Specifications

1. Introduction
SNAP and SNAPpy
The Synapse SNAP product line provides an extremely powerful and flexible platform for developing
and deploying embedded wireless applications.
The SNAP network operating system is the protocol spoken by all Synapse wireless nodes. The term
SNAP has also evolved over time to refer generically to the entire product line. For example, we often
speak of “SNAP Networks,” “SNAP Nodes,” and “SNAP Applications.”
SNAP core software runs on each SNAP node. This core code handles wireless communications, as
well as implementing a Python virtual machine.
The subset of Python implemented by the core software is named SNAPpy. Scripts written in SNAPpy
(also referred to as “Device Images”, “SNAPpy images” or even “Snappy Images”) can be uploaded
into SNAP Nodes serially (or even over the air), and dramatically alter the node’s capabilities and
behavior.
Portal and SNAPconnect
Synapse Portal is a standalone software application which runs on a standard PC. Using a USB or
RS232 interface, it connects to any node in the SNAP Wireless Network, becoming a graphical user
interface (GUI) for the entire network. Using Portal, you can quickly and easily create, deploy,
configure and monitor SNAP-based network applications. Once connected, the Portal PC has its own
unique Network Address, and can participate in the SNAP network as a peer.
Synapse SNAPconnect is a standalone server application, which also runs on a standard PC. It
connects to SNAP nodes over USB or RS-232 (just as Portal), but instead of providing a GUI, it acts
as an XML-RPC server, allowing your own client applications to invoke functions on SNAP nodes,
even over the Internet. These client applications can be written in Python, C++, C#, etc.
It is also possible for Portal to connect to your SNAP network through the SNAPconnect application
(instead of a direct USB or RS-232 connection). This allows you to develop, configure, and deploy
SNAP applications over the Internet.
Through an instance of the SNAPconnect software, you can have a total of 15 simultaneous client
connects, which can be a mix of Portals and your own custom client applications.
The SNAP Wireless Sniffer
When you install Portal, a wireless “SNAP Sniffer” application is also installed. This program allows
you to see SNAP messages over the air.
SNAP Reference Manual Document Number 600-0007K Page 11 of 202