TCP Server

Expose your device over the network using the SDK's build_server and build_client functions.

Once your device is implemented, you can expose it over TCP/IP using the SDK's built-in server and client. This allows experiments and other applications to control the device remotely.

Starting the server

Use build_server() to wrap your device in a TCP server:

from plesty.lib.service import build_server

# Create your device
device = MyDevice()

# Start the server
server = build_server(
    device=device,
    fixed_threading=False,
    address="tcp://*:5555",
)

# The server is now listening for connections

The server listens on the specified address and dispatches incoming ZMQ messages to the device's methods.

Connecting with a client

Use build_client() to connect to a running server:

from plesty.lib.service import build_client

client = build_client(
    address="tcp://localhost:5555",
    timeout=5000,
    resources=None,
    client_id=None,
    connect_kwargs=None,
)

# Now you can call device methods through the client

Client parameters

Parameter Type Description
address str Server address (e.g., tcp://localhost:5555)
timeout int Response timeout in milliseconds
resources dict Optional resource configuration
client_id str Optional client identifier
connect_kwargs dict Additional connection parameters

Full example

# server.py
from plesty.lib.service import build_server

device = MyDevice()
device.connect()
server = build_server(device, address="tcp://*:5555")
server.serve_forever()
# client.py
from plesty.lib.service import build_client

client = build_client(address="tcp://localhost:5555")
print(client.identity())       # "MyDevice v1.0"
client._write_("voltage", 5.0)
print(client._query_("voltage"))  # 5.0

Running as a module

The scaffold generates a main.py that can serve as an entry point:

uv run python -m plesty.my_device

Next steps