Simplifying FRC robot code

Randall Hauch

Coach & mentor

Zach Anderson

Alumni & mentor

What is Strongback?

A new open source Java library

that you can use in your FRC robot code.

http://strongback.org

@strongbacklib

You can even become a contributor!

The traditional approach

WPILib for Java

RoboRIO

Your robot code

Tests

Unit tests almost always require hardware!

The better way

WPILib for Java

RoboRIO

Your robot code

STRONGBACK

The better way

Your robot code

Tests

STRONGBACK

STRONGBACK-TESTING

testing without robot hardware!

Testing without robot hardware

Unit tests to test individual classes

are easy to write, easy to run.

Run them all the time.

They'll help tell you if you've broken something that used to work.

Strongback

Part 1: Hardware Components

Actuators & sensors

Drive Subsystem

Ramp Subsystem

Guardrail
Subsystem

Compressor
Subsystem

Vision
Subsystem

Wrist Subsystem

Kicker Subsystem

Arm Subsystem

Code for subsystems

Drive Subsystem

Create class for subsystem

Add references to hardware objects

Add logic

Motor controllers, analog inputs, analog outputs, digital inputs, digital outputs

Expose methods for subsystem behavior

Code for subsystems

Drive Subsystem

Tests would instantiate this subsystem

The subsystem would create hardware instances

Fails even before we can test anything

Attempts to communicate with the actual hardware
Creates lots of other hardware classes

NOT TESTABLE!

Created interfaces for
each type of devices

Traditionally use WPILib directly

DigitalInput

edu.wpi.first.wpilibj

SubsystemX

This is not testable

Subsystems use abstractions

Switch

isTriggered():boolean

SubsystemX

Using Hardware implementations on the robot

SubsystemX

HardwareSwitch

DigitalInput

edu.wpi.first.wpilibj

Switch

isTriggered():boolean

And mocks in tests

SubsystemX

MockSwitch

Switch

isTriggered():boolean

setTriggered():MockSwitch

setNotTriggered():MockSwitch

setTriggered(boolean):MockSwitch

SubsystemXTest

Example robot

public class SimpleTankDriveRobot extends IterativeRobot {

    private TankDrive drive;
    private ContinuousRange driveSpeed;
    private ContinuousRange turnSpeed;

    @Override
    public void robotInit() {
        ...
        Motor left = Motor.compose(Hardware.Motors.talon(1), Hardware.Motors.talon(2));
        Motor right = Motor.compose(Hardware.Motors.talon(3), Hardware.Motors.talon(4)).invert();
        drive = new TankDrive(left, right);

        FlightStick joystick = Hardware.HumanInterfaceDevices.logitechAttack3D(1);
        driveSpeed = joystick.getPitch();
        turnSpeed = joystick.getRoll().invert();

        ...
    }

    @Override
    public void teleopPeriodic() {
        drive.arcade(driveSpeed.read(), turnSpeed.read());
    }
}

Strongback

Part 2: Commands

Commands

Robots often do multiple things at once.

Commands provide a very simple, composeable, and testable way to organize the code
to control these different activities.

Commands can be used in both autonomous and teleoperated modes.

Without commands

// First swivel the arm to the correct angle (within +/- 1 degree) ...
while ( true ) {
    double diff = swivelAngle.computeHeadingChangeTo(30.0,1);
    if ( diff < 0.0 ) {
        swivelMotor.setSpeed(-0.4);
    } else if ( diff > 0.0 ) {
        swivelMotor.setSpeed(0.4);
    } else {
       swivelMotor.stop();
       break;
    }
}

// Raise the shoulder to the correct angle ...
while ( true ) {
    double diff = shoulderAngle.getAngleChangeTo(64.0,1);
    if ( diff < 0.0 ) {
        shoulderMotor.setSpeed(-0.4);
    } else if ( shoulderAngle.getAngleChangeTo(64.0,1) > 0.0 ) {
        shoulderMotor.setSpeed(0.4);
    } else {
       shoulderMotor.stop();
       break;
    }
}

// Move the elbow to the correct angle ...
while ( true ) {
    double diff = elbowAngle.getAngleChangeTo(83.0,1);
    if ( diff < 0.0 ) {
        elbowMotor.setSpeed(-0.4);
    } else if ( diff > 0.0 ) {
        elbowMotor.setSpeed(0.4);
    } else {
       elbowMotor.stop();
       break;
    }
}

// Open the claw ...
claw.retract();

Without commands

Difficult to make robot do
multiple things at once.

