruction on how to download, install or use the software, nor do they provide any real life examples of either of these programs in action.

I find this very disturbing. This software could prove of great benefit to the Arduino community, and yet it is being allowed to die a quick death because of the Helen Hunt Syndrome...As they say, if you want further information on the subject, just go to Helen Hunt for it. What is needed is a dedicated web portal. A place where people can readily download the software. A place that not only offers instruction on installation and use, but also allows the user to watch video of the software being implemented. Perhaps a dedicated channel on YouTube.

I would very much like to help correct this problem, but unfortunately do not know enough about the software to commit myself to such a project. If however, there are others in the Arduino community willing to educate me, I would be more than happy to contribute my time to such an endeavor. Not only would it help me complete, document and share my own project, but I am sure that it would greatly enhance the projects of others.

If you think you can assist me further, please email me at jafoellisdiyeprojects@gmail.com