Fixt

Fixt is a fictional open-source platform that combines hardware fixtures with software configuration to enable rapid prototyping and deployment of modular installations and devices. Conceived as a learning and demonstration framework, Fixt aims to illustrate how a unified API and modular drivers can bind disparate hardware and software components into cohesive systems.

The architecture centers on a lightweight runtime called Fixt Core, a device-driver layer, and a modular plugin system. The runtime handles discovery, communication, and lifecycle management of fixtures, while drivers translate hardware protocols (such as USB, UART, DMX, or Ethernet) into a common command set. Plugins extend functionality by providing user interfaces, data collectors, and protocol adapters.

Primary components include Fixt Studio (design and configuration interface), Fixt Core (runtime and orchestration), and Fixt Modules (community-contributed drivers and plugins). Modules are designed to be interoperable through a shared message bus that uses JSON payloads and a publish-subscribe model for events and data streams.

Fixt is distributed under an open-source license and is developed through a community process that encourages contribution, documentation, and testing. While fictional, the Fixt project illustrates practices common to real-world open-source hardware and software ecosystems, including modularization, driver abstraction, and collaborative governance.

See also: open-source hardware, modular design, device drivers, IoT platforms, stage lighting control.