circuitpython/docs/library/pyb.UART.rst

.. currentmodule:: pyb
.. _pyb.UART:

class UART -- duplex serial communication bus
=============================================

UART implements the standard UART/USART duplex serial communications protocol.  At
the physical level it consists of 2 lines: RX and TX.  The unit of communication
is a character (not to be confused with a string character) which can be 8 or 9
bits wide.

UART objects can be created and initialised using::

    from pyb import UART

    uart = UART(1, 9600)                         # init with given baudrate
    uart.init(9600, bits=8, parity=None, stop=1) # init with given parameters

Bits can be 7, 8 or 9.  Parity can be None, 0 (even) or 1 (odd).  Stop can be 1 or 2.

*Note:* with parity=None, only 8 and 9 bits are supported.  With parity enabled,
only 7 and 8 bits are supported.

A UART object acts like a `stream` object and reading and writing is done
using the standard stream methods::

    uart.read(10)       # read 10 characters, returns a bytes object
    uart.read()         # read all available characters
    uart.readline()     # read a line
    uart.readinto(buf)  # read and store into the given buffer
    uart.write('abc')   # write the 3 characters

Individual characters can be read/written using::

    uart.readchar()     # read 1 character and returns it as an integer
    uart.writechar(42)  # write 1 character

To check if there is anything to be read, use::

    uart.any()          # returns the number of characters waiting


*Note:* The stream functions ``read``, ``write``, etc. are new in MicroPython v1.3.4.
Earlier versions use ``uart.send`` and ``uart.recv``.

Constructors
------------

.. class:: pyb.UART(bus, ...)

   Construct a UART object on the given bus.
   For Pyboard ``bus`` can be 1-4, 6, 'XA', 'XB', 'YA', or 'YB'.
   For Pyboard Lite ``bus`` can be 1, 2, 6, 'XB', or 'YA'.
   For Pyboard D ``bus`` can be 1-4, 'XA', 'YA' or 'YB'.
   With no additional parameters, the UART object is created but not
   initialised (it has the settings from the last initialisation of
   the bus, if any).  If extra arguments are given, the bus is initialised.
   See ``init`` for parameters of initialisation.

   The physical pins of the UART buses on Pyboard are:

     - ``UART(4)`` is on ``XA``: ``(TX, RX) = (X1, X2) = (PA0, PA1)``
     - ``UART(1)`` is on ``XB``: ``(TX, RX) = (X9, X10) = (PB6, PB7)``
     - ``UART(6)`` is on ``YA``: ``(TX, RX) = (Y1, Y2) = (PC6, PC7)``
     - ``UART(3)`` is on ``YB``: ``(TX, RX) = (Y9, Y10) = (PB10, PB11)``
     - ``UART(2)`` is on: ``(TX, RX) = (X3, X4) = (PA2, PA3)``

   The Pyboard Lite supports UART(1), UART(2) and UART(6) only, pins are:

     - ``UART(1)`` is on ``XB``: ``(TX, RX) = (X9, X10) = (PB6, PB7)``
     - ``UART(6)`` is on ``YA``: ``(TX, RX) = (Y1, Y2) = (PC6, PC7)``
     - ``UART(2)`` is on: ``(TX, RX) = (X1, X2) = (PA2, PA3)``

   The Pyboard D supports UART(1), UART(2), UART(3) and UART(4) only, pins are:

     - ``UART(4)`` is on ``XA``: ``(TX, RX) = (X1, X2) = (PA0, PA1)``
     - ``UART(1)`` is on ``YA``: ``(TX, RX) = (Y1, Y2) = (PA9, PA10)``
     - ``UART(3)`` is on ``YB``: ``(TX, RX) = (Y9, Y10) = (PB10, PB11)``
     - ``UART(2)`` is on: ``(TX, RX) = (X3, X4) = (PA2, PA3)``

   *Note:* Pyboard D has ``UART(1)`` on ``YA``, unlike Pyboard and Pyboard Lite that both
   have ``UART(1)`` on ``XB`` and ``UART(6)`` on ``YA``.

Methods
-------

.. method:: UART.init(baudrate, bits=8, parity=None, stop=1, *, timeout=0, flow=0, timeout_char=0, read_buf_len=64)

   Initialise the UART bus with the given parameters:

     - ``baudrate`` is the clock rate.
     - ``bits`` is the number of bits per character, 7, 8 or 9.
     - ``parity`` is the parity, ``None``, 0 (even) or 1 (odd).
     - ``stop`` is the number of stop bits, 1 or 2.
     - ``flow`` sets the flow control type. Can be 0, ``UART.RTS``, ``UART.CTS``
       or ``UART.RTS | UART.CTS``.
     - ``timeout`` is the timeout in milliseconds to wait for writing/reading the first character.
     - ``timeout_char`` is the timeout in milliseconds to wait between characters while writing or reading.
     - ``read_buf_len`` is the character length of the read buffer (0 to disable).

   This method will raise an exception if the baudrate could not be set within
   5% of the desired value.  The minimum baudrate is dictated by the frequency
   of the bus that the UART is on; UART(1) and UART(6) are APB2, the rest are on
   APB1.  The default bus frequencies give a minimum baudrate of 1300 for
   UART(1) and UART(6) and 650 for the others.  Use :func:`pyb.freq <pyb.freq>`
   to reduce the bus frequencies to get lower baudrates.

