While the long-term vision for Sawppy is an autonomous vehicle running on ROS we have an interim software solution adapted from SGVHAK Rover. Sawppy running SGVHAK rover software will present a web-based user interface turning a touchscreen into a joystick to drive a rover as a remote-control car. (Mouse click and drag can also be used on non-touchscreen devices.) This is also called a 'teleoperation' mode.
Clone the SGVHAK Rover software repository
and follow instructions to install dependencies. (Optional installation of virtualenv
and required installation of Python libraries pip install -e .)
Before proceeding to step "Start Flask", make the modifications below.
The information below are specific to the LewanSoul serial bus servos used on first Sawppy implementation, but the general concept are applicable to alternative serial bus servos with modification.
Sawppy has ten LewanSoul serial bus servos wired in parallel. In order to tell them apart, each servo must have an unique identifier different from any other servo on board the rover. By default, every servo is assigned id #1 at the factory and must be renamed one at a time. This procedure is also an opportunity to verify the BusLinker a.k.a. Debug Board is working.
For this step, connect a single servo to BusLinker. Connect a two-cell LiPo battery to BusLinker power inputs Vin and GND to power the servo. Connect USB cable to computer.
For Linux (such as Raspberry Pi's Debian or Ubuntu Linux on laptop visible in
picture) run the dmesg command immediately after plugging in the USB cable
to see which port it has been assigned. The final few lines of output from
running dmesg should look similar to the following:
[ 2980.395126] usb 2-3: new full-speed USB device number 15 using xhci_hcd
[ 2980.568517] usb 2-3: New USB device found, idVendor=1a86, idProduct=7523
[ 2980.568524] usb 2-3: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
[ 2980.568528] usb 2-3: Product: USB2.0-Serial
[ 2980.571592] ch341 2-3:1.0: ch341-uart converter detected
[ 2980.582703] usb 2-3: ch341-uart converter now attached to ttyUSB0
Write down the final piece of information (in this example ttyUSB0) and
edit the file config_lewansoul.json.
Edit line 4 value for port accordingly. Once configured, we can run the
LewanSoul support code in lewansoul_wrapper.py
as a standalone command line utility. Run it with the command line
python SGVHAK_Rover/lewansoul_wrapper.py and the following help screen
should be displayed.
~/SGVHAK_Rover$ python SGVHAK_Rover/lewansoul_wrapper.py
usage: lewansoul_wrapper.py [-h] [-id ID] [-t TIME]
[-m MOVE | -q | -r RENAME | -s SPIN | -u | -v]
LewanSoul Serial Servo Command Line Utility
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-id ID, --id ID Servo identifier integer 0-253. 254 is broadcast ID.
-t TIME, --time TIME Time duration for action
-m MOVE, --move MOVE Move servo to specified position 0-1000
-q, --queryid Query for servo ID
-r RENAME, --rename RENAME
Rename servo identifier
-s SPIN, --spin SPIN Spin the motor at a specified speed from -1000 to 1000
-u, --unload Power down servo motor
-v, --voltage Read current input voltage
With a single LewanSoul serial bus servo connected, send an ID broadcast query to determine its current ID. If it is new from factory, it is likely to have ID of 1.
~/SGVHAK_Rover$ python SGVHAK_Rover/lewansoul_wrapper.py -q
Broadcasting servo ID query
Servo ID 1 responded to query
Change this servo's ID. This example shows changing ID from 1 to 30.
~/SGVHAK_Rover$ python SGVHAK_Rover/lewansoul_wrapper.py --id 1 --rename 30
Checking the specified servo ID 1 is on the serial network.
Checking the specified destination servo ID 30 is not already taken.
Renaming servo ID 1 to 30
Verifying the servo now answers to new ID
Servo successfully renamed to ID 30
Give each of our ten servo their own individual ID. The exact values are not important but they must be ten different IDs. If desired to copy reference Sawppy implementation, give them ID #20 through #29. Mark each servo with their new ID for reference. Sawppy visible in pictures used a label maker to record each servo ID.
Take note of servo ID in each location. If desired to copy reference Sawppy
implementation, here is a table of servo position along with their ID. This
information is duplicated in config_roverchassis.json.sawppy
in JSON format.
| Left | Rolling | Steering | Steering | Rolling | Right | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front | 25 | 23 | 29 | 27 | Front | |
| Mid | 21 | 22 | Mid | |||
| Rear | 20 | 24 | 26 | 28 | Rear |
If a rover has been modified in a way that changes its suspension geometry
such that wheel positions have shifted, their position needs to be updated
in config_roverchassis.json.sawppy
for proper calculation of Ackermann steering
angles on each of four corner wheels. See section "Physical Geometry" under
"Configurations and Modifications" of SGVHAK Rover instructions.
Once rover is standing on its own wheels, use the command line utility again this time to find center positions for all four steering servos. In a perfect world a servo's center position 500 will be where a wheel points straight ahead, but realities of construction mean each rover will have slightly different values.
This example shows starting with 500 then trying position on either side of center: 510 and 490.
:~/SGVHAK_Rover$ python SGVHAK_Rover/lewansoul_wrapper.py --id 30 --move 500
Moving servo 30 to position 500
:~/SGVHAK_Rover$ python SGVHAK_Rover/lewansoul_wrapper.py --id 30 --move 510
Moving servo 30 to position 510
:~/SGVHAK_Rover$ python SGVHAK_Rover/lewansoul_wrapper.py --id 30 --move 490
Moving servo 30 to position 490
Update config_roverchassis.json.sawppy
with correct center position for each of four steering servos.
NOTE: SGVHAK rover software menu has a "Steering Trim" menu item, but that is specific to RoboClaw controller used by SGVHAK rover and does not apply to Sawppy rover.
Once our config_sawppy.json has been properly updated, copy
it over config_roverchassis.json to overwrite SGVHAK rover
configuration with Sawppy configuration.
Now our clone of SGVHAK rover software has been reconfigured for our Sawppy rover build, and we can resume SGVHAK Rover instructions from step 'Start Flask' onwards.