Config Package

Introduction

In general, a motorcortex application requires configuration files that contain application and system specific parameters; for example the values of software parameters or the configuration of the EtherCAT bus.

Config Packages can be Deployed from motorcortex.io to your controller. The parameters are loaded by the application when it starts or used while it is running. An application may also modify parameters and save them to the configuration files, for instance calibration values of some sensor. The updated configuration files can therefore also be Fetched from the controller and uploaded to motorcortex.io. When they are uploaded to the portal, they will receive a new timestamp, so you can keep track of changes.

When a config package is Deployed, it will be installed in /etc/motorcortex/apps-available/{config_package_name+timestamp} and a link to this folder will be created /etc/motorcortex/config, so the startup service knows which application to start.

Common Config Package Structure

Motorcortex applications follow the following structure for their configuration:

├── motorcortex.conf           # executable command line
├── config.json                # application startup parameters
├── linking.json               # defines links between parameters
├── license.pem                # license file
├── control
│   ├── control.xml            # application parameter values
│   └── persistence.bin        # persistent parameter values
├── io
│   └── master.xml             # Bus (EtherCAT)  configuration
└── user
    └── parameters.json        # user parameter definitions

In the following sections the configuration files are described in more detail. The example files are taken from the motorcortex application generator plugin for CLion (see developing-control-applications).

motorcortex.conf

motorcortex.conf is a startup file that is loaded by the start service (e.g. when you run sudo motorcortex start), that determines which executable needs to be run and what command-line parameters should be passed to this executable.

Below is an example of the contents of motorcortex.conf.

EXECUTABLE_PATH="/usr/local/bin/"                # path of the executable
EXECUTABLE=my_motorcortex_app                    # executable name
OPTIONS="-c /etc/motorcortex/config/config.json" # command line options

config.json

In config.json the main application configuration is determined. For instance in what "Mode": the system should be run (Application mode), where other configuration files can be found and how Tasks shall be configured.

Below is an example of a config.json:

{
  "Mode": "Production",
  "Path": {
    "Fieldbus": "io/master.xml",
    "Control": "control/control.xml",
    "Log": "/var/www/motorcortex/log",
    "UserParameters": "user/parameters.json",
    "Link": "linking.json",
    "License": "license.pem"
 },
  "Server": {
    "Default": {
      "URL": "wss://*:5568:5567",
      "Direction": "listen",
      "Login": "disable",
      "Certificate": "/etc/ssl/certs/motorcortex.pem"
    }
  },
  "Realtime": {
    "Isolate": [0, 1],
    "Allocate": 16
  },
  "Task": {
    "Control_task": {
      "Sched": "Realtime",
      "Cpu": [0],
      "Prio": 80,
      "Dt": 1000
    },
    "Fieldbus_task": {
      "Sched": "Realtime",
      "Cpu": [1],
      "Prio": 80,
      "Dt": 1000
    },
    "Logger_task": {
      "Sched": "Normal",
      "Dt": 1000
    },
    "Comm_task": {
      "Sched": "Normal",
      "Dt": 1000
    },
    "Logic_task": {
      "Sched": "Normal",
      "Dt": 1000
    }
  }
}

A commonly used setting in config.json is the “Mode”. This can be set to “Simulation” or “Production”. In “Simulation” the application can be run without having hardware. Hardware is then simulated by a simulation Module.

{
    "Mode": "Simulation",
...

linking.json

In linking.json links between different parameters can be defined. This way you can communicate data from one Module to another Module. This works also across Tasks.

You should of course only link parameters that have the same type and size on both ends of the link. Also you cannot link something to an output (as Destination); an output can only be a Source.

All possible linking.json options are explained in the linking.schema.json

• linking.json example
• linking.json explained
• linking.schema.json

{
  "Version": "1.0.0",
  "Groups": [
    {
      "Name": "LinkExample",
      "SystemMode": "All",
      "Links": [
        {
          "Source": {
            "Path": "root/Control/boolOutput"
          },
          "Destination": {
            "Path": "root/Logic/boolInput"
          }
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "Name": "Simulation",
      "SystemMode": "Simulation",
      "Links": [
        {
          "Source": {
            "Path": "root/Simulator/doubleOutput"
          },
          "Destination": {
            "Path": "root/Control/doubleInput"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Inside the linking.json you can create multiple "Groups", a group contains a "Name" and information about the action like: "links" and/or "setParameters". With the "systemMode" you can specify for which Application mode this group should be active. If you want to disable or enable groups from the linking.json, you can use the "Enable": function.

#Version

You can apply a version to your linking.json with "Version":, check out linking.schema.json how to to set up your versioning.

#Group

You can create your own "Group":, to assign a link or set a parameter.

#Name

Each group contains a "Name": in here you can specify a name to your liking.

#SystemMode

Inside the config.json you can define the Application Mode, per mode, different links can be created in the linking.json. For each group the "systemMode": can be defined (All, Production or Simulation) with the "systemMode", you can specify in which Application Mode the group is active:

Application Mode	SystemMode
Production	All or Production
Simulation	All or Simulation

#Enable

With the "Enable": flag you can enable or disable the current group, this is done by defining a True, or False statement.

#SetParameters

SetParameters are used to change the the "Value": of the specified "Path":.

