Bioloid Control (Open Source Project)

[jorge ochoa]

Hi,
i´m working with the Bioloid control project, but when i try to read from robot show a message "can't connect the port #2", how I can correct this problem?

[cosa]

Hi,

I definitely need more information (and to rework my serial code ), please check your private messages.

If everything is set up correctly (correct com port, ax12_count, axs1_count, baudrate on controller and main program match, the default values are 18 ax12s and 1 axs1, 115200baud, see http://bioloidcontrol.sourceforge.net/index.php setup and first start):
Try switching your bioloid off/on when this error occurs to force resynchronisation. On linux you could also try to configure the serial port manually by doing stty -F /dev/tty*** speed 115200 raw cs8 (replace *** by your serial port).

[usafzz]

hello,

this is usaf .. i have contacted cosa personally but i guess other ppl are having the same problem as i do .. so maybe someone from you can help me out ... i ve tried a couple of things but still having problem reading and writing from/to bioloid .. i have checked it with both 57600 and 115200 baudrate as 57600 is the default baudrate for robot terminal v.0.9 ... em using the latest one but still ... i have also check the same thing connect to another computer but still same error ...

[srobot]

hello,

this is usaf .. i have connected cosa (rainer [dot] jaekel [at] googlemail [dot] com) ... i ve tried a couple of things but still having problem reading and writing from/to bioloid .. i have checked it with both 57600 and 115200 baudrate as 57600 is the default baudrate for robot terminal v.0.9 ... em using the latest one but still ... i have also check the same thing connect to another computer but still same error ...

...usaf

Hi usafzz,

So cosa does not receive spam, can you edit your post to remove his email from your post?

Thank you,
--srobot

[jorge ochoa]

Hi, I review my test and found I doing bad wor; try it again changing config file and now can read and write to robot. I'm using 115200 baud rate and work fine.

thanks

[usafzz]

hello, great to know that your things started working ... i am stuck myself while reading and writing from/to bioloid ... can you please guide me with the steps you followed that made things work out for you ...

[jorge ochoa]

Hi, I´m using Win XP and the humanoid configuration for bioloid. the configuration file used is config_humanoid.xml, changin the port to COM1 (I´m using RS-232 serial comunication).
my error was to change the configuration file in global.h in the line #define CONFIG_FILE "config.xml" // default config file, for #define CONFIG_FILE "config_humanoid.xml"

instead it, I launch the Program Bioloid.exe with parameters trough START MENU, IN RUN : "c:/biolioid control/main/Bioloid.exe - config config_humaniod.xml"

[jorge ochoa]

Hi Cosa,

I have a questions:
- how i can load the motion sequences in XML files?
- when i try to use the comand "m" a mesagge "this command is disabled" appear, how i can enable it?

thanks

[usafzz]

hi cosa and jorge ochoa,

i have tried everything but still cant make bioloidcontrol read n write from/to bioloid ... checked the baud rate ... configuration is all right .. using RS-232 cable ... switch on and off bioloid .. disconnect from robot terminal once robotwrapper.hex is transmitted ... etc .... but still its not working .. i m DOOMED !!!!!!!!

[cosa]

i have tried everything but still cant make bioloidcontrol read n write from/to bioloid ... checked the baud rate ... configuration is all right .. using RS-232 cable ... switch on and off bioloid .. disconnect from robot terminal once robotwrapper.hex is transmitted ... etc .... but still its not working .. i m DOOMED !!!!!!!!

Please reply to my emails . I can build you a special version with a lot more debug information.

Hi Cosa,
I have a questions:
- how i can load the motion sequences in XML files?

If you want to load a motion stored in main/motions/file.xml you can use the command: l 0 file. This loads the motion stored in main/motions/file.xml into slot 0. You can play it with: play 0 1000 0 (see help and project page)
If you want to load a motion editor (robotis) file you should use the command: load filename. This will load the motion editor file located at main/filename. The slots should be the page number, f.e. play 62 45 0 will play the motion stored in page 62.

