RoboEmu 1.11beta1

[redbeard0531]

Please add support for a reset button. Or at least set all vars to zero when "Begin match" is clicked. Otherwise my counter is never reset. I have to completely exit out to reset it!

[Greg Ross]

Originally posted by redbeard0531
Please add support for a reset button. Or at least set all vars to zero when "Begin match" is clicked. Otherwise my counter is never reset. I have to completely exit out to reset it!

This sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. (A little hyperbole can sometimes come in handy. )

Remember that you power up your robot when you place it on the field, and your program then begins running (albeit disabled) as soon as communications are established with your OI. This means that if you don't check the comp_mode bit, and only start incrementing your counter after it changes to 0, your counter could have been running for something like 2 minutes before the match starts. I handle this problem by reseting my timer to zero whenever comp_mode = 1. Unfortunately, this isn't a 100% solution when running RoboEmu, since it doesn't start a match disabled.

What I would like to see RoboEmu do is to start a match with the 10 second human player period -- during which time comp_mode would be set to 1. Only then would comp_mode be cleared, and auton_mode be set. It would also be very helpful to have a visible match timer.

[redbeard0531]

I deal with that problem by putting the timer code in the autonomous subroutine. Since it doesn't get called until auto_mode = 1, i time from the start of the autonomous period. The only assumption that I make is that the robot will be fully powered off between matches.

[Greg Ross]

Originally posted by redbeard0531
I deal with that problem by putting the timer code in the autonomous subroutine. Since it doesn't get called until auto_mode = 1, i time from the start of the autonomous period. The only assumption that I make is that the robot will be fully powered off between matches.

I was thinking of my match timer -- which needs to run the entire match. (I won't reveal what it is used for. )

[rbayer]

Sorry for the delay everybody. I've gotten a grand total of approx 12 hours of sleep in the past five days and haven't had any time to deal with RoboEmu. Anyway, I'm thinking I might start work on 2.0, which will include some fundamental changes to the core of RoboEmu. Look for a preview release within a few weeks.

--Rob

[Greg Ross]

Originally posted by rbayer
Sorry for the delay everybody. I've gotten a grand total of approx 12 hours of sleep in the past five days and haven't had any time to deal with RoboEmu.

We understand. That's how we came up with so many RoboEmu suggestions within the last couple of days. We've been spending day and night writing code, debugging in RoboEmu, and then trying to figure out why it doesn't work in the robot.

[guzugi]

yes, agreed, well writen, FREE software, especially in this situation, is very helpful, THANK YOU!!!

[Ken Delaney]

I would like to express my gratitude to Rob for all his hard work on creating RoboEmu. I found the program invaluable for my programmers since we had so little time with a finished robot. We had to change very little of the code since we had debugged much of it using the emulator.

Our robot is a crab drive robot that can stack autonomously. We spent a lot of the time at Annapolis dealing with unresolved mechanical issues and trying to compensate for a high center of gravity. We should be much more competitive at the Philly Regional.

One suggestion I have for the emulator would be to show the sensor values. We used pots to control our steering and found the interface for using the sensors a little bulky.

Rob if you are going to be at Houston I would like to say thanks in person.

[rbayer]

Originally posted by mrd_udhs

One suggestion I have for the emulator would be to show the sensor values. We used pots to control our steering and found the interface for using the sensors a little bulky.

Rob if you are going to be at Houston I would like to thanks in person.

You're very welcome. I'm glad some people are making good use of these things and finding them useful.

I've been trying to find ways of streamlining the sensor interface (same with the wheel and aux) but haven't found anything good yet. I'm still working on it, though, and will hopefully have something in version 2.0.

Unfortunately, my team doesn't qualify for nats this year (team 6) and I don't think I'll be able to take time off school to drive down myself. Anyways, I'm glad you've found RoboEmu useful and I really do appreciate the thanks and the feedback.

--Rob

[Gobiner]

I have a modest suggestion. Using ctrl-P to pause the emulation is really great, but you can't do that unless the main tool bar is the window that is active. If you've been playing with inputs, you have to go back and click on the tool bar to ctrl-P. That's the only GUI issue I have.

coolness++;

[rbayer]

I'll add it to the list. Anyways, my plans for this weekend fell through, so I should be able to get a lot of work done on 2.0. Then again, I've said that about every weekend...

With any luck, I'll have something usable before nats.

--Rob

[WizardOfAz]

Hi Rob,
Great to have so many issues resolve with 1.11. But there is a problem with reload I guess.

If I load my program and run it, all fine. If I then modify it (even just resave with no changes)I get then offer to reload, which I OK, then a popup error dialog that says "Error Parsing file on line 560. Error: Malformed Serout: 14 Do you wish to quit?"

If I say yes, it quits, I restart, all is well again.

If I say no, then pause, then unpause, I get the prompt to reload again, and the same sequence follows.

If I use file->open files etc to try to reload the file that way, RoboEmu just freezes up.

I will send the source file off the list if you want, let me know.

Bill

[rbayer]

Darn it! I thought I fixed that. Anyways, the problem is probably that your serout doesn't contain all the bytes (255, 255, followed by two relay bytes and 16 PWMs). In theory, I fixed this issue way back when the eduBot came out, but apparently the reload feature doesn't make use of the new, less-strict serout requirements. I'm sure everybody is sick of hearing this by now, but I'll say it anyways: I'll try to incorporate it into 2.0. In any event, I would definately appreciate the source if you are willing to send it as it helps me track down bugs faster.

--Rob