Parameter	Description
"Value":	Here you can specify any type of Value that you want to assign to the Path.
"Force":	Here you can specify if you want to Force the value, to the Path, This can either be True or False.
"Path":	Here you can specify the Path, to which the Value is written. (path example: root/.../...)
"Index":	Here you can specify the Index expressed as number, index 0 is equal to the the first element in a array[0].
"Length":	Here you can specify the Length of elements expressed as a number. Example: If the "Index": 1, with "Length": 2, you will write only Index 1 and 2 to the Destination.

Example: In case the software requires a physical hardware input like a E-stop if the application is in simulation mode. You can override these E-stop values by defining a setParameter for the specific estop_button path. A open E-stop, gives a false statement, that is why, the assigned value is true, and forced to true, else after deploying the linking.json, the estop_button turns to false because of the not connected hardware.

• SetParameters Example Code
• SetParameters Example Video

   "Name": "Simulation",
      "SystemMode": "Simulation",
      "SetParameters":
        {
          "Path": "root/Logic/:busToState/estop_buttons_channel1",
          "Value": [
            true,
            true,
            true,
            true,
            true,
            true,
            true,
            true
          ],
          "Force": true
        } 

#Links

"Links": are used to link the source to a destination, or an destination to a source, it is not possible to link multiple destinations to a source. But it is possible to link an source to multiple destinations.

In the "Source": and "Destination":: you fill in your preferred path (root/.../...). To the Source you can specify information like: "Gain":, "Offset":, "Index": , "Length": and for the Destination only a "Index": and "Length".

Parameter	Description
"Source":	Here you can specify the Path of the Source that you want to link to the Destination.
"Destination":	Here you can specify the path of the destination.
"Gain":	Here you can specify the Gain which is multiplied with Source, to get a new Destination value.
"Offset":	Here you can specify the Offset applied to the Destination.
"Index":	Here you can specify the Index expressed as number, index 0 is equal to the the first element in a array[0].
"Length":	Here you can specify the Length of elements expressed as a number. Example: If the "Index": 1, with "Length": 2, you will write only Index 1 and 2 to the Destination.

Note

The order of information sending to the Destination is first the Offset, after which the Source incl. Gain is added.

• Links Example Code
• Links Example Video

      "Name": "Joystick",
      "SystemMode": "All",
      "Enable": true,
      "Links": [
        {
          "Gain": 1.0,
          "Offset": 0.0,
          "Source": {
            "Path": "root/Joystick1/axes",
            "Index": 4,
            "Length": 1
          },
          "Destination": {
            "Path": "root/Control/hostInJointVelocity",
            "Index": 0
          }
        }
      ]

The json schema that contains all possible options you can download here: linking.schema.json.

license.pem

Although motorcortex components run about 30 minutes without a license (for testing purposes), to use motorcortex components in production you require a license. After you have purchased a license for your application components you will receive a license file that needs to be installed in the configuration folder. Make sure that the license file is named correctly according to the License setting in your config.json file.

control.xml and persistance.bin

In the control folder there are in general two files: control.xml and persistence.bin. control.xml contains control parameters which can be adjusted by the user. persistance.bin contains the values of parameters that are defined to be of type PARAMETER_PERSISTENT in your application. These parameters are continually saved during system operations, for instance a parameter that counts running hours of a system, that continues counting also after the system has been switched off; or if a system has relative encoders, their absolute values are continually saved, such that after a restart calibration is not required.

io/master.xml

master.xml contains the EtherCAT bus configuration. This file is created by using Motorcortex-ECAT.

user/parameters.json

In parameters.json parameters can be added to a motorcortex application without recompiling the application. This is useful when external processes or devices need to write data into a motorcortex application. For instance a vision system can use the Motorcortex API to write coordinates of an object into the UserParameters. The robot application can then use these coordinates in a robot program. The created user parameters are visible in de desk-tool under the tree path: root/UserParameters/.../....

• parameter.json Example
• UserParameter Tree Example

{
    "Version": "1.0",
    "Children": [
        {
            "Name": "IO",
            "Children": [
                {
                    "Name": "Gripper1",
                    "Type": "int32[1],parameter_volatile",
                    "Value": 0
                },
                {
                    "Name": "Gripper2",
                    "Type": "int32[1],parameter_volatile",
                    "Value": 1
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "Name": "Branch2",
            "Children": [
                {
                    "Name": "branch2Param1",
                    "Type": "int32[3],input",
                    "Value": [2,3,4,5,6]
                },
                {
                    "Name": "branch2Param2",
                    "Type": "int32[3],input"
                },
                {
                    "Name": "subbranch1",
                    "Children": [
                        {
                            "Name": "branch2subbranch1Param1",
                            "Type": "char[11],parameter_volatile",
                            "Value": "Hello world"
                        },
                        {
                            "Name": "branch2subbranch1Param2",
                            "Type": "int,parameter_volatile",
                            "Value": 123
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "Name": "moduleParam1",
            "Type": "double[6],input",
            "Value": [
                1.34,
                2.23,
                3.5675,
                4.0034,
                5.5677,
                6.2345
            ]
        },
        {
            "Name": "moduleParam2",
            "Type": "bool,input"
        }
    ]
}

DataTypes

The [x] specified after each dataType defines how many rows the array contains, except for string and char the [x] indicates respectively the letter and character size.

Value

A parameter can contain an initial "Value": that is loaded each time during system initialization. If no value is assigned the default value = 0. Assigning no value provides the option to write a value of control.xml, linking.json or persistent.bin depended on the parameterType.

ParameterTypes