August 16, 2015

• Tried the Virtual Image which Bas has prepared. Could not access acheron or staff from the virtual machine (hostname not known).
• Downloaded software for students in cygwin64 directory. Made it accessible following the suggestions by howtogeek. After rebooting the folder is inside the /media folder, but not accessible (even not as root), although in the settings I have given it Full Access. Adding myself to the group vboxsf (and rebooting) solved that issue.
• Copied the ZSB software4students and bin directory into the /opt/prac/robotics of the virtual image. The umirtxsimulator works, although still with the old location of the namefile:
  .
• The simulator executables work because they are 32bits, but all endgame executables are 64 bits and are not recognized.

June 30, 2015

• Added the Targets/Unix/Install/lib to my LD_LIBRARY_PATH, and was able to perform JumpingSumoPiloting from JSPilotingNewAPI. Only got a warning about libvdpau_nvidea.so, but I received camera images, could drive and jump:
  

June 26, 2015

• Checking the difficulties with the Jumping Sumo SDK. One group tried the following. I will try the same.
• The first hint is to run ./CheckEnv.py
  -- Checking if your environment will build the ARSDK for different platforms --
  
  [[ Should work, Won't work, Not tested, may work ]]
  Generic : OK !
  iOS : Bad platform `linux`, you need to be on ['darwin'] to build the target `iOS`
  Unix : Missing binary `yasm`
  Missing binary `nasm`
  /bin/sh: 1: /tools/android: not found
  Android : Missing binary `rpl`
  Missing binary `arm-linux-androideabi-gcc`
  Missing binary `mipsel-linux-android-gcc`
  Missing binary `i686-linux-android-gcc`
  Missing environment variable `ANDROID_NDK_PATH`
  Missing environment variable `ANDROID_SDK_PATH`
  Missing Android SDK for API 19 (Android 4.4.2), please install it.
  
• rpl was easily installed, installed Android SDK without IDE. This is release r24.3.3, a few versions higher than the suggested v19 but the Sumo install instructions suggested to use the latest version. Yet, this version was not required.
• With yasm and nasm installe, the Unix was ready to build, so first tried ./SDK3Build.py -t Unix.
• All Unix packages were successfully build:
  Unix : openssl curl json
  ARSAL ARNetworkAL ARNetwork
  ARDiscovery ARCommands ARStream
  ARMavlink ARUtils ARDataTransfer
  ARUpdater ARMedia ARController
  
• Continued with the provided samples. Tried to build JSPilotingNewAPI, which shows how to send and receive commands to communicate with a Parrot drone. The example is based on the Jumping Sumo, using the new ARController API. Unfortunately, JSPilotingNewAPI failed to compile:
  ngSumoPiloting.c:49:28: fatal error: libARSAL/ARSAL.h: No such file or directory
  #include
• That file is available in directory ./Targets/Unix/Install/include/. This is nicely defined in the Makefile, but it assumes that it is a directory next to Utils, not inside. With an additional ../ the program nicely compiles and builds.

June 23, 2015

• Could not find any publications about recognition of the Aibo Cards. Found software to recognize the cards (for Windows Mobile 5 or Pocket PC 2003).
• Probably the Aibo Cards are based on the CyberCode cards, although that seems to be used for the recognition of the Aibo base.

June 22, 2015

• Het dammen is uitgeprobeerd in 2006.

June 19, 2015

• In chesscmds.c a call is made to pathplan and inverse_kinematics.
• Checked the code in playchess, and added the JAVA_MOVE_BOARD code. Compiles without problems. Received the code from Tump (Thomas java code didn't compile).
• Added code makes references to functions board_to_indices, write_java_board, write_java_board, which are static functions in playchess.c
• The provided PP code fails on ChessBoard$NoPieceAtPosition. Copied all *.txt files from /opt/prac/robotics/software4students/*/*.txt to chess_demo.
• The board.gch from /opt/prac/robotics/software4students/ is quite empty. Claa always test with g8f6. Copied all classes from student-directory (and board.gch). Now it works. Compilation worked after adding CLASSPATH as instructed. The pathplanning ends with spp_write_board (which is not executed). There were two xyz_lists, so corrected this and the robot was able to pick up a Rook. Java code only has problems with second move (the command to use is: java PP g8f6 �ʡk).

