Wire protocol

The Python side speaks a compact integer-command protocol to the PARROTard Arduino firmware. All commands are ASCII-encoded integers; some commands are followed by a second integer or float parameter.

Magic prefix

Most command IDs follow the pattern 1337XYZ, where 1337 is a magic prefix and XYZ selects the subsystem:

Range	Subsystem	Examples
`1337`	comm test	`1337` ↔ `50 1337`
`1337000X`	write-out / clock	`13370001`, `13379999`
`1337100X`	LED control	`13371000`, `13371200`
`1337200X`	experiment flow	`13372000`, `13372001`
`1337222X`	cameras	`13372222`, `13372223`
`1337333X`	bottom strip	`13373333`, `13373334`

Comm-test handshake

Python sends the integer 1337.
Arduino replies with the line 50 1337.
cuewire.ArduinoSerial.comm_test() returns True on success and raises cuewire.CommTestError on failure.

Parameter-readout frame

In response to EXPgetParameter_return (13372999) the firmware emits a single ``>>…<< `` frame with seven comma-separated fields:

>>pre_exp,exp,led_pattern,led_mode,led_free_period,led_sin_period,led_hall_factor<<

This is parsed into a cuewire.ExpParameters by cuewire.huepfburg.parse_exp_parameters().

Continuous serial output

When write-out is enabled (13370001) the firmware emits one line per 10-ms tick with the columns documented in the experiment-script header. Toggle write-out off (13370000) before sending a command-with-follow pair, to avoid races between the two streams.