Joydrive and Self Tests
Joydrive and Self-Tests
Chapter 5
Your Performance PeopleBot comes with joystick connector on the back of the top
deck, and AROS contains a joydrive server for manual operation of the robot. AROS also
comes with a short self-test routine for your robot’s drive system.
To run in either joydrive or self-test mode, start up or
RESET
the robot into its AROS wait
state. You may press the
RESET
button at any time to disable self-test and joydrive
modes. You have about 10 seconds to engage and complete the joystick calibration
and begin driving the robot or to enter into motors self-test mode before the
microcontroller automatically cancels joydrive mode and reverts to waiting for a client
connection.
You may also enable AROS’ joydrive server while connected with a client by sending the
client command number 47 with the integer argument 1.
J
OYDRIVE
M
ODE
To joydrive your robot when not connected with a client program, switch the robot’s
Main Power
ON
or RESET the microcontroller, then press the white
MOTORS
button on the
User Control Panel once. Listen for a rhythmic, low-tone beeping indicating joydrive
mode.
To joydrive your robot while it is connected with a client (overrides client-based drive
commands for manual operation while recording a map, for instance), you must have
the client software send the AROS command number 47 with an integer argument 1 to
enable the joydrive servers. The first time you press and release the joystick fire button
after AROS receives the command, you engage self-calibration mode (see below).
Have your client send the AROS joydrive command number 47 with an integer argument
of 0 to disable the joystick drive-override.
The joystick is self-calibrating: When you first enable joydrive mode, either by the client
command or when in self-test joydrive mode, AROS detects the joystick’s center and
extreme positions and saves these values to balance the driving action. Accordingly,
rotate the joystick around its extreme limits and then let the joystick handle find its default
centered position before pressing the fire button and starting to joydrive the robot. Try
exiting (RESET or client command 47, depending on mode) and restarting joydrive mode
if the joystick doesn’t seem to function well.
The joystick’s fire button 1 acts as the joydrive “deadman”—press it to start driving;
release it to stop the robot’s motors. The robot should drive forward and reverse, and
turn left or right in response and at speeds relative to the joystick’s position.
When not connected with a client control program, releasing the joystick fire button
stops the robot. However when connected with a client, the client program resumes
automatic operation of your robot’s drive system. So, for example, your robot may
speed up or slow down and turn, depending on the actions of your client program.
You may adjust the maximum translational and rotational speeds, even disable joydrive
mode, through special AROS FLASH configuration parameters. See Chapter 7,
Updating
& Reconfiguring AROS
, for details.
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