June 18, 2015

• Finally, I am part of the group dailout: [avisser1@u019942 bin]$ groups
  Domain Users dialout
• From ~/onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/repository/umi-drivers/daemon the command ./rtxd /dev/ttyUSB0, as can be seen with tail /opt/prac/robotics/rtxipc/logs/rtxlog:
  Jun 18 09:33:31 (RTXD) Restarting, listening to port 34006 on u019942.fnwi.uva.nl
• Yet, could not find a compiled chess. Starting /opt/prac/robotics/bin/rtxsimulator gave the response:
  No such file /home/rtxipc/robot/name_file
  No access rights for avisser1
• There are 5 versions of chess.c on u019942:
  • ./onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/robotics/src/game/chess.c Mar 23 2004
  • ./onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/repository/robotics/src/game/chess.c Jun 7 2011
  • ./src/bewegen/robotics/src/game/chess.c Jun 3 2013
  • ./src/bewegen/umi-drivers/chess_demo/chess.c Jun 3 2013
  • ./src/chess_demo/chess.c Oct 7 2013
• The code from Oct 7 2013 initializes nicely, but fails probably on gnuchess
  avisser1@u019942 chess_demo]$ ./chess
  init_board
  Read information about chess_board from file:
  '/opt/prac/robotics/data/board.rtx'.
  ....
  Placing robot in standard position.
  U.M.I. RTX Robot Arm
  ====================
  Initialisation Program, UMI version 22 June 2011
  ======================= ARM version 24 June 2008
  ....
  RTX is now external initialised
  command : random
  1.
  Segmentation fault (core dumped)
  
• The code from Jun 3 2013 gives a runtime error: [avisser1@u019942 chess_demo]$ ./chess
  ./chess: /lib64/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.14' not found (required by ./chess)
• The other codes were not compiled.
• Back to ./src/chess_demo. gnuchess.h points, to /opt/prac/robotics/bin/gnuchessr, which is operational:
  [avisser1@u019942 ~]$ /opt/prac/robotics/bin/gnuchessr
  Chess
  warning: can't find book.
  e2e4
  1. e2e4
  1. ... g8f6
  My move is: g8f6
  
• Started debugger. Fault is not in gnuchess, but in reading the board and/or the piece:
  Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
  pick_up (board=, row=-1 '\377', col=-49 '\317'),
  at move_piece.c:62
  62 height = board->board_thickness + piece->height * 0.5;
• Copied the working chess_demo (from ~/onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/repository/umi-drivers/ on nb-ros to the same location in u019942. Yet, it doesn't work directly:
  ./chess: /lib64/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.14' not found (required by ./chess)
• Had to define a new PRACLIB in the Makefile, but could make a new chess. This one works! Only fails on endless 'No Piece in PICK_UP!' after taking a piece from the board.
• Found a page to make a Virtual Reality setup from your Optitrack system.

June 17, 2015

• Rebooted u019942 to Linux. The USB dongle nicely is mounted on /dev/ttyUSB0, but disappears directly when disconnected.

June 15, 2015

• Firefox and Konquerer didn't want to start up at u019942. Luckely Chrome did.
• Started in onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/repository/umi-drivers/daemon. The program rtxd is from June 19, 2013.
• Checked the connection with dmesg | tail. Connector is mounted on /dev/ttyUSB0:
  USB Serial support registered for FTDI USB Serial Device
  ftdi_sio 2-1.7:1.0: FTDI USB Serial Device converter detected
  usb 2-1.7: Detected FT232RL
  usb 2-1.7: Number of endpoints 2
  usb 2-1.7: Endpoint 1 MaxPacketSize 64
  usb 2-1.7: Endpoint 2 MaxPacketSize 64
  usb 2-1.7: Setting MaxPacketSize 64
  usb 2-1.7: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB0
  usbcore: registered new interface driver ftdi_sio
  ftdi_sio: v1.5.0:USB FTDI Serial Converters Driver
• Starting rtxd /dev/ttyUSB0 fails when checking tail /opt/prac/robotics/rtxipc/logs/rtxlog
  Jun 15 11:12:19 (RTXD) Restarting, listening to port 44547 on u019942.fnwi.uva.nl Jun 15 11:12:19 (RTXD) Couldn't open '/dev/ttyUSB0'
• The port is not open for this machine. Checked ls -galt /dev/ttyUSB0
  crw-rw---- 1 dialout 188, 0 Jun 15 11:11 /dev/ttyUSB0
• Will repeat this on U019961, where the port should be open.

