A sonification code that converts sensors data into MIDI files.

This project was developed during the 2016 CubeSat Bootcamp Summer Program at Capitol Technology University (Laurel, MD). This specific project was oriented by Professor Antunes. The team is:

• Rebeca Nunes Rodrigues
• Rodrigo J. de Bem
• Marcelo Moreira Nicoletti
• Felipe Alexandre L. de Abreu

Data sonification is a useful technique that enable multitasking while "reading" data. It consists on converting numbers into sound. This project intends to apply sonification to PiSat data. In specific, get sensors data from a Raspberry Pi and convert into midi files. The MIDI files are then sent to a PC Linux (the "ground station") via FTP. It is a nearly Real Tie Process.

It is a way to store sound in a small space. It is a command based file and the commands are called Events. Events can be described by:

• Velocity: the amplitude or how "strong" a piano key is pressed.
• Pitch: the frequency, i.e., which key of a piano, a Do (C) or a Mi (E)?
• Tick: the start time or the relative time when the event ocurred. The actual event is equal to the tick + sum of all previous events ticks.

The library we used to the MIDI part is the python-midi. You can find it at https://github.com/vishnubob/python-midi .

• Journal.odt: day by day advances on the project
• Pi_Sonification-Rebeca_Felipe_Rodrigo_Marcelo (2).pptx: PowerPoint file presented during the summer program.
• Time:07:11:03.mid: a MIDI file generated by the code.
• example.mid: a nice sample of sonification. The repetive and low sound is the temperature sensor, the more variable one is the light data.
• sonification_final.py: the code itself.

The code must be run in a Raspberry Pi with light and temperature sensors and a push button. In a few lines what the code does is:
In a loop:

• Pi get data from the sensors
• Write the data as Events in a Pattern
• Get the Pattern into a MIDI file
  Everytime a interrupt (caused by a push button) happens:
• Send the MIDI file via FTP to a PC
• Erase the MIDI file from the Pi

It is important to have your computer set as a server:

• Windows: Install FileZilla, configure it and set rule on firewall
• Linux: Just follow instructions from https://www.atlantic.net/community/howto/install­an­ftp­server/ and https://www.benscobie.com/fixing­500­oops­vsftpd­refusing­to­run­with­writable­root-inside­chroot/