transmitter.py

from __future__ import print_function
import serial
import io
import time

def main():
    ser = openSerial()
    c = 1
    while c != 0:
        channels = getChannelPositions(ser)
        print(channels)
    ser.close()

def openSerial():
    ser = serial.Serial('/dev/ttyUSB0', 115200, timeout=0, xonxoff=True)
    return ser

def getChannelPositions(ser):
    send = bytearray.fromhex('55fd')
    ser.write(send)

    exit = 0
    # infinite loop
    while exit == 0:
        while ser.inWaiting() == 0:
            time.sleep(.007)
        bytesToRead = ser.inWaiting()

        # Sometimes only 17 bytes are sent with a byte missing from channel 4
        if bytesToRead != 18:
            ser.flushInput()
        else:
            read = ser.read(bytesToRead)
            data = 0
            for i in read:
                data = (data<<8) + i
            channels = []
            while data !=0:
                channels.append(data & 65535)
                data = data >> 16
            channels.reverse()

            return channels

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()