Telemetry Control System (TCS)

Telemetry Control System (TCS) is a system designed to enable real-time communication and control between a car and a laptop using two ESP32 devices connected via LoRa. The project includes embedded firmware for both devices and a Python application for monitoring and control.

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Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Team / Contributors
• Repository Structure
• Prerequisites
• Building & Flashing Firmware
• Running the Python Application
• Workflow
• CI/CD Pipeline
• Contact

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Overview

The Telemetry Control System consists of:

• ESP32 on the car (Master) — collects data and sends it over LoRa.
• ESP32 on the laptop (Mini) — receives data from the car and can send commands back.
• Python application — interfaces with the Master ESP32 for monitoring, logging, and control.

This setup allows real-time telemetry, testing, and demonstration of embedded firmware communication over LoRa.

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Features

• Real-time bidirectional communication between car and laptop via LoRa
• Firmware for both Master and Mini ESP32 devices
• Python application for monitoring, control, and data visualization
• Modular and extensible design for future enhancements

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Team / Contributors

Name	Role / Responsibility
Shinika	Team lead; TCS Mini firmware development and LoRa integration
Jordan	TCS Master firmware development
Hannah	Python application development
Hemanth	Hardware development support

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Repository Structure

Software/ — Python Application

Contains the telemetry dashboard and UART communication layer.

Files

• tcs_app.py Main GUI dashboard using DearPyGUI. Handles UI layout, threading, live telemetry display, command sending, etc.

• uart_data_read.py Serial interface module. Handles UART reads, packet parsing, and communication with the GUI layer.

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TCS-Mini/ — ESP32 Firmware (Laptop Side)

Mini = laptop-side ESP32 that receives telemetry via LoRa and can send commands.

Includes:

• LoRa Modules: lora_app.c, lora_app.h

• UART Modules: uart_app.c, uart_app.h

• Networking / Web: wifi_app.c, wifi_app.h, web_app.c, web_app.h, http_server.c, http_server.h

• Common: tasks_common.h, main.c, CMakeLists.txt, Kconfig.projbuild, idf_component.yml

• webpage/ — Static web assets

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TCS-Master/ — ESP32 Firmware (Car Side)

Master = car-side ESP32 responsible for collecting sensor data and transmitting telemetry.

Files

• main.c, main.h Firmware entry point.

• telemetry.c, telemetry.h Builds telemetry packets from all available sensors.

• lora_handler.c, lora_handler.h Handles LoRa transmission.

• can_lora.c, can_lora.h CAN bus reading and telemetry conversion.

• crash_imu.c, crash_imu.h IMU crash/acceleration detection.

• humidity.c, humidity.h Humidity/environment sensor.

• rgb_ledc_controller.c, rgb_ledc_controller.h LED status indicator logic.

• Build Files: CMakeLists.txt, component.mk, Kconfig.projbuild

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Prerequisites

Firmware (ESP32)

sudo apt-get install git wget flex bison gperf python3 python3-pip python3-venv cmake ninja-build ccache libffi-dev libssl-dev dfu-util libusb-1.0-0

Python

pip install -r requirements.txt

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Building & Flashing Firmware

git clone https://github.com/spartanracingelectric/Telemetry-Control-System.git

Build

cd TCS-Master
idf.py build

cd TCS-Mini
idf.py build

Flash

idf.py -p /dev/ttyUSB0 flash

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Running the Python Application

cd Software
python tcs_app.py

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Workflow

1. Flash both ESP32 devices.
2. Power the car-side Master.
3. Power the laptop-side Mini.
4. Launch the Python dashboard.

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CI/CD Pipeline

1. Python Syntax & Build Check

• Checks syntax for tcs_app.py and uart_data_read.py
• Ensures imports load properly
• Fails on any syntax or import error

2. ESP-IDF Build Pipeline

• Installs ESP-IDF toolchain
• Builds TCS-Master and TCS-Mini
• Fails on any compile or configuration error

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Contact

Project Lead: Shinika