barebone app with django and react, sse, jwt token, comport reader, test comport writer, requires com0com, users with groups, sample table vehicles, tokens for access and refresh

serial_bridge/README.md

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+# Serial Bridge - COM Port Reader
+
+This is the serial port reading application that runs as a system tray service.
+
+## Features
+
+- ✅ Reads data from COM ports
+- ✅ Runs in system tray (no console window)
+- ✅ Automatically posts data to Django backend
+- ✅ Retry logic for failed posts
+- ✅ Backend health checks
+- ✅ Configurable via environment variables
+- ✅ Can be packaged as a Windows .exe
+
+## Setup
+
+1. **Install Python dependencies:**
+   ```bash
+   pip install -r requirements.txt
+   ```
+
+2. **Configure environment:**
+   ```bash
+   copy .env.example .env
+   # Edit .env with your settings
+   ```
+
+3. **Run the application:**
+   ```bash
+   python app.py
+   ```
+
+## Building as EXE
+
+To create a standalone Windows executable:
+
+```bash
+pip install pyinstaller
+pyinstaller serial_bridge.spec
+```
+
+The executable will be created in the `dist\ScalesApp\` folder.
+
+## Configuration
+
+Edit `.env` to configure:
+
+- `COM_PORT`: COM port to read from (default: COM1)
+- `BAUD_RATE`: Serial port baud rate (default: 9600)
+- `BACKEND_URL`: Django backend URL (default: http://localhost:8000)
+- `AUTO_CONNECT`: Automatically connect on startup (default: True)
+- `DEBUG`: Enable debug logging (default: False)
+
+## Architecture
+
+```
+COM Port → Serial Reader → Backend Client → Django API
+                             ↓
+                         System Tray Icon
+```
+
+## Logging
+
+Logs are written to `serial_bridge.log` and console output.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+- **COM port not found**: Check `COM_PORT` setting and device connection
+- **Cannot connect to backend**: Verify Django server is running on `BACKEND_URL`
+- **Data not posting**: Check logs in `serial_bridge.log`
+- **Tray icon not appearing**: Run as administrator, check Windows settings