Fake HWiNFO Sensor SDK

A Python-based emulator for the HWiNFO64 Shared Memory interface. This project allows you to inject custom sensor data into applications that support HWiNFO (like Aquasuite, Rainmeter, RTSS, or AIDA64) without running the actual HWiNFO64 application.

It is particularly useful for:

• Bridging data from unsupported devices (Arduino, ESP32, proprietary controllers) into Aquasuite/Rainmeter.
• Testing themes/skins with predictable fake data.
• Developing applications that consume HWiNFO data without needing the main app.

⚠️ Important Warning

Conflict: You cannot run the real HWiNFO64 and this Fake HWiNFO script simultaneously. They compete for the same Global Shared Memory block (Global\HWiNFO_SENS_SM2).

• The script includes a safety check and will abort if it detects the real HWiNFO64 is running.
• To use this, fully exit HWiNFO64 (including from the System Tray).

Features

• Python API (fake_hwinfo_api.py): A clean, object-oriented API to define Sensors and Entries (Temp, Fan, Voltage, etc.) and update them programmatically.
• CLI Client (read_hwinfo.py): A simple tool to verify data is being exposed correctly.
• GUI Client (gui_client.py): A visual dashboard to see the values in real-time.
• Compatibility Tools: Includes a script (setup_registry.py) and a dummy executable to trick detection mechanisms.

Prerequisites

• Windows OS (Shared Memory implementation is Windows-specific).
• Python 3.x
• Administrator Privileges (Required to create Global Shared Memory).
• Dependencies:

  pip install pywin32

Installation

1. Clone this repository.
2. Install dependencies: pip install pywin32.

Quick Start (Demo)

To run the included demo which generates sine-wave temperature and fan speed data:

1. Registry Setup (One-time, Admin required):

   python setup_registry.py

   This sets SupportSharedMemory = 1 in the registry, which some apps check.

2. Start the Fake Sensor:

   python fake_hwinfo.py

   This will automatically start the dummy HWiNFO64.exe process if it exists in the project folder.

3. Verify:

   • Run python gui_client.py to see the data.
   • Open your target app (e.g., Aquasuite). It should detect "Aquasuite Fake Sensor".

Developer Guide: Creating Custom Sensors

You can use fake_hwinfo_api.py to bridge your own data sources.

Example

import time
from fake_hwinfo_api import FakeHWiNFO

# 1. Initialize
hwinfo = FakeHWiNFO()

# 2. Define Sensors & Entries
# Sensor Type 5 = Other/Custom
my_device = hwinfo.add_sensor(id=0xA000, name="My Custom Device", sensor_type=5)

# Entry Type 1 = Temperature
temp_sensor = my_device.add_entry(id=0xA001, name="Water Temp", units="°C", entry_type=1, value=25.0)

# Entry Type 3 = Fan
fan_sensor  = my_device.add_entry(id=0xA002, name="Pump Speed", units="RPM", entry_type=3, value=4500.0)

# 3. Create Shared Memory
# Must be done AFTER defining all sensors
hwinfo.create()

print("Broadcasting data...")

try:
    while True:
        # 4. Update Values
        # (Replace this with your actual data fetching logic)
        current_temp = get_temp_from_somewhere() 
        
        temp_sensor.set_value(current_temp)
        
        # 5. Flush to Shared Memory
        hwinfo.update()
        
        time.sleep(1)
finally:
    hwinfo.close()

Sensor Types

ID	Type
1	Temperature
2	Voltage
3	Fan
4	Current
5	Power
6	Clock
7	Usage
8	Other

Troubleshooting

• "Access Denied" or Error 5: Run your terminal/IDE as Administrator.
• "Real HWiNFO64 detected": The script checks if the memory block already exists and has many sensors. Close the real HWiNFO64.
• Aquasuite doesn't see the sensor:
  • Ensure a process named HWiNFO64.exe is running. The script handles this automatically if you've created the dummy executable. See the next section for details.
  • Restart the Aquasuite background service.

Creating a Dummy HWiNFO64.exe

Some applications, like Aquasuite, check for a running process named HWiNFO64.exe. The fake_hwinfo_api.py script will automatically run this executable if it's found in the project's root directory.

1. Install PyInstaller:

   pip install pyinstaller

2. Create a simple Python script named dummy_hwinfo.py:

   import time
   
   while True:
       time.sleep(999999)

3. Compile the script into a single executable:

   pyinstaller --onefile --noconsole dummy_hwinfo.py

4. Move and Rename the executable:

   • The compiled executable will be in the dist folder.
   • Move dummy_hwinfo.exe from the dist folder to the project's root folder.
   • Rename it to HWiNFO64.exe.

Note on PyInstaller: PyInstaller's --onefile executables work by creating a temporary folder and launching a child process. You may see two HWiNFO64.exe processes running. This is normal. The script is configured to terminate the entire process tree on exit, so no orphaned processes will be left.

Files

• fake_hwinfo_api.py: The Core Library. Use this for your projects.
• fake_hwinfo.py: A demo implementation using the library.
• read_hwinfo.py: CLI reader for debugging.
• gui_client.py: GUI reader for debugging.
• setup_registry.py: Registry helper.
• hwinfo_common.py: C-struct definitions.

License

MIT