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The ArmController Class

The ArmController class in the RiBot control library is a comprehensive interface for controlling and managing the robotic arm. It encapsulates a range of functionalities from basic movement to complex settings adjustments, making it a central component for robotic arm manipulation.

Fields​

The ArmController class contains several fields that store the current state and configuration of the robotic arm:

  • current_pose: ArmPose: Stores the current position and orientation of the robotic arm.
  • current_angles: List[float]: Holds the current angles of each joint in the arm.
  • is_homed: bool: Indicates whether the robotic arm has been homed.
  • status: ControllerStatus: Reflects the current status of the controller, which can be NOT_STARTED, WAITING_CONNECTION, RUNNING, or STOPPED.
  • tool_value: float: The current value (position/angle) of the tool attached to the arm.
  • arm_params: ArmParameters: Contains the physical parameters of the robotic arm.

Methods​

General​

These methods provide basic control over the robotic arm:

  • start(wait: bool = False, websocket_server: bool = True) -> None: Starts the controller, optionally waiting until it's fully operational and deciding whether to start a WebSocket server.
  • stop() -> None: Stops the controller.
  • home(wait: bool = True) -> None: Homes the robotic arm, optionally waiting until the homing process is complete.
  • home_joint(joint_idx: int) -> None: Homes a specific joint of the robotic arm.

Movement​

These methods control the movement of the robotic arm:

  • move_to(pose: ArmPose) -> bool: Moves the arm to a specified pose.
  • move_to_relative(pose: ArmPose) -> bool: Moves the arm to a pose relative to its current position.
  • move_joints_to(angles: List[float]) -> bool: Moves the joints of the arm to specified angles.
  • move_joints_to_relative(angles: List[float]) -> bool: Moves the joints of the arm to angles relative to their current positions.
  • move_joint_to(joint_idx: int, angle: float) -> bool: Moves a specific joint to a specified angle.
  • move_joint_to_relative(joint_idx: int, angle: float) -> bool: Moves a specific joint to an angle relative to its current position.
  • valid_pose(pose: ArmPose) -> bool: Checks if a given pose is valid for the robotic arm.
  • wait_done_moving() -> None: Waits until the arm has finished moving.

Tool​

  • set_tool_value(value: float) -> bool: Sets the value (position/angle) of the tool.

Settings​

info

More info on the settings enum can be found here.

These methods are used to configure settings for individual joints or the entire arm:

  • set_setting_joint(setting_key: Settings, value: float, joint_idx: int) -> None: Sets a specific setting for a joint.
  • set_setting_joints(setting_key: Settings, value: float) -> None: Sets a specific setting for all joints.
  • get_setting_joint(setting_key: Settings, joint_idx: int) -> float: Retrieves a specific setting from a joint.
  • get_setting_joints(setting_key: Settings) -> List[float]: Retrieves specific settings from all joints.

Additional methods to configure joint drivers and endstops:

  • set_joint_driver_stepper(joint_idx: int, step_pin: int, dir_pin: int) -> None: Configures a stepper motor driver for a joint.
  • set_joint_driver_servo(joint_idx: int, pin: int) -> None: Configures a servo motor driver for a joint.
  • set_joint_endstop_hall(joint_idx: int, pin: int) -> None: Sets a hall sensor endstop for a joint.
  • set_joint_endstop_none(joint_idx: int) -> None: Configures a joint with no endstop.
  • set_tool_driver_servo(pin: int) -> None: Sets the tool's driver as a servo with a specified pin.

The ArmController class, with its diverse range of fields and methods, serves as the backbone for controlling and customizing the robotic arm's operations, catering to a variety of tasks and applications.