🚀 jscifx

A TypeScript/JavaScript API for controlling Hilscher CIFX cards.

📝 Overview

This package provides a simple interface for communicating with Hilscher CIFX cards in Node.js. It enables sending and receiving process data as well as managing the cards via a modern API.

✨ Features

• ⚡ Easy initialization and management of CIFX cards
• 🔄 Send and receive IO data
• 🧩 Support for multiple cards and channels
• 🛡️ Includes TypeScript type definitions

📦 Installation

Note: This package requires cifx drivers to be installed.
More information can be found in the Hilscher documentation.

npm install jscifx

📚 Documentation

CifX

Static class for initializing, deinitializing, and managing the CifX driver. Ensures the driver is set up before use and provides access to the Driver class.

Main Methods:

• CifX.init(): Initializes the driver. Throws if already initialized.
• CifX.deinit(): Deinitializes the driver. Throws if not initialized.
• CifX.openDriver(): Opens the driver and returns a Driver instance.
• CifX.initialized: Returns true if the driver is initialized.

Example:

import {CifX} from "jscifx";

CifX.init();
const driver = CifX.openDriver();
// ... use driver
driver.close();
CifX.deinit();

Driver

Represents an open handle to the CifX driver. Allows querying driver information and enumerating connected boards.

Main Methods & Properties:

• driver.version: Returns the driver version string.
• driver.boardCount: Number of available boards.
• driver.getBoard(index): Returns a Board instance for the given index.
• driver.enumerateBoards(): Generator to iterate over all boards.
• driver.close(): Closes the driver handle.

Example:

for (const board of driver.enumerateBoards()) {
	console.log(board.name);
}

Board

Represents a hardware board managed by the driver. Provides access to board information and its communication channels.

Main Methods & Properties:

• board.name: Name of the board.
• board.channelCount: Number of channels on the board.
• board.getChannel(index): Returns a Channel instance.
• board.enumerateChannels(): Generator to iterate over all channels.

Example:

const board = driver.getBoard(0);
for (const channel of board.enumerateChannels()) {
	console.log(channel.firmware);
}

Channel

Represents a communication channel on a board. Supports opening/closing, managing bus/host state, and I/O operations.

Main Methods & Properties:

• channel.open() / channel.close(): Open/close the channel.
• channel.openBus() / channel.closeBus(): Open/close the bus for communication.
• channel.startHost() / channel.stopHost(): Set host state.
• channel.ioWrite(area, offset, data, timeout?): Write data to I/O area.
• channel.ioRead(area, offset, length, timeout?): Read data from I/O area.
• channel.firmware: Firmware name of the channel.

Example:

const channel = board.getChannel(0);
channel.open();
channel.startHost();
channel.openBus();
channel.ioWrite(0, 0, Buffer.from([1, 2, 3]));
const data = channel.ioRead(0, 0, 3);
channel.closeBus();
channel.stopHost();
channel.close();

General Notes:

• Always call CifX.init() before using any driver functionality and CifX.deinit() when done.
• Use try/catch to handle CifXError exceptions.
• The API is synchronous and throws on errors.
• All resources (driver, channels) should be closed after use to avoid leaks.

🛠️ Support

If you have questions or issues, please open an issue.

📄 License

MIT