Use Ned’s TCP server

Ned is permanently running a TCP Server to acquire requests. This server is built on top of the Ned Python ROS Wrapper.

It offers a simple way for developers to create programs for robot to control them via remote communication on a computer, on a mobile or any device with network facilities.

Programs can communicate through network TCP with the robots in any language available.

Connection

To access the server, you will have to use to robot’s IP adress and communicate via the port 40001.

Communication

Only one client can communicate with the server (reconnection effective but no multi clients).

The server answer only after the command is done, so it cannot deal with multiple commands at the same time.

Packet convention

General format

For easier usage and easier debugging, the communication is based on JSON format.

Every package have this following shape: <json_packet_size>{<json_content>}<payload>.

The JSON packet size is an unsigned short coded on 2 bytes.

The JSON contains command’s name & params.

Payload contains heavy data like an image.

Request

Format - Request

As no function request a payload in input, requests have the following.

Format: <json_packet_size>{'param_list': [<param_1>, <param_2>, ....], 'command': <command_str>}

Examples - Request

Calibrate auto: {'param_list': ['AUTO'], 'command': 'CALIBRATE'}

Move joints: {'param_list': [0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0], 'command': 'MOVE_JOINTS'}

Answer

Format - Answer

Firstly, answers indicate to the user if its command has been well executed. This is indicated in the JSON by the parameter “status”.

A successful answer will have the format:

{'status': 'OK', 'list_ret_param': [<param_1>, <param_2>, ....], 'payload_size': <payload_size_int>, 'command': <command_str>}<payload_str>

An unsuccessful answer will have the format: {'status': 'KO', 'message': <message_str>}

Examples - Answer

Calibrate Auto: {'status': 'OK', 'list_ret_param': [], 'payload_size': 0, 'command': 'CALIBRATE'}

Get Pose: {'status': 'OK', 'list_ret_param': [0.2, 0.15, 0.35, 0.5, -0.6, 0.1], 'payload_size': 0, 'command': 'GET_POSE'}

Commands enum for TCP server

class CommandEnum

Enumeration of all commands used

CALIBRATE = 0

SET_LEARNING_MODE = 1

GET_LEARNING_MODE = 2

SET_ARM_MAX_VELOCITY = 3

SET_JOG_CONTROL = 4

GET_JOINTS = 10

GET_POSE = 11

GET_POSE_QUAT = 12

MOVE_JOINTS = 20

MOVE_POSE = 21

SHIFT_POSE = 22

MOVE_LINEAR_POSE = 23

SHIFT_LINEAR_POSE = 24

JOG_JOINTS = 25

JOG_POSE = 26

FORWARD_KINEMATICS = 27

INVERSE_KINEMATICS = 28

GET_POSE_SAVED = 50

SAVE_POSE = 51

DELETE_POSE = 52

GET_SAVED_POSE_LIST = 53

PICK_FROM_POSE = 60

PLACE_FROM_POSE = 61

PICK_AND_PLACE = 62

GET_TRAJECTORY_SAVED = 80

EXECUTE_TRAJECTORY_FROM_POSES = 81

EXECUTE_TRAJECTORY_SAVED = 82

SAVE_TRAJECTORY = 83

DELETE_TRAJECTORY = 84

GET_SAVED_TRAJECTORY_LIST = 85

UPDATE_TOOL = 120

OPEN_GRIPPER = 121

CLOSE_GRIPPER = 122

PULL_AIR_VACUUM_PUMP = 123

PUSH_AIR_VACUUM_PUMP = 124

SETUP_ELECTROMAGNET = 125

ACTIVATE_ELECTROMAGNET = 126

DEACTIVATE_ELECTROMAGNET = 127

GET_CURRENT_TOOL_ID = 128

GRASP_WITH_TOOL = 129

RELEASE_WITH_TOOL = 130

SET_PIN_MODE = 150

DIGITAL_WRITE = 151

DIGITAL_READ = 152

GET_DIGITAL_IO_STATE = 153

GET_HARDWARE_STATUS = 154

SET_CONVEYOR = 180

UNSET_CONVEYOR = 181

CONTROL_CONVEYOR = 182

GET_CONNECTED_CONVEYORS_ID = 183

GET_IMAGE_COMPRESSED = 200

GET_TARGET_POSE_FROM_REL = 201

GET_TARGET_POSE_FROM_CAM = 202

VISION_PICK = 203

MOVE_TO_OBJECT = 205

DETECT_OBJECT = 204

GET_CAMERA_INTRINSICS = 210

SAVE_WORKSPACE_FROM_POSES = 220

SAVE_WORKSPACE_FROM_POINTS = 221

DELETE_WORKSPACE = 222

GET_WORKSPACE_RATIO = 223

GET_WORKSPACE_LIST = 224