With commands

Put each movement into separate command,
and submit the commands to be run
asynchronously

With commands

public class SwivelArm extends Command {
    private final Motor swivel;
    private final Compass angle;
    private final double speed;
    private final double desiredAngle;
    private final double tolerance;
    public SwivelArm( Motor swivel, Compass angle, double speed,
                      double desiredAngleInDegrees, double toleranceInDegrees ) {
        super(swivel);
        this.swivel = swivel;
        this.angle = angle;
        this.speed = Math.abs(speed);
        this.desiredAngle = desiredAngleInDegrees;
        this.tolerance = toleranceInDegrees;
    }
    @Override
    public boolean execute() {
        double diff = angle.computeHeadingChangeTo(desiredAngleInDegrees,toleranceInDegrees);
        if ( diff == 0.0 ) {
            swivel.stop();
            return true;
        }
        if ( diff < 0.0 ) {
            swivel.setSpeed(-speed);
        } else {
            swivel.setSpeed(speed);
        }
        return false;
    }
}

With commands

public class OpenClaw extends Command {
    private final Solenoid solenoid;
    public OpenClaw( Solenoid solenoid ) {
        super(solenoid);
        this.solenoid = solenoid;
    }
    @Override
    public boolean execute() {
        this.solenoid.retract();
        return true;
    }
}

public class CloseClaw extends SolenoidOperation {
    private final Solenoid solenoid;
    public CloseClaw( Solenoid solenoid ) {
        super(solenoid);
        this.solenoid = solenoid;
    }
    @Override
    public boolean execute() {
        this.solenoid.extend();
        return true;
    }
}

With commands

Strongback.submit(new SwivelArm(swivelMotor,swivelAngle,0.4,30.0,1.0));
Strongback.submit(new RotateShoulder(shoulderMotor,shoulderAngle,0.4,64.0,1.0));
Strongback.submit(new RotateElbow(elbowMotor,elbowAngle,0.4,83.0,1.0));
Strongback.submit(new OpenClaw(claw));

Submit them when needed
in teleop or autonomous

They'll all run concurrently
and in the background.

They'll even stop if new commands
with same requirements are submitted.

Grouping commands

Create a command group that
consists of other commands but
but runs as a single command.

CommandGroup.runSimultaneously(
       new SwivelArm(swivel,swivelAngle,speed,swivelTargetAngle,tolerance));
       new RotateShoulder(shoulder,shoulderAngle,speed,shoulderTargetAngle,tolerance));
       new RotateElbow(elbow,elbowAngle,speed,elbowTargetAngle,tolerance));
       openClaw ? new OpenClaw(claw) : new CloseClaw(claw));
       );

Strongback

Part 3: Switch Reactor

Switch Reactor

SwitchReactor reactor = Strongback.switchReactor();
Gamepad gamepad = ...
reactor.onTriggered(gamepad.getRightTrigger(),
                    ()->Strongback.submit(new FireRepeatedlyCommand()));
reactor.onUnTriggered(gamepad.getRightTrigger(),
                      ()->Strongback.submit(new StopFireCommand()));

SwitchReactor reactor = Strongback.switchReactor();
Gamepad gamepad = ...
reactor.onTriggeredSubmit(gamepad.getRightTrigger(),
                          FireRepeatedlyCommand::new);
reactor.onUnTriggeredSubmit(gamepad.getRightTrigger(),
                            StopFireCommand::new);

Strongback

Part 4: Data and Event Recorders

Strongback can record

Multiple channels of discrete numeric values
recorded at specific, regular intervals

spurious and infrequent events.

and

Strongback's DataRecorder

Records automatically on a constant interval

but you have to give it things to measure.

Strongback's DataRecorder

public interface DataRecorder {

    DataRecorder register(String name, IntSupplier supplier);

    DataRecorder register(String name, double scale,
                          DoubleSupplier supplier) {...}

    DataRecorder register(String name, Switch swtch);

    DataRecorder register(String name, SpeedSensor sensor);
}

 
  Strongback.dataRecorder().register(...);

called with

Strongback's DataRecorder

public class SimpleTankDriveRobot extends IterativeRobot {

    @Override
    public void robotInit() {
        Strongback.configure()
                  .useExecutionPeriod(20, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
                  .initialize();

        ...
        Strongback.dataRecorder()
                  .register("Battery Volts",1000, battery)
                  .register("Current load", 1000, current)
                  .register("Left Motors",  left)
                  .register("Right Motors", right)
                  .register("Trigger",      trigger)
                  .register("Throttle",     1000, throttle::read)
                  .register("Drive Speed",  1000, driveSpeed::read)
                  .register("Turn Speed",   1000, turnSpeed::read)
                  .register("X-Accel",      1000, xAccel::getAcceleration)
                  .register("Y-Accel",      1000, yAccel::getAcceleration)
                  .register("Z-Accel",      ()->zAccel.getAcceleration()*1000));
    }

Strongback's EventRecorder

You have to give it every event
you want recorded.

