title: Using CouchDB as interface. Is it appropriate way?
body: <p>our devices (microscopes with cameras) produce images and additional information to each image.
  Now a middleware supplies wants to connect these devices to lab automation system. They have to acquire the data and we have to provide it. An astonishing thing for me was their interface suggestion - a very cryptical token separated format (ASTM E1394-97). Unfortunatelly, they even can't accomodate images in their protocol, and are aiming to get file-paths.</p>
  
  <p>I thought it is not the up-to date approach. While lookink for alternatives, I saw CoachDB.
  So, my idea was, our devices would import data including images in CoachDB and they could get the data. It seems even, that using mustache, we could produce the format they want (ascii-text) and placing URLs as image references instead of path's.</p>
  
  <p>My question is, did someone applied CoachDB for such a use case already? It seems to be a little-bit misuse of CoachDB, as the main intention is interface not data storage. Another point disturbing me is, that the inventor of CoachDB went to other project Coachbase. Could it mean lack of support for CoachDB in the future?</p>
  
  <p>Thank you very much for any insights and suggestions!</p>