GUI Development

This section contains information for developers working on the Latency Recorder GUI application.

Overview

The GUI is built using Flutter, providing a cross-platform desktop application for:

• Device detection and connection
• Recording control and monitoring
• Data visualization and analysis
• Export functionality

Architecture

Key Components

• Device Management (device.dart): Handles serial port detection and communication
• Home Screen (home.dart): Main application interface
• Recording Control (recordbutton.dart): Start/stop recording functionality
• Port Selection (ports.dart): Serial port configuration
• About Page (about.dart): Application information

Dependencies

• flutter_libserialport: Serial communication
• provider: State management
• fl_chart: Data visualization (when implemented)

API Documentation

The GUI is documented using Dart's built-in documentation system. The API documentation includes:

• Widget documentation: Complete reference for all custom widgets and components
• State management: Documentation for providers and state classes
• Serial communication: APIs for device detection and data handling
• Utility functions: Helper methods and shared functionality

View API Documentation

Generating Documentation

To regenerate the API documentation:

./generate-docs.sh

Development Setup

1. Install Flutter:

   # Download from https://flutter.dev/docs/get-started/install
   flutter doctor

2. Install dependencies:

   cd gui
   flutter pub get

3. Run the application:

   flutter run -d macos  # or linux, windows

Building for Distribution

macOS

flutter build macos --release

Linux

flutter build linux --release

Windows

flutter build windows --release

Communication Protocol

The GUI communicates with the Arduino using a simple serial protocol:

• Start Recording: Send 'S'
• Stop Recording: Send 'E'
• Data Format: Comma-separated values with timestamp and ADC reading
• Baud Rate: 115200

Future Enhancements

• Real-time data visualization
• Advanced analysis tools
• Experiment configuration management
• Data export in multiple formats