   *Note:* with parity=None, only 8 and 9 bits are supported.  With parity enabled,
   only 7 and 8 bits are supported.

.. method:: UART.deinit()

   Turn off the UART bus.

.. method:: UART.any()

   Returns the number of bytes waiting (may be 0).

.. method:: UART.read([nbytes])

   Read characters.  If ``nbytes`` is specified then read at most that many bytes.
   If ``nbytes`` are available in the buffer, returns immediately, otherwise returns
   when sufficient characters arrive or the timeout elapses.

   If ``nbytes`` is not given then the method reads as much data as possible.  It
   returns after the timeout has elapsed.

   *Note:* for 9 bit characters each character takes two bytes, ``nbytes`` must
   be even, and the number of characters is ``nbytes/2``.

   Return value: a bytes object containing the bytes read in.  Returns ``None``
   on timeout.

.. method:: UART.readchar()

   Receive a single character on the bus.

   Return value: The character read, as an integer.  Returns -1 on timeout.

.. method:: UART.readinto(buf[, nbytes])

   Read bytes into the ``buf``.  If ``nbytes`` is specified then read at most
   that many bytes.  Otherwise, read at most ``len(buf)`` bytes.

   Return value: number of bytes read and stored into ``buf`` or ``None`` on
   timeout.

.. method:: UART.readline()

   Read a line, ending in a newline character. If such a line exists, return is
   immediate. If the timeout elapses, all available data is returned regardless
   of whether a newline exists.

   Return value: the line read or ``None`` on timeout if no data is available.

.. method:: UART.write(buf)

   Write the buffer of bytes to the bus.  If characters are 7 or 8 bits wide
   then each byte is one character.  If characters are 9 bits wide then two
   bytes are used for each character (little endian), and ``buf`` must contain
   an even number of bytes.

   Return value: number of bytes written. If a timeout occurs and no bytes
   were written returns ``None``.

.. method:: UART.writechar(char)

   Write a single character on the bus.  ``char`` is an integer to write.
   Return value: ``None``. See note below if CTS flow control is used.

.. method:: UART.sendbreak()

   Send a break condition on the bus.  This drives the bus low for a duration
   of 13 bits.
   Return value: ``None``.

Constants
---------

.. data:: UART.RTS
          UART.CTS

   to select the flow control type.

Flow Control
------------

On Pyboards V1 and V1.1 ``UART(2)`` and ``UART(3)`` support RTS/CTS hardware flow control
using the following pins:

    - ``UART(2)`` is on: ``(TX, RX, nRTS, nCTS) = (X3, X4, X2, X1) = (PA2, PA3, PA1, PA0)``
    - ``UART(3)`` is on :``(TX, RX, nRTS, nCTS) = (Y9, Y10, Y7, Y6) = (PB10, PB11, PB14, PB13)``

On the Pyboard Lite only ``UART(2)`` supports flow control on these pins:

    ``(TX, RX, nRTS, nCTS) = (X1, X2, X4, X3) = (PA2, PA3, PA1, PA0)``

In the following paragraphs the term "target" refers to the device connected to
the UART.

When the UART's ``init()`` method is called with ``flow`` set to one or both of
``UART.RTS`` and ``UART.CTS`` the relevant flow control pins are configured.
``nRTS`` is an active low output, ``nCTS`` is an active low input with pullup
enabled. To achieve flow control the Pyboard's ``nCTS`` signal should be connected
to the target's ``nRTS`` and the Pyboard's ``nRTS`` to the target's ``nCTS``.

CTS: target controls Pyboard transmitter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If CTS flow control is enabled the write behaviour is as follows:

If the Pyboard's ``UART.write(buf)`` method is called, transmission will stall for
any periods when ``nCTS`` is ``False``. This will result in a timeout if the entire
buffer was not transmitted in the timeout period. The method returns the number of
bytes written, enabling the user to write the remainder of the data if required. In
the event of a timeout, a character will remain in the UART pending ``nCTS``. The
number of bytes composing this character will be included in the return value.

If ``UART.writechar()`` is called when ``nCTS`` is ``False`` the method will time
out unless the target asserts ``nCTS`` in time. If it times out ``OSError 116``
will be raised. The character will be transmitted as soon as the target asserts ``nCTS``.

RTS: Pyboard controls target's transmitter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If RTS flow control is enabled, behaviour is as follows:

If buffered input is used (``read_buf_len`` > 0), incoming characters are buffered.
If the buffer becomes full, the next character to arrive will cause ``nRTS`` to go
``False``: the target should cease transmission. ``nRTS`` will go ``True`` when
characters are read from the buffer.

Note that the ``any()`` method returns the number of bytes in the buffer. Assume a
buffer length of ``N`` bytes. If the buffer becomes full, and another character arrives,
``nRTS`` will be set False, and ``any()`` will return the count ``N``. When
characters are read the additional character will be placed in the buffer and will
be included in the result of a subsequent ``any()`` call.

If buffered input is not used (``read_buf_len`` == 0) the arrival of a character will
cause ``nRTS`` to go ``False`` until the character is read.