User manual

1. Introducon
SNAP and SNAPpy
The Synapse SNAP product line provides an extremely powerful and flexible plaorm for developing and
deploying embedded wireless applicaons.
The SNAP network operang system is the protocol spoken by all Synapse wireless nodes. The term SNAP has
also evolved over me to refer generically to the enre product line. For example, we oen speak of “SNAP
Networks,” “SNAP Nodes,” and “SNAP Applicaons.”
SNAP core soware runs on each SNAP node. This core code handles wireless and serial communicaons, as well
as implemenng a Python virtual machine.
The subset of the Python programming language implemented by the core soware is named SNAPpy. Scripts
wrien in SNAPpy (also referred to as “Device Images”, “SNAPpy images” or even “Snappy Images”) can be
uploaded into SNAP Nodes serially or over the air, and profoundly affect the node’s capabilies and behavior.
Portal and SNAP Connect 3.x
Synapse Portal is a standalone soware applicaon that 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 enre
network. Using Portal you can quickly and easily create, deploy, configure, and monitor SNAP-based network
applicaons. Once connected, the Portal PC has its own unique network address and can parcipate in the SNAP
network as a peer.
SNAP Connect 3.x is a Python library that allows your own Python applicaons to support the same “SNAP
Connecvity” that Portal has. In addion to making USB or RS232 serial connecons, SNAP Connect 3.x can also
make TCP/IP connecons to other running instances of SNAP Connect.
It is also possible for Portal to connect (via TCP/IP) to your SNAP network through a SNAP Connect applicaon.
This allows you to develop, configure, and deploy SNAP applicaons over the Internet.
The SNAP Wireless Sniffer
When you install Portal, you have the opon of also installing a wireless “SNAP Sniffer” applicaon. This
program allows you to see SNAP messages that are broadcast over the air.
Navigang the SNAP Documentaon
There are several main documents you need to be aware of:
Start with the “SNAP Primer”
The SNAP Primer introduces the SNAP products and ecosystem. If you are new to SNAP, be sure to read this
document first.
Next look at an “Evaluation Kit Users Guide”
Each evaluaon kit comes with its own Users Guide. For example, the EK2500 kit comes with the EK2500
Evaluaon Kit Users Guide (“EK2500 Guide”), and the EK2100 kit comes with the EK2100 Evaluaon Kit Users
Guide (“EK2100 Guide”).
SNAP® Network Operang System 1