RoboSavvy Forum

KHR-3HV / RCB-4 Over bluetooth

2012-03-02T13:47:41+01:00

It's not necessary, cause some time ago I translated(not actually translated, but read, understand and made some marks) Japanese documentation from hear http://kondo-robot.com/sys/archives/2477 with help of Google translate, and spend for this about two month. There was some C#based stuff for generate serial commands and 4 pdfs: RCB4 Command Reference Manual, RCB4 Firmware Reference manual, RCB4 programming reference manual and Command generator manual. For me was interesting first three, but of course there stayed some "terra incognita" parts, because i met some trouble with my RCB4 board, i figure out that nothing could be stored in EEPROM, that's why i cannot check some functionality described in that manuals.

Statistics: Posted by EngineerD — Fri Mar 02, 2012 1:47 pm

KHR-3HV / RCB-4 Over bluetooth

2012-03-14T16:18:48+01:00

We're using a Parani ESD200 module. (these are the same modules that we supply as the "Robobuilder Bluetooth Module" and we actually got them from the Robobuilder batch).

The Parani is configured in this manner: Mode 3 (always discoverable, accept all connections), Security Mode Off, 115200 bps, 8e1 setting (EVEN parity), "Command Response" OFF.
(it's basically the same set up that Robobuilder uses but Kondo uses an unusual setting for parity - EVEN - where for Robobuilder the set up is excatly the same but with No parity).

We lowered the baud rate on RCB4 to 115200 as well to match the Parani.

The Parani communicates at 3.3V TTL level so we had to build a small board with add a level shifting circuit to shift from 3.3V TTL (of the Parani) to 5V Inverted Logic of the RCB4HV

Another interesting finding we've made is that the COMM port that communiates with the PC is actually full duplex (don't be fooled by the colours of the COMM cable, there is an RX and TX pin).
(on the servo bus it's easy to spot half duplex comm since there's only 1 data wire)

We also found that the Pinout schematics in the KHR 3HV English manual are wrong.
Ground, signal and vdd are not located where the manual says they are.

In additon to all this, we've documented/reverse engineered part of the RCB4 Serial Protocol to Stop and Play Motions and Poll Motion Execution Status over the COMM port.
Although Kondo seems to have released some information about the protocol in Japanese there has not been any English documentation about the protocol released yet.
Chrisvo's excellent "libkondo" was crucial to the success of this part of the project.

We know the Serial Protocol encapsulates more features (for example direct control of ICS servomotors) but that's not been documented as we didn't require it for this project.
If you require this (or many of the other features of the Protocol), I really recommend you download libkondo and work based on it.

In libkondo everything is nicelly organized, documented and commented in English which helps a lot.

Over the next days we will post a thorough PDF document with the specification of the RCB4 Serial Protocol features we've used. (Stop and Play Motion, PING and Poll Execution Status)

[EDIT 14 March 2012] The PDF document and a detailed explanation of the Pinout of the RCB4 and Serial Connection Settings, Signals Levels and Protocol Specification has been posted on this thread http://robosavvy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7862 [/EDIT]

Regards
Pedro.

Statistics: Posted by PedroR — Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:38 pm

KHR-3HV / RCB-4 Over bluetooth

2012-03-01T01:14:00+01:00

MAy be use bluetooth stack drivers?(make pairing and so on.)
What bluetooth unit you use at Kondo side?

Statistics: Posted by EngineerD — Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:14 am

KHR-3HV / RCB-4 Over bluetooth

2012-02-29T12:10:27+01:00

Tested with my laptop, using the toshiba bluetooth manager and worked.

With this software I have the option of establish the connection before using the heart to heart 4 software so when I try to connect it it works.

Anyone knows how to establish a bluetooth connection in windows 7 before running the Heart to Heart software?

Statistics: Posted by nunogato — Wed Feb 29, 2012 12:10 pm

KHR-3HV / RCB-4 Over bluetooth

2012-02-29T11:52:58+01:00

I'm using a cheap USB bluetooth (probably the problem is there)

Yes, I only have one COM port associated with the bluetooth.

I'll try now with the bluetooth from my toshiba laptop, just need to wait for the second board to be ready

Statistics: Posted by nunogato — Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:52 am

KHR-3HV / RCB-4 Over bluetooth

2012-02-29T10:31:06+01:00

This is just information message
http://translate.google.es/#ja|en|%E3%8 ... 7%E3%81%9F

We were not able to gain access to port COM10

What bluetooth are you using?
Do you have only one COM port associated with bluetooth?

Statistics: Posted by EngineerD — Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:31 am

KHR-3HV / RCB-4 Over bluetooth

2012-02-27T11:26:10+01:00

Hi,

We here at RoboSavvy are developing a project using the KHR-3HV developed a simple board with a Bluetooth module to use the robot without wires.

We made a simple python script based on the libkondo to send a receive the packages and it is working but in the HeartToHeart4 we get the following error

I think that's a configuration on my Windows7 as when I select any other serial port, even if not connected to the robot, I don't get any error. As soon as I select the COM port associated with the Bluetooth I have this window.

Can anyone translate it?

Statistics: Posted by nunogato — Mon Feb 27, 2012 11:26 am