Using the Dynamixel SDK instead of RoboPlus Tasks is not possible to query sensors connected to the CM-5xx controller. But, of course, using standard programming languages, like C++, and tools, line QT Creator or Eclipse, with its full featured IDEs and debuggers is a hugue gain.

So I created a firmware for the CM-510 which can be queried and receive commands to itself, including its sensors, or to Dynamyxel devices.

The idea is very simple:

This program running in the CM-510 receives:

– commands or queries to IDs of Dynamixel devices. These are not processed, only redirected to the Dynamixel bus only if it was received by serial port ( serial cable or zigbee). If it was received from the Dynamixel bus nothing is done.

– commands or queries to the CM-510 ID (I chose ID=200), like beep, or to the sensors connected to it. This commands and queries are processed in the CM-510, basically querying the sensors.

In both cases the answer is sent to the connection from which the query or command was received.

After power on the CM-510, you can select the mode with the 4 cursor keys as showed in a terminal connected to its serial port:

“For ‘Toss mode’ press (Up), for ‘Device mode’ (Down), for ‘Device debug mode’ (Left),to start press (Right)”

In the Device mode:

all the receptions and sends are through the Dynamixel bus, the CM-510 is simply another device.

In the Toss mode:

– what is received from the serial connection is sent to the Dynamixel bus or processed in the CM-510 (If sent to its ID)

-what is received from the Dynamixel bus is sent to the serial connection

Finally, the Debug mode:

is like the Device mode, but all the debug messages included in the CM-510 are sent to the serial connection.

A complete sequence with code snippets from the CM-510 program and from the code running in the other computer:

Some C++ code snippets from this example: (C# in the next post)

enum AX12Address  //and functions implemented in the CM-510 program, like
{
	ReadCM510SensorRaw = 1,
        Beep = 8,
	ReadCM510SensorFiltered = 4,
	SetSensorValuesToFilter = 5,
...
}

void doBeep()
{
    cout << "Beep" << endl;
    mySystem.dynamixelCommunication.sendOrder(100, AXS1_Buzzer, (byte) DO, (short) 500);
    usleep (200000);
    mySystem.dynamixelCommunication.sendOrder(200,MyCommunications::Beep short)5);
}

Querying sensor:

void doQuerySensor()
{
    int sensorPort=getSensorPort();
    int value=mySystem.dynamixelCommunication.readSensorValue (200,ReadCM510SensorRaw, sensorPort);
   cout << "the sensor reads: [" << value << "] " << endl << endl << endl;
}

These command and query are processed in the CM-510:

Getting the sensor value:

int executeCM510Function()
{
...
		case F_GET_SENSOR_VALUE_RAW:
			values[1] = getSensorValueRaw(parameters[1]);
			break;

		case F_GET_SENSOR_VALUE_FILTERED:
			values[1] = getSensorValueFiltered(parameters[1], sensorValuesToFilterDefined);
			break;

		case F_GET_TWO_DMS_SENSOR_VALUES:
			parametersReceived=3;
			getTwoDMSSensorsValues();
			break;

		case F_GET_MULTIPLE_SENSOR_VALUE:
			getMultipleSensorsValues();
			break;

		case F_DO_SENSOR_SCAN: 
			values[1]= sensorScan(parameters[1]);
			break;

		case F_SET_VALUE_DMS1 : //set default value DMS1
			DMS1=parameters[1];
			break;

		case F_SET_VALUE_DMS2 : //set default value DMS1
			DMS2=parameters[1];
			break;

		case F_BEEP:
			if (debugMode)
				printf("executeCM510Function beep\n");
			beep();
			break;

		case F_SET_SENSOR_VALUES_TO_FILTER:
			sensorValuesToFilterDefined=parameters[1];
			break;
	}

	return function;
}

}
...
int getSensorValueRaw(unsigned char portId)
{
ADCSRA = (1 << ADEN) | (1 << ADPS2) | (1 << ADPS1);

		setPort(portId);
		//PORTA &= ~0x80;
		//PORTA &= ~0x20;

		//_delay_us(12);				// Short Delay for rising sensor signal
		_delay_us(24);
		ADCSRA |= (1 << ADIF);		// AD-Conversion Interrupt Flag Clear
		ADCSRA |= (1 << ADSC);		// AD-Conversion Start

		while( !(ADCSRA & (1 << ADIF)) );	// Wait until AD-Conversion complete

		PORTA = 0xFC;				// IR-LED Off

		//printf( "%d\r\n", ADC); // Print Value on USART

		//_delay_ms(50);
		_delay_ms(ReadSensorDelayMS);

		return ADC;
}

void beep()
{
   buzzOn(100);
   buzzOff();
}

But we can do a little more with the CM-510 processor, we can do some filtering to the sensor values.

The readings from the DMS are usually somewhat erratic, so we can simply:

– discard the minimum and maximum values:

– if we take 5 more than measures, then return the average if the are more than 3, if 3 or less it

Previously we should set how many readings should be done, if not, the default number of readings are 5:

int getSensorValueFiltered(unsigned char portId, int times)
{
...
	switch(function)
	{		
		case F_GET_SENSOR_VALUE_RAW:
			values[1] = getSensorValueRaw(parameters[1]);
			break;

		case F_GET_SENSOR_VALUE_FILTERED:
			values[1] = getSensorValueFiltered(parameters[1], sensorValuesToFilterDefined);
			break;

		case F_GET_TWO_DMS_SENSOR_VALUES:
			parametersReceived=3;
			getTwoDMSSensorsValues();
			break;

		case F_GET_MULTIPLE_SENSOR_VALUE:
			getMultipleSensorsValues();
			break;

		case F_DO_SENSOR_SCAN: 
			values[1]= sensorScan(parameters[1]);
			break;

		case F_SET_VALUE_DMS1 : //set default value DMS1
			DMS1=parameters[1];
			break;

		case F_SET_VALUE_DMS2 : //set default value DMS1
			DMS2=parameters[1];
			break;

		case F_BEEP:
			if (debugMode)
				printf("executeCM510Function beep\n");
			beep();
			break;

		case F_SET_SENSOR_VALUES_TO_FILTER:
			sensorValuesToFilterDefined=parameters[1];
			break;
	}
...

We also can take values from multiple sensors with one query, but It will be explained in the next post…