Strongback's EventRecorder

public class SimpleTankDriveRobot extends IterativeRobot {
    @Override
    public void robotInit() {
        ...
        FlightStick joystick = Hardware.HumanInterfaceDevices.logitechAttack3D(1);
        ...

        // Capture the state change of the trigger ...
        Strongback.switchReactor().
                  .onTriggered(joystick.getTrigger(),
                               ()->Strongback.eventRecorder().record("Trigger",true))
                  .onUnTriggered(joystick.getTrigger(),
                                 ()->Strongback.eventRecorder().record("Trigger",false));
        ...
    }

 
  Strongback.eventRecorder().record("LaunchEvent",true);

What can you do with it?

Strongback records to a memory mapped file (very fast and efficient) on the RoboRIO.

After disabling the robot, you can download
the binary file, convert it to CSV with

$ strongback.sh log-decoder data.log

and then ...

Post-process it

with your tool of choice.

with Tableau

Strongback

Part 5: Executor

Executor

(Few will need this.)

Sometimes you want to run something
in the background
every cycle of the robot
(about every 20ms)

Really, the Executor is what
Strongback uses to run
commands, the switch reactor, and the data & event recorders.

But you can use it if you want.

@FunctionalInterface
public interface Executable {
    /**
     * Perform an execution at a given moment within the robot match.
     *
     * @param timeInMillis the time in the match (in milliseconds) 
     * when this execution is being called
     */
    public void execute(long timeInMillis);
}

You implement this interface

Executable myComponent = ...
Strongback.executor().register(myComponent);

And then call Strongback to run it

Executable myComponent = ...
Strongback.executor().unregister(myComponent);

And to stop it

Careful, though

Strongback runs all asynchronous code on a single thread.

If you put too much on that thread,
it won't run fast enough and
you'll see this error message in the log:


  ERROR: Unable to execute all activities within 20 milliseconds!

Strongback

Part 6: Logging

Strongback.logger().debug("Got to here!");

Simple

try {
    ...
} catch ( Throwable t ) {
    Strongback.logger().error(t,"Whoa, what happened?!");
}

Strongback.logger().warn("Something may have gone wrong!");

Getting Started with Strongback

Step 1: Download

https://github.com/strongback/strongback-java/releases

Step 2: Install


  $ unzip strongback-1.0.0.zip -d ~/

Simply unzip or untar
into your home directory

Step 1 & 2 with Terminal

$ curl -OL https://github.com/strongback/strongback-java/releases/download/v1.0.0/strongback-1.0.0.zip
$ unzip strongback-1.0.0.zip -d ~/

Step 3: Add to PATH


   $ export PATH=~/strongback/java/bin:$PATH

Step 4: Create project


$ cd path/to/eclipse/workspace
$ strongback.sh new-project -e -p com.myteam.robot -r MyRobotProject

Step 5: Build project


$ cd MyRobotProject
$ ant clean compile test deploy


$ ant clean test deploy

Give it a try

and join the community!

http://strongback.org

@strongbacklib

Simplifying FRC robot code

Randall Hauch

Zach Anderson

What is Strongback?

The traditional approach

The better way

The better way

Testing without robot hardware

Strongback

Part 1: Hardware Components

Actuators & sensors

Actuators & sensors

Code for subsystems

Code for subsystems

Created interfaces for each type of devices

Created interfaces for each type of devices

Traditionally use WPILib directly

Subsystems use abstractions

Using Hardware implementations on the robot

And mocks in tests

Example robot

Strongback

Part 2: Commands

Commands

Without commands

Without commands

With commands

With commands

With commands

With commands

Grouping commands

Strongback

Part 3: Switch Reactor

Switch Reactor

Switch Reactor

Strongback

Part 4: Data and Event Recorders

Strongback can record

Strongback's DataRecorder

Strongback's DataRecorder

Strongback's DataRecorder

Strongback's EventRecorder

Strongback's EventRecorder

What can you do with it?

Post-process it

with Tableau

Strongback

Part 5: Executor

Executor

You implement this interface

And then call Strongback to run it

And to stop it

Careful, though

Strongback

Part 6: Logging

Simple

Getting Started with Strongback

Step 1: Download

Step 2: Install

Step 1 & 2 with Terminal

Step 3: Add to PATH

Step 4: Create project

Step 5: Build project

Created interfaces for
each type of devices

Created interfaces for
each type of devices