- when i try to use the comand "m" a mesagge "this command is disabled" appear, how i can enable it?

A lot of commands are disabled by default (I should review that ). You can activate them by editing main/include/cmd.h:
Take a look at the vector console_cmds. It contains information about the console commands (like help text, parameter count, etc). The first paramter is the command name, the second is the command type. To activate a command you have to set the type to CT_MOV (if the command results in a motion of the robot) or CT_CFG (otherwise). Disabled commands have the type value CT_HIDE.
Then recompile.

To use the m system you have to:
Activate the load (CT_CFG) and the m (CT_MOV) command.
Recompile and in the console do:
load motion.mtn (this loads the original motion file for the humanoid)
Then you can use the original bioloid motions (untested since I dont have the standard humanoid):
roff, off (to test it in the viewer first)
m walk 1 150 (first parameter is sub command, second is ~ steps, third is time in ms of one motion)
m turnright 1 150
m turnleft 1 150

If everything works you can switch reading/writing back on: ron, on and try the commands with the real robot.

The commands are instantiated in main/src/motions.cpp CMotionContainer::addCommand().

[jawad]

Hi there i have been working with usafzz who has posted above in this thread. Thanks cosa for your help we were able to make bioloid work but i was having one problem while working with your bioloid control which i am not quite sure how to solve.
The problem is that when in order to run bioloid.exe i turn on the bioloid power and sometimes in the process of writing a command on command line bioloid frequently moves one of the motor suddenly to an extreme without any warning. I have seen this even if i am not running bioloid.exe and have the power turn on and it is in idle state with only robotwrapper.hex loaded it just after a random time moves a motor suddenly at a extreme position without me giving any command at all. This problem is creating problems for me when i am trying to run a captured file through bioloid.exe which i have tested before on simulation while running on the actual robot sometimes it goes to a position which is not in the file at all i don't undrrstand what the problem is can you guide me how can i solve the problem.Sometimes i able to run the whole motion file without any problems but other times the motion is interrupted by this sudden movement of a motor. This seems to happening mostly to the feet motors. I have personally checked all the connections and made sure if the leg is properly assembeled and there is no such problem i can see.
I have seen this problem only when robotwrapper.hex is loaded

[JonHylands]

Interestingly, I see this in my system as well. I believe that on occasion, while processing a SYNC_WRITE, one of the servos ends up reading the wrong value, and sends the servo to one extreme or the other.

I'm not 100% sure how to solve this problem.

- Jon

[cosa]

Hmm, I've never seen this in one of the two systems I have access to. My personal bioloid is the 19 dof old version with upgraded ax12-firmware. The other one is ~1.5years old (no idea what the ax12 firmware is). Do you have the latest firmware?

[JonHylands]

I have no idea which firmware my servos have. I have three different comprehensive kits kicking around here, of various vintages, although they are all 18 dof kits with AX-12+ servos.

I guess I could check the firmware numbers in the control tables. What are the latest numbers for that entry? (control table location 2)

- Jon

[mdda]

There's now a physics simulator in the bioloidcontrol project. It is a close-to-realistic simulation of the bioloid humanoid robot. Here are some key features :

* Written in C++ : with a decent object hierarchy (IMHO)
* Complete bioloid bus simulator drivable via TCP (all commands)
* Realistic physics : dimensions, masses, inertias taken from Portugeuse research group
* Robot parameters created from Excel file (via a perl-to-XML translator)
* Bioloid components (servos, IMUs, etc) react to bioloid message packets realistically
* Code is readable and extensible (and open source)

At the moment it's just accessible via SVN, and only tested on Linux. There are full instructions on building and running the simulator at :
http://bioloidcontrol.sourceforge.net/index_new.php?category=11

If there are problems it's probably my fault, and I'd be happy to help out with any vitual robot problems : BioloidControl (at) PLATFORMedia.com

Have fun!
Martin