How to use the real e-pucks with Aseba

In order to use the e-puck with Aseba you need to complete several steps: [tested on Ubuntu 9.10 - March 2010]

First of all you need to retrieve all the necessary files from the svn repository.

Ask a user to Alessandro (alessandro (dot) stranieri (at) ulb (dot) ac (dot) be) and then do:

svn checkout https://iridia-dev.ulb.ac.be/projects/epuck_files/svn

Download, compile and patch Dashel (v.127) and Aseba (v. 381)

Fast solution:

• use the script done by Arne (TODO put the path)
  • copy patches/ and install_aseba.sh to a directory where you want all the files and run the script

Step-by-step solution:

• DASHEL

• download Dashel v. 127

svn -r127 co http://svn.gna.org/svn/dashel/trunk dashel

• patch it - (TODO this is necessary because... )

cd dashel
patch -p0 < patches/dashel_with_fpic_r127.patch

• compile it

cmake .
make

• install it in /usr/local (you can avoid this but then you need to modify the CMakeLists.txt in Aseba)

sudo make install

• ASEBA

• download Aseba v. 381

svn -r381 co http://svn.gna.org/svn/aseba/trunk aseba

• patch it - (this is necessary in order to make Aseba communicate with the simulator )

cd aseba
patch -p0 < patches/aseba_complete_r381.patch

• compile it

cmake .
make

• install it in /usr/local

sudo make install

• test if it works

cd studio
./studio

• a window should appear. You are not able to connect now, it's normal

Now you should have Aseba working under your system ready to communicate with the simulator and the real e-pucks

Bluetooth Configuration

• bluetooth/rfcomm.conf has to be copied in /etc/bluetooth
• bluetooth/passwords/ has to be copied in /etc/bluetooth
• bluetooth/90-local.rules has to be copied in /etc/udev/rules.d/

now you have to restart the services

sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth stop
sudo /etc/init.d/udev restart (or sudo restart udev)
sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth start

check if in /dev/ there are some files called rfcomm**, if not do:

sudo rfcomm bind all

you should now have all the necessary files to connect to the robots.

NOTE: The above files have been created by us and are not complete. This means that if you want to use an e-puck that is not in the list you should add it.

To do that you have to first get the MAC address of the epuck you want to add: turn on the selected e-puck and do:

hcitool scan 

modify rfcomm.conf and 90-local.rules using the existing lines as examples.

As a last step you need to add the password file in the passkeys directory. Go in /etc/bluetooth/passwords/ and do (with the correct epuck number and MAC):

echo 'epuck_1442' > '08:00:17:2D:1A:15'

Once you have done this please update the corresponding file in the svn. Eventually we will be able to have the complete list for all the e-pucks (or, at least, the most used ones)