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Starting page for Chris
Synapticon Stuff
Synapticon provided two packages (and I downloaded a third).
- C22-ComECAT-IfmBLDC-XScope : Seems to be some sort of brushless dc (bldc) motor scope over ethercat
- SNCN_SOMANET-0.3_MotorCtrl-EC_130318 : Their customized application for our motor control system
- SNCN_SOMANET-0.1-EarlyBird : Their generic system with some config files etc. (older)
Setting up Synapticon Ethercat
- Install EtherCat Synapticon Wiki or Ethercat. Follow the instructions in the INSTALL file.
- This requires installing the 8139 ethernet driver, which seems to require kernel v3.2. You can remove this requirement by following these instructions
- You might have to install mercurial and/or autoconf and libtool
$ sudo apt-get install mercurial mercurial-git autoconf libtool
- Disable 8139 and use generic driver
$ ./configure --disable-8139too --enable-generic
- Now make and install the code. Also update module dependencies. This should install ethercat on your computer.
$ make all modules $ sudo make modules_install install $ sudo depmod
- After installing the master, you need to edit /etc/sysconfig/ethercat to select which card yould be used and what driver(s) should be loaded.
Setting up XMOS for compiling Synapticon control code
- XMOS is the chip that Synapticon uses to actually control the motors. It requires xmake, a custom build process. There is a wiki entry on Synapticon's website XMOS Setup.
- Download the XMOS development environment (basically a hacked Eclipse with some xmos specific compile options)
- Download the Synapticon Early Bird Release and import SNCN_SOMANET-0.1-EarlyBird/xn_sncn/C22-ComECAT-IfmBLDC-XScope.zip into the XMOS hardware:
- XMOS -> Help -> Install New Hardware
- This registers the hardware platform we have
- The Synapticon code should now compile in the XMOS development environment
Setting up Synapticon modules for control
- Open Synapticon wiki tutorial Synapticon Motor Control Wiki
- Set motor properties in sc_sncn_motorctrl/app_motorctrl/config/motor
Synapticon Wiki Shortcuts
Setting up an new controller for Neuroarm
Followed tutorial.
This created scl_chris_ctrl, a new directory for the controller.
Next, update the Cfg file with a specification for what we want to control.
Command line requires
./<executable> <robot_config_file_name.xml> <robot_name> <controller_name> <app-specific-arguments>
Which is:
$ ./scl_chris_ctrl ../../specs/Neuroarm/Neuroarm_Cfg.xml Neurobot opc -op hand
To-do's
- fix obj's Solidworks_to_Blender
- Ask Gerald to help fix my controller
- play with joint limits
- Verify models; fix base orientation; verify measurements
- Copy Samir's tutorial on contro Contributed Paper March 1, 2013 June 14, 2013 ller code at Tutorial
- Follow tutorial on how to get Eclipse running; so can fix joints together by running controller in Eclipse debug mode (DONE.)
Setting up a robot model
Use the scl_gc_ctrl application to test the kinematics and the config file.
The command line input is: ./<executable> <file_name.xml> <optional: robot_name.xml>
chris@chris-System-Product-Name:/Documents/scl-manips-group.git/applications-linux/scl_gc_ctrl$ ./scl_gc_ctrl ../../specs/Neuroarm/Neuroarm_Cfg.xml
Git notes
git reset HEAD --hard if accidentally delete code... Series for adding files to git:
Navigate to file directory --> git add (filenames, separated by spaces) --> git commit --> Explanation --> ctrl+O, ctrl+x
Check for changes since last git commit:
git diff
Updated