June 12, 2015

• Received two MiniDrones. Have to install FreeFlight3 to control them. Take my HTC one with me Monday.
• Received a request for a playchess with STANDARD invkin. Upgraded onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/repository/robotics/src/playchess to gcc 4.4.7.
• With some arguments to exit and some declaration, the code compiles. Fails missing references in libpract.a
• First tried to fix arm_init. This function is not located in umi-drivers/armlib, but in robotics/simulator. Just adding the initdata.o gave several other missing dependencies.
• playchess.c in /opt/prac/robotics/assistance/hgrepos/robotics/robotics/ is from 6 jun 2011, /home/avisser1/onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/robotics/src/ from 27 jun 2003.
• The source-code of the repository are from Jun 7 2011, the objects from 2012.
• The source-code of simulator in hgrepos are from 6 jun 2011, the object files from 28 jun 2012. The source-code of the simulator in /home/avisser1/onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/robotics/src/ from Jun 19 2014. Making my new playchess there failed, because ../../lib/Linux/libpract.a was the wrong format.
• Tried to make the simulator in /home/avisser1/onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/robotics/src/. A lot of warnings, but it seems to compile. At the end, it fails on ias.c (see June 19, 2014).
• Removed ias.o from Makefile, simulator complains about a few missing functions.
• Made a stub-section inside ias.c with the missing functions. Unfortunatelly, this is including the main.
• On nb-ros there are several simulation-directories. The directory onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/repository/robotics was mainly from Jun 3, 2013, but contained some gtk-libraries (Jun 19, 2014).
• Making playchess fails on wrong format libpract.a. Started with inverse and made libinverse.a. Added initdata.o. Needs xmlparser, so made libxmlparser.so. No I am missing to some vexterns in simulator/global.h. Used command make lib to create a ../../lib/Linux/rtx_simulator.a. Added libumi, libarm, libstub, libmatrix. Make failed in directory game. Now I have in onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/robotics/src/playchess a playchess function without interface to the simulator which uses the STANDARD inverse kinematics:
  [avisser1@acheron playchess]$ ./playchess
  using STUDENT path planning module
  using STANDARD inverse kinematics module
  stub_init_pp: writing file board.rtx
  ias.c: implement main()
  wanna move piece (p), move board (b) or quit (q): q
  Ending current game
  

June 9, 2015

• Tried to start chessdemo with long usb-serial cable from nb-ros. Checked connection with command dmesg | grep tty
  [ 3408.743524] usb 3-1: pl2303 converter now attached to ttyUSB0.
• Software can be found at ~/onderwijs/ZSB/assistance/repository/umi-drivers/daemon.
• Started daemon with command ./rtxd /dev/ttyUSB0.
• Checked working with command tail /opt/prac/robotics/rtxipc/logs/rtxlog
  Jun 09 14:36:40 (RTXD) Restarting, listening to port 39022 on nb-ros.
• I used the chess-program in ../chess_demo. Initialisation worked:
  U.M.I. RTX Robot Arm
  ====================
  Initialisation Program, UMI version 19 June 2014
  ======================= ARM version 18 July 2014
  

  Yet, I also received some error messages:
  

  Can't open the data file 'init.dat'
  Using data from program
  general_status: Not enough bytes in command
  ................
  RTX is now internal initialised
  
  RTX ready to use
  position error with grp : Not enough bytes in command
  error with arm_go : Not enough bytes in command
  position error with wr1 : Checksum error
  

• Repeated the experiment with the DeLock converter. Now the daemon works without any problems. Yet, the robot to too fast down, so I should add a safe height before the first move. That code was already available. Increased the height from z=100 to 200, still too low. Try z=400. Now it works!
• Unfortunatelly, the gripper is now a bit too wide.
• Ordered two Parrot miniDrones. A programming interface is available: ARDroneSDK3.

Previous Labbooks

• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2009
• 2008
• 2007