Software installation
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Software installation
Software installation to maintain the REGBOT code on the Teensy3.1/2 platform.
The description is tested on Ubuntu Linux 32bit and 64bit - version 14.04 (Long Time Stable (LTS) version)
Toolchain installation
Install (unpack) arduino software from https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software (tested with version 1.6.9 ... 1.8.5) on 32 bit and 64 bit (k)ubuntu linux and raspberry (noops) - see Teensy page for compatible version)
Unpack with (replase "1.6.9" and "linux32" with the version you installed)
tar xf arduino-1.6.9-linux32.tar.xz
This makes a directory called arduino-1.6.9
Then get and install the teensey tool installer from (this page also shows which version of arduino that is compatible): https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/td_download.html
It installes (only) as a merge with the Arduino installed directory (arduino-1.6.9).
NB! Teensyduino version 1.52 uses C++ features that are available in C++17 (constexpr including if statements) - i.e. in GCC compiler version 10 or higher. Check your GCC version before installing a newer version
gcc -v
Ubuntu 20.04 uses GCC version 9.6 (as of nov 2020)
Teensy loader and udev rules
Teensy loader: Get the loader (or the command-line-loader - maybe better on raspberry) - and udev rules - from
https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/loader.html
The teensy loader needs to be unpacked - on linux it is:
gunzip teensy.gz chmod +x teensy
For Linux get also the udev rules, and copy them to /etc/udev/rules.d to get read-write access to the usb connection (/dev/ttyACM0) and others:
sudo cp 49-teensy.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/
Teensy 3.1 memory issues
The teensy 3.1 using MK20DX256 32 processor from Freescale. It has 64kB of RAM, but it is divided into 2 x 32kByte.
0x20007fff top of RAM <- stack starts here 32kB Upper part of memory <- Heap starts just after static variable allocation 0x20000000 | 0x1fffffff | REGBOT uses about 40kB of static allocated RAM | 32kB Lower part of memory | 0x1fff8000 Start of RAM <- static variables allocated from here
A variable placed in memory overlapping the boundary between upper and lower memory is not allowed - se test on this page: http://eleccelerator.com/kinetis-microcontroller-sram-region-hard-faults/
In case of REGBOT, about 35kB of static memory is allocated for data logging, this means that this memory will overlap the boundary at 0x20000000.
This is handled when data is added or retrieved from the log, the chunk of data overlapping the boundary is left unused. The result is that one less line of logged data is available, but there is no gap in the data stream.
Heap space is used by some libraries, and usually no more than 1.5kB is allocated as heap space. this leaves about 20kB as stack space. It is not tested how much of this is used.
Regbot software
Then get the regbot software (from SVN repository on previous page)
It consist of a series of directories but is missing the path tools, libraries and teensy3 directories.
Modify Makefile
If svn version is older than 1561, then see the next section.
Modify the Makefile (in regbot/regbot, regbot/regbot/4.1, regbot/regbot/3.5 as needed)
Modify the BASEPATH to the Arduino/Teensyduino library about line 31 of the Makefile (for Robobot it should work as is):
ARDUINO_ROBOBOT := $(shell ls -d /home/local/Downloads/arduino-1.8.19/hardware 2>/dev/null) ifeq ($(ARDUINO_ROBOBOT),) # home installation - modify as needed BASEPATH := /home/chr/Downloads/arduino/arduino-1.8.19/hardware else # raspberry pi based RoboBot BASEPATH := /home/local/Downloads/arduino-1.8.19/hardware endif
This change is actuated, as my development tool (Kdevelop) failed to work with the previous symbolic links, but it is also a more standard solution.
Use symbolic links
This method is deprecated for REGBOT/ROBOBOT, and will not work with svn version newer than version 1561!
Links: go into the regbot directory with the Teensy source and Makefile (source code is in the sec subdirectory)
cd regbot ln -s ~/arduino-1.8.13/hardware/tools . ln -s ~/arduino-1.8.13/hardware/teensy/avr/cores/teensy3 . ln -s ~/arduino-1.8.13/hardware/teensy/avr/cores/teensy4 . ln -s ~/arduino-1.8.13/hardware/teensy/avr/libraries . ln -s tools/teensy .
The last link is only for convenience to start the teensy loader application.
Teensy 4.1 special
The Arduino version may have to be correct, especially for Teensy 4.1.
- Arduino 1.8.13 is OK for Teensy 4.1
- Arduino 1.8.15 or 1.8.19 are not OK; Teensy 4.1 fails to boot when compiled with these versions (as of 13 Oct 2022)
- for other hardware versions, all compiles fine.
Additional libraries from Ardufruit are needed for the small display:
- Adafruit_BusIO to get additional services from the I2C interface
- Adafruit-GFX-Library to get the paint functions for the display
- Adafruit_SSD1306 to get the specifics for the used display
git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_BusIO.git git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_SSD1306.git git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-GFX-Library
The obtained libraries should be included in the Arduino/Teensyduino library list, e.g. if the GIT repositories are in a ~/git directory:
cd Arduino-1.8.13/hardware/teensy/avr/libraries ln -s ~/git/Adafruit_BusIO ln -s ~/git/Adafruit-GFX-Library ln -s ~/git/Adafruit_SSD1306
Teensy 3.2, 3.5 or 4.1 compile
To compile for the Teensy 3.2 based boards, compile from the base directory
cd ~/regbot/regbot make make upload
To compile for the Teensy 3.5 board
cd ~/regbot/regbot/3.5 make make upload
To compile for the Teensy 4.1 board
cd ~/regbot/regbot/4.1 make make upload
NB! for Teensy 4.1 the produced regbot.hex file fails to work when compiled on Raspberry. Use the regbot.hex provided in the repository:
cd ~/regbot/regbot/4.1 svn revert regbot.hex teensy upload
NB2! Remember to press and hold the "power" button during the "make upload" command. The Teensy will make all ports input-pins, and this is the same as power off.
Make runs faster if the number of CPU cores is increased. On Raspberry with little memory (1GB or less) or a small cooling plate, then use 3 CPU cores or less:
make -j3
Common errors
Teensy 3.5 SD-card error
Earlier than version 1.8.16 of Arduino: Compiling to teensy 3.5 (3.6) with SD card support fails,
These 2 files has an include error:
nano libraries/SD/utility/SdFile.cpp nano libraries/SD/utility/SdVolume.cpp
In these files, change '#include <SdFat.h>' to '#include "SdFat.h"' in one of the first code lines.
Upload to REGBOT
Remember to update and compile with the right makefile
Regbot board with Teensy 3.2 (green board)
cd regbot svn up make
Regbot board with Teensy 3.5 (red mainboard) you need to use the makefile in the 3.5 subdirectory
cd regbot/3.5 make
Use the teensy loader, point it to the regbot.hex file and upload/auto. Then press the small button on the Teensy.
./teensy
Select the correct regbot.hex, either
regbot/regbot.hex - for Teensy 3.2 (green boards) regbot/3.5/regbot.hex - for Teensy 3.5 (red board)
NB! If Regbot runs on battery, then PRESS and HOLD the (red) "power" button BEFORE and DURING the teensy programming. During programming, the pin that keeps the Regbot ON will be disabled, and thus power off the Regbot (and the Raspberry Pi if on the same robot).
If you upload from a Raspberry pi, then this method requires access to a screen, either directly on the raspberry or using x-forwarding (ssh -X local@...).
To upload you can use
make upload