using bacpypes3 inside a larger asyncio app

[jerrys987]

What is the best approach to using bacpypes3 inside a larger app has an asyncio default loop?

My test code just used the application.from_args() method, but that doesn't make sense here. I see a more general constructor, but have no idea how to feed it. I don't care much about the app's objects.

My model is that there is a separate class instance for each device that handles its IO. Is there a parallel concept in bacpypes3? If so, how do I get it? My config has both the ip address and the bacnet/ip address for each device.

thanks,
jerry

[JoelBender]

What is the best approach to using bacpypes3 inside a larger app has an asyncio default loop?

You can create as many Application instances as you would like, each of them will "run" (will respond to and can initiate services) concurrently. Each one represents a BACnet device and has its own address, device instance number, etc. I do not have a lot of experience with multiple running event loops, I've never needed more than one.

My test code just used the application.from_args() method, but that doesn't make sense here. I see a more general constructor, but have no idea how to feed it. I don't care much about the app's objects.

The from_something() methods are common ways of splicing all of the interconnected bits and pieces together. The from_args() is the minimum number of parameters that you can provide that can construct a BACnet/IP device, the next step up is a list of dictionaries of objects like from a JSON or YAML configuration, and for more complicated programs like protocol gateways you build the objects individually and pass a list of them to from_objects(). The basic __init__() method initializes stuff but leaves everything else up to you.

The ip-to-vlan.py sample program, along with its JSON configuration file, is an example of an Application instance with two link layers, an IPv4 and VLAN and acts as a router between them) and another Application instance that sits on the VLAN.

I created a gist that is about as simple as it can get. There is the slightly weird wrapping what would otherwise be keyword arguments inside a Namespace, which for all intents and purposes is a dict.