Roslund Key Notes

This is a repo specifcially tailored to our robot roslund which is inteded to be controlled via a pi-picow like microcontroller. We use serial ctl to serialize controller data over bluetooth communications (Not intended for X-Bee).

Devlopment Log

The below log is for keeping track of changes made to this project

• 2024-09-25 : Created this readme - Cole, Natorion, Lucas
  • packet.h is the file that defines the data packets that are sent between the client and robot. It is a C struct.
  • Purpose:
    • The changes made to serialctl was in regards to getting roslund working for niu stemfest 2024: the goal of this is to have mechannum drive to work with bluethooth serial ctl. maybe even with a ps5 or ps4 controller.
• 2025-03-08
  • Code woked for DevUp event! Yayyy!
• 2025-03-09 : Read me edited by Natorion and Lucas.
  • This repository includes both robot code and serial ctl client.

File Structure(for robot code):

• README.md
• src
  • src/base64.c
  • src/base64.h
  • src/crc16.c
  • src/crc16.h
  • src/globals.h
  • src/main.cpp
  • src/MCP3XXX.h
  • src/packet.h
  • src/ribtest.code-workspace
  • src/zserio.cpp
  • src/zserio.h

File Structure(Client code)

• serialctl-client
  • base64.c
  • base64.h
  • crc16.c
  • joystick.c
  • joystick.h
  • main.c
  • Makefile
  • packet.h
  • serio.c
  • serio.h

Building

Compiling for Linux

git clone https://github.com/illinoistechrobotics/roslund-serialctl-2025.git
cd roslund-serialctl-2025/serialctl-client
make

Compiling for Windows

• Install Cygwin https://www.cygwin.com/setup-x86_64.exe
• Add packages when prompted: libSDL2-devel libSDL2_2.0_0 make git gcc-core
• Use latest stable package versions.

Open Cygwin64 Terminal

• git clone https://github.com/illinoistechrobotics/roslund-serialctl-2025.git
• cd serialctl
• make windows
• the folder release now contains a portable windows build with the necessary DLLs. Run from commandline like on Linux

Running

Running on Linux

• Install the bluez utility packages required (on Arch, bluez-utils and bluez-deprecated-utils; you need the rfcomm and bluetoothctl commands)
• Pair your robot, it will disconnect after pairing but this is expected.
• Run serialctl-client/bluetooth-helper.sh as superuser, and select the correct device.

Running on Windows

Connecting to Roslund

• Open Bluetooth and connect to roslund
  • (it will disconnect dont worry)
• go to settings > bluetooth and devices > view more devices > more bluetooth settings
• Goto COM PORTS

From there you should be able to see what com ports are used for communicating with roslund.

Start Controller

• Open the release folder and run your terminal from there
• To start driving the robot run this command ./serialctl.exe /dev/com??? 0

note for the specific COM port, test both the incomming and outgoing ports listeed in the bluetooth COM port settings

Drive Modes

#define ARCADE_DRIVE 0
#define TANK_DRIVE 1
#define MECANUM_DRIVE 2