Mar.1 DualMotorBot and LDD

LDD = Lego Digital Designer
Dual-Motor-Bot = Lego Robot with just 2 motors (instead of the usual 3 with tribot)

Construction Instructions using LDD:
After finishing the robot, the LDD (Lego Digital Designer)  can generate building instructions automatically.  However the order is not  necessarily the order it was created in and not always logical.  (ex. 2 connectors beside each other, one left as hole until several steps later). The building instructions  html generated provide good images of the finished robot and smaller Lego parts. The larger Lego parts are too small and have noticable jagged edges.

So currently creating my own building/construction instructions using hopefully a more logical and modular building order. The images are a combination of the LDD generated images and  my own creations via paint. Pictures may be included later.

Forms provided by LDD:

• HTML  
• in Lego SW specific form.

Forms needed:

• Sourceforge wiki (will probably link to pdf file)
• pdf (use FreePDF XP printer)

Feb.26 Line Follower refinements and test

From observing a HTL class working on their line followers (in Lejos)

Robot:
light sensors closer to "floor" have less interference
if sensors are not close to the wheels then a small angle still has a longer radius
ie. sensor make a bigger turn  away from the line than expected.
This is true of the basic tribot, which has a third motor the middle (for support)


Algorithm:
Calibrate the light sensors so the background can be a brown or gray table top. 
The color blocks on the new track can confuse the robot if light sensors are not calibrated right
Slow down in curves
Try the direction it was turning in first if the line is lost

Testing:
straight line
test circle 
line the curves back and forth


Next application:
Maze made up of black lines

Feb.26 Alt. Blinker using E_CYCLE and _E_SWITCH

The composite FB util.FlipFlop in previous post could use the first 3 FBs here instead.

Feb.26 Composite FBs with just FBDK FBs Tricks

Blinker with Flip-flop logic in a composite FB type in group util and named flipflop.

Tricks needed:

In 4DIAC 

1. create the composite FB as desired

2. use the composite FB from the palette in an application
3. map application to FBDK device via System

Before testing:

In 4DIAC preferences for FBDK

• add the group util to the list of packages 

In FBDK editor 

• open the xml for the composite function block
• Fix what ever it complains about. In this case:
• removed standard in
• removed xml statement with no explicit beginning xml statement
• add imports needed (import fb.rt.hmi.*;) 
• to Compiler Info / Header
• press Enter (lose what typed if forget)
• press OK button

• then save as and check XML and Java then the press the OK button 

Ready to test in 4DIAC deployment  using launch FBDK / (check appl) download.

Note: Received updated 4DIAC from Monika, because can't delete FB in composite FBs  in    last pre-edition.

Failed attempt:  Composite blocks had a problem with spliting and merging events using connectors so tried with E_SPLITs and E_MERGEs. The updated 4DIAC from Monika fixed this problem, too.

Feb.25 Tutorial options

Prefer:

• Interactive
• Some self-checks
  

Form? 1 or more of following:

• pdf 
•  
• video preferred method - how?
• Carnegie Mellon Robot Academy has excellent sample video on Repeating Behaviors
• guided learning with self-check

Access options?
25 Feb. already solved: in 4DIAC sourceforge wiki 

• pdf file to download
• con: not interactive
• good for a start
  
• in CMS= Content Mangement System  
• Moodle 
• pro: used by TU e-Learning
• SW reqts: php, sql DB, apache server 
• ? Can TU courses be left open so no key is required?
• otherwise con: someone must install and maintain on the 4DIAC website
• can use / interface to other tools like a wiki
• Joombla
• new and currently popular
• Mediawiki 
• like Moodle: SW reqts: php, sql DB, apache server
• pro: easy to update
• con. same as Moodle
• Web page
• pro: just include
• con: not SCORM standard

Feb.24 Tutorial 1: Linefollower Stepwise refinement

Tutorial 1: Linefollower Checklist


1a. Create Line Follower with LeJos with 1 to 3 light sensors

       eCos with Forte is not ready yet (soon?)

• LeJos Environment and SW:
• see Lejos Tutorial
• Lejos Hints:
• Firmware flash at the end of the install did not find the NXT brick, so long as my USB stick was plugged in. It disconnected the USB stick, too. Fortunately no files on USB stick were affected.
• can set-up so whole installation can be copied or used from USB stick
• Eclipse with LeJos Hints:
• import Sample Project (C:\Users\Carolyn\leJOSNXJProjects) for examples  see tutorial for details
• In Preferences don't forget to set lejos_home
• Know project converted with Other libraries includes java.nxt class.jar
• Download problems? - current - reinstalling

1b. Formalize a stepwise refinement approach
see Feb.10 Line Follower Steps entry for start
Worksheet: Fill-in a table for the 2^n cases (n=1-3 sensors) from Bratislava presentation

2. simulate Function Blocks with FDBK that think need
see Feb. 15-19 flip-flops and lego.setFloodlight entry for start

3. Formalize construction instructions
    will use both 

• links to standard Lego Mindstorms construction links, 
• see *LEGO NXT Robot construction links basic contructions and line followers
• www.lego.com
• own construction instructions
• Try to formalize in LDD = Lego Digital Designer otherwise photos in pdf doc
• LDD requires Adobe Flash Player
• ? Uploads - what from the construction etc are available - or just end pdf?

then if

• standard Lego links change still have 1 construction still available
• Lego kit changes, then instructions for new kit available via links

4. Create stand-alone Tutorial
see Tutorial options entry for start

*IEC 61499 References / Links

Lewis, Robert, Modelling control systems using IEC 61499, The Institution of Electrical Engineers, London, 2001.

Vyatkin, Valeriy, IEC 61499 Function Blocks for Embedded and Distrubuted Control Systems Design,  N.Z.,O3-neida 200x

Tutorials for 61499 and FBDK (java)

Fischer, John ; Boucher, Thomas; Workbook for Designing Distributed Control Applications using Rockwell Automation’s HOLOBLOC Prototyping Software, Working Paper No. 05-017,Rudgers 2005.
http://ise.rutgers.edu/automation_sciences/Publications Documents/DCWorkbook.pdf downloaded 3/10

http://knol.google.com/k/iec-61499#

See links on right side
http://aut.informatik.uni-halle.de/mitarbeiter/gerber/


Examples:
With FBDK
http://ise.rutgers.edu/automation_sciences/
Curriculum development material for distributed control

Testbed with Function block examples

http://aut.informatik.uni-halle.de/forschung/testbed/handling_station/control_panel/