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ActivMedia Robotics
Joydrive and Self-Tests
Chapter 5
Beginning with P2OS version 1.C, all Pioneer 2s and PeopleBots may be tethered and
driven manually with a common PC (analog) joystick. In version 1.G and later, you may
also use the tethered joystick to manually drive the robot even when it is connected with
a client. And P2OS comes with a series of short test routines for your ActivMedia robot's
drive motors, sonar, User I/O functions, and accessories.
To run in either joydrive or self-test mode, start up or RESET the robot into its P2OS wait
state (LCD "no conn"). You may press the RESET button at any time to disable self-test
and joydrive modes. To enable joydrive while connected with a client, you must send
the P2OS command number 47 with the integer argument 1. See Chapter 6, Pioneer 2
Operating System, for details.
Joystick Connection
You may attach a common PC joystick to the User I/O’s analog ports and manually drive
your robot around without the need for a client connection and incumbent accessories.
But it also means that you may drive your Pioneer 2 around without the niceties of a
client’s protective behaviors like obstacle avoidance—so be careful. Pioneer 2-ATs and
the Performance PeopleBot come standard with a joystick connector and internal wiring.
An accessory kit is available to adapt other models. See Appendix C for connection
details.
Beware:
The Joystick and the older Gripper interfere at the User I/O port.
Because they share ports on the User I/O connector of the microcontroller, older versions
of the Pioneer 2 Gripper interferes with joystick operation.
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One solution is to switch the
control lines with a 4PDT toggle switch. See Appendix C for details.
Alternatively, there is an accessory kit available that moves the Gripper controls to the
General I/O bus, liberating the User I/O ports for other uses, including attaching a joystick.
Visit the Pioneer webpages (http://www.activrobots.com
) and contact sales@
activmedia.com for details.
Joydrive Operation
To joydrive your robot when not connected with a client program like Saphira or ARIA,
attach a PC joystick to the 15-pin DSUB socket of the robot’s joystick port. Then, after
switching the robot’s Main Power ON, press the white MOTORS button once. Listen for a
rhythmic, low-tone beeping indicating joydrive mode.
To joydrive while connected with a client, you must have the client send the P2OS
command number 47 with an integer argument 1 to enable joydrive. Then, press and
release the joystick fire button to enable self-calibration mode. Have your client send the
P2OS Joydrive command number 47 with an integer argument of 0 to disable the joystick
drive-override.
The joystick is self-calibrating: When you first enable joydrive mode, P2OS detects the
joystick’s center and extreme positions and saves these values to balance the driving
action. Accordingly, rotate the joystick around its extreme limits and then let the joystick
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Identified as hasgripper = 1 in your robot’s parameters; see Chapter 7, Updating & Reconfiguring P2OS,
and the Pioneer 2 Gripper Manual, version 2 or later, for details.
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