The device's purpose is to make it possible to connect up to 4 FT sensors to a single EMS board.

1.1. Prereqisite

The following modules should be included in the compilation process:

ENABLE_icubmod_canBusAnalogSen ON

ENABLE_icubmod_embObjMultipleF ON

2. XML configuration file

This device should be used with an XML like the following:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE devices PUBLIC "-//YARP//DTD yarprobotinterface 3.0//EN" "http://www.yarp.it/DTD/yarprobotinterfaceV3.0.dtd">
 
 
<device xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" name="eb1-j0-strain2-multi" type="embObjMultipleFTsensors">
 
    <xi:include href="../../general.xml" />
 
    <xi:include href="../../hardware/electronics/eb1-j0-eln.xml" />
 
    <group name="SERVICE">
        
        <param name="type"> eomn_serv_AS_ft </param>
 
        <group name="PROPERTIES">
 
            <!-- we can have as many boards as we want, 
                but now the only good ones are strain and strain2. 
                use eoas_ft_isboardvalid() to verify -->
            <group name="CANBOARDS">
                <param name="type">                 strain2     strain      </param>
 
                <group name="PROTOCOL">
                    <param name="major">            2           1           </param>    
                    <param name="minor">            0           0           </param>     
                </group>                    
                <group name="FIRMWARE">
                    <param name="major">            2           1           </param>    
                    <param name="minor">            0           1           </param> 
                    <param name="build">            9           3           </param>
                </group>
            </group>
            
            <!-- we can have as many sensors as we want. however ... -->
            <group name="SENSORS">
                <param name="id">                   l_foot_ft1      l_foot_ft2      l_foot_ft3  </param>
                <param name="board">                strain2         strain2         strain      </param>
                <param name="location">             CAN2:13         CAN1:12         CAN2:11     </param>
            </group>                
        
        </group>
 
        <!-- we can pick up at max 4 sensors from the above list. 
            we can specify parameters that are different for each sensor 
            - ftPeriod is expressed in ms in the range [1, 250]
            - temperaturePeriod is expressed in ms (but it will be used in seconds).
            - useCalibration is boolean
            -->
        <group name="SETTINGS">        
            <param name="enabledSensors">       l_foot_ft1  l_foot_ft2  l_foot_ft3      </param>
            <param name="ftPeriod">             10          10          10              </param> <!-- ms -->
            <param name="temperaturePeriod">    1000        1000        0               </param> <!-- ms -->
            <param name="useCalibration">       true        false       true            </param>           
        </group>       
    
        <group name="CANMONITOR">        
            <param name="checkPeriod">      100     </param>  <!-- ms -->
            <param name="reportMode">       ALL     </param>
            <param name="ratePeriod">       20000   </param>  <!-- ms -->
        </group>    
    </group>
</device>

And the wrapper:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE devices PUBLIC "-//YARP//DTD yarprobotinterface 3.0//EN" "http://www.yarp.it/DTD/yarprobotinterfaceV3.0.dtd">
 
<device xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" name="testFT_wrapper" type="multipleanalogsensorsserver">
    <param name="period">      10                           </param>
    <param name="name">       /testFT/ADCs      </param>
 
    <action phase="startup" level="5" type="attach">
        <paramlist name="networks">
            <!-- The param value must match the device name in the corresponding body_part-ebX-jA_B-strain.xml file -->
            <elem name="FirstStrain"> eb1-j0-strain2-multi </elem>
        </paramlist>
    </action>
 
    <action phase="shutdown" level="5" type="detach" />
</device>

ℹ️ Note that all the time values are expressed in milliseconds.

2.1. Raw ADC data or FT data

To log raw data directly from ADC output use the param with the name useCalibration

<param name="useCalibration"> true false true </param>

if false raw data are logged from the correspondent sensor.

3. Yarp output

3.1. Ports

As for the wrapper file.

All sensors are logged on the same port.

/<robot_name>/ADCs/measures:o

/<robot_name>/ADCs/rpc:o

3.2. Output format

Output example for one sensor:

1277 1648477185.597940 () () () () (((32.0) 3062439114.0)) (((30.0 30.0 60.0 -15.0 -14.0 -13.0) 3062439114.0))()()()()()

3062439114.0 is the board timestamp
(32.0) is the temperature
(30.0 30.0 60.0 -15.0 -14.0 -13.0) are the FT data

For two sensors:

4714 1648546986.847330 () () () () (((31.0) 8627844988.0) ((33.0) 8627845987.0)) (((30.0 0.0 -60.0 -1.0 -1.0 -1.0) 8627844988.0) ((0.256134033203125 0.66009521484375 -3.583465576171875 0.0064697265625 0.067291259765625 -0.043487548828125) 8627845987.0)) () () () ()

8627844988.0 is the board timestamp for first sensor
(31.0) is the temperature first sensor
(30.0 0.0 -60.0 -1.0 -1.0 -1.0) are the FT data first sensor

8627845987.0 is the board timestamp for second sensor
(33.0) is the temperature second sensor
(0.256134033203125 0.66009521484375 -3.583465576171875 0.0064697265625 0.067291259765625 -0.043487548828125) 8627845987.0) are the FT data second sensor

4. Debug

4.1. Install folder

If you have already installed robotology-superbuild and you have cloned icub-main (and you are working here) overwrite robotology-superbuild binary like this in your icub-main:

CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX <path_to_robotology>/robotology-superbuild/build/install

4.2. Visual studio code debugging

Use the following launch.json

{
    "name": "App debug multiple ft sensor",
    "type": "cppdbg",
    "request": "launch",
    "program": "<absolute path to your robotology>/robotology-superbuild/build/install/bin/yarprobotinterface",
    "args": [],
    "stopAtEntry": false,
    "cwd": "<absolute path to your config files>/yarprobotinterface-config-multiple",
    "environment": [],
    "externalConsole": false,
    "MIMode": "gdb",
    "setupCommands": [
        {
            "description": "Enable pretty-printing for gdb",
            "text": "-enable-pretty-printing",
            "ignoreFailures": true
        },
        {
            "description": "Set Disassembly Flavor to Intel",
            "text": "-gdb-set disassembly-flavor intel",
            "ignoreFailures": true
        }
    ],
    "miDebuggerPath": "/usr/bin/gdb",
}