---
id: brainstem
version: "2.12.5"
license: # Brainstem SDK Software Package License Agreement: PLEASE READ THIS SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE DOWNLOADING OR USING THE SOFTWARE. BY USING THE SOFTWARE, OR USING EQUIPMENT THAT… (full text in the JSON record)
license_treatment: unclear
maintenance: active
---

# brainstem — Acroname BrainStem Software Control Package

License: unclear · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 719.9K/mo

## What it is and what it does

BrainStem is a Python library that exposes control APIs for Acroname's embedded hardware modules—USB hubs, Ethernet bridges, relay controllers, DAQ devices, and similar peripherals. It wraps the underlying BrainStem2 C library (via cffi) to let developers discover connected devices, establish connections, and send commands to read sensors, control outputs, and manage device state from Python code.

The library supports both Python 2.7 and Python 3.6+, ships as a pure-Python wheel with minimal dependencies (cffi and pycparser), and is actively maintained. Typical workflows involve discovering devices on the USB or Ethernet bus, connecting to a specific module by type, and then calling methods on that module's subsystems (e.g., `stem.system.setLED()`, `stem.system.getModel()`) to interact with hardware. The package includes example scripts for common devices and is designed for embedded automation, test infrastructure, and hardware integration tasks.

Use it for:

- Automate USB hub port switching and power control in test labs or CI/CD environments
- Build Python scripts to monitor and log sensor data from BrainStem DAQ modules in real-time
- Control relay modules and digital I/O from a central Python application for hardware sequencing
- Discover and enumerate all connected BrainStem devices on a network and manage them programmatically
- Integrate Acroname hardware into Python-based embedded systems or robotics projects

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides Python bindings to control and interact with Acroname BrainStem hardware devices (USB hubs, relays, DAQ modules, and other embedded controllers) over USB or Ethernet connections.

Yes, if you own or plan to use Acroname BrainStem hardware and need Python control. Install friction is low, maintenance is active, and no known vulnerabilities exist. The proprietary license restricts redistribution and modification but poses no barrier to internal use. Not relevant for general-purpose Python development.

## Install

pip install brainstem
uv add brainstem
poetry add brainstem

## Installing brainstem

Before you install: Low install friction; pure-Python wheel with only cffi and pycparser as runtime dependencies. Last release 38 days ago indicates active maintenance.

License in practice: Licensed under a proprietary agreement that restricts modification, reverse engineering, and redistribution. Use is limited to internal business purposes; commercial or redistributive deployment requires explicit written permission from Acroname.

Quickstart:

pip install brainstem

import brainstem
spec = brainstem.discover.findFirstModule(brainstem.link.Spec.USB)
stem = brainstem.stem.USBStem()
stem.connectFromSpec(spec)
result = stem.system.getModel()
print(brainstem.defs.model_info(result.value))

Requires a physical BrainStem device connected via USB or Ethernet; libffi system library may need separate installation on Linux systems

Verify before relying:

- Whether libffi system library is pre-installed on target deployment platforms or must be installed separately
- Compatibility with Python versions beyond 2.7 and 3.6+ stated in the description

## Package facts

- License: # Brainstem SDK Software Package License Agreement: PLEASE READ THIS SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE DOWNLOADING OR USING THE SOFTWARE. BY USING THE SOFTWARE, OR USING EQUIPMENT THAT… (full text in the JSON record) (unclear)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 719.9K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

brainstem device control python, acroname usb hub control, embedded device python api, hardware device communication, usb device automation, hardware-control, embedded-devices, usb-automation

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