TCP interaction from python/plugin

(apologize if I am repeating a question from another thread)

I am looking to read from and send to a TCP port (192.168.1.103:9090) from within a plug in python script. I already have a serial port open (serial over IP on 192.168.1.70:4999). I know I can telnet commands to and from the 9090 port while the 4999 port is open. Not sure the best way from within my plugin however. I have looked at the Cynical Network Sent Text function but do not know how to reference from within my separate plugin, only as action group command from Indigo Interface (and I cannot dynamically change the text to send out). There must be a simple way to send a line of text to a TCP port and receive a response, no? Very similar to the serial port I/O, except not serial.

[jay (support)]

Seems like you could just use the standard Python socket interface. No clue as to the port number differences, something that's unique to that device type of course.

Thanks Jay. I tried earlier and I got hung trying to receive. Here is the code I tried. Indigolog statements were so I could see where I was hanging:

HOST = "192.168.1.103" # The remote host
PORT = 9090 # The same port as used by the server
indigo.server.log ("1")
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
indigo.server.log ("2")
s.connect((HOST, PORT))
s.send("player name 1 ?")
indigo.server.log ("3")
data = s.recv(1024)
indigo.server.log ("4")
s.close()
indigo.server.log ("Received"+ repr(data))

I got to display 1,2 and 3, so I assume "data = s.recv(1024)" cause the hang. One thing I see as I am typing is I did not put the CR+LF at the end of my text line. I will see if that makes a difference.

UPDATE: That solved it. Needed to add the "\r\n" to s.send("player name 1 ?\r\n")

Take a look at the ad2usb plugin... startCom in ad2usb.py That's where the connection is opened. Then take a look at panelMsgWrite and the first part of basicReadZoneMessage to see how I read and write.

I won't claim this is great Python, but, it works and is stable.

Of course, YMMV

Thanks - I got it going now. Was pretty simple once I put in the CR and LF characters at end of text to send. The code above worked.