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**Reconfigurable Numeric Dataflow Machine Controller**
*aka project 'consistent-sandbox'*
This is a piece of software that is designed to help you assemble high level controllers from dataflow software elements. It serves a graphical programming interface, and is meant to live with dataflow hardware elements from [this project 'automatakit'](https://gitlab.cba.mit.edu/jakeread/automatakit).
It's in the early stages, so bear with us. Everything is going to be great.
# Usage
## Installing Node.js, WebSocket and SerialPort, and MathJS
To Run DMC, you'll need to install node.js, and then the packages serialport and ws (websocket).
Node.js is a runtime environment for javascript, so you can write and run js locally. [Download and install it here](https://nodejs.org/en/download/).
To check that node is installed, you can use
``node -v``
In Windows check that in *Environment Variables, System Variables, Path* there is a path for C:\Users\yourusername\npm folder. If the folder does not exist, create it and set the path.
### Packages
I've added a package.json file to the repo, which is [another cool node.js trick](https://docs.npmjs.com/files/package.json) - this means that to install everything, you should be able to (after downloading the repo and cd-ing into it) run:
```npm install```
This should install everything else. If this fails, you can install things one-by-one as listed below.
Node comes with a package controller called 'npm' - node package manager. You can use this to install dependencies for node programs.
Serialport is a package for node that allows it to interact with a hardware serial port.
Navigate to the directory where you'll be running from (atkapi). Do
``npm install serialport``
WebSockets are very simple web connections. We use them to chat between the 'server' / heap (node) and the 'view' (your browser).
To install ws, do
``npm install ws``
MathJS is just a node package that does maths. To install, you guessed it, do
```npm install mathjs```
## Installing Serial Port Drivers
The ATKRouter uses a ```CP2102N``` USB-to-UART bridge to transmit and receive serial characters.
[**Drivers are available for all platforms at SiLabs' Website**](https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers)
Download and install drivers, and check in your system's device manager that a 'CP210x USB to UART Bridge' appears.
# Running DMC
To run the program, we launch the main.js file with node, from the command line. One of the things this does is run a tiny HTTP server that we can use to access the UI.
cd to the rndmc folder and run:
``node main``
It's handy to keep a terminal window open beside a browser when running the software - it's not perfect yet - I do this:
This way I can watch for errors, and restart it when it crashes. Hopefully not a lot of this will happen.
## Open a Browser
The program is now running a tiny HTTP server, where it will deliver an interface. It's set to show up at your local address on port 8080.
In a browser open *localhost:8080* you will see the mods and this msg in the terminal *SEND PROGRAMS TO UI*
## Using the Browser Interface
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**Words of Warning**
This is very new software, so bear with me. It's worth having whomever on the team is in charge of controls read the section (below) on what-all is going on with the software, and understanding how to write new modules, and assemble programs.
#### Getting Around
To navigate, you can scroll in-and-out (try this once there is actually a program loaded) and drag to pan around.
#### Loading a Program
To load a program, hit 'l' on your keyboard. This will open a menu of all of the .json program representations in the /programs directory.
There is an example program there, that will do acceleration-controlled motion with gcode as input.
#### Loading a Module
To load a module, right-click anywhere on the screen.
#### Deleting a Module
To delete or copy a module, right-click on its title.
#### Connecting Outputs to Inputs
Once loaded, modules can be connected by first clicking on the *output* of one and the *input* of another. This will cause events on that output to call events associated with the input.
#### Disconnecting Outputs from Inputs
To disconnect, click the output to disconnect, and then the input to disconnect it from.
- whenever a menu is requested, the system searches ```modules/ * ``` for *anything*. include your .js of a new module there
- anything goes: you can run whatever code will run in node.js ... just follow these simple rules
- TODO: put example here, with comments
# Writing Hardware Modules
- TODO: same, also including links / explanation to atk
# Development Notes
- want that better-planner
- do axis pullout separately from stepper motor ?
- bug hunting
- dereferenced events / stepper axis vector
- multiple button calls ...
- stepper / planner bug
- is load / save really consistent ? what is the state answer ?
- stepper move.vector is a ref issue? derefed before running calcTrap() ? runs ? in planner ?
- add reset button to hardware
- add router for reset, test
- input / output objects should be able to unhook themselves:
Module have
Inputs
Outputs
State (initial states are settings)
Also
Names, IDs
Paths-to-source
To assemble a representation of these, we want to have a kind of 'netlist' that, for convenience, we'll treat like a JSON object. We want heirarchy, so consider the representation having 'top-level' outputs / inputs / state as well ?
### 15 Minute Tasks
- @ views.js, uiRequestModuleMenu and uiRequestProgramMenu don't properly build trees from folder structure. similarly, reciprical fn's in client.js do the same
- @ these load / save functions could also reach into the modules' source to retrieve their proper names, as spec'd in description ...
- 's' for save program uses hack-asf DOM alert to ask for path
- some auto load / save currently.json file so that we can restart program w/o pain ... maybe just save on new user inputs ?
- state.setDefault('var', num) or etc / types
- perhaps all state objects like this ... still somehow state.var = // is a good operator ? don't really want state.var.set(num) and state.var.get()
- states / uis / etc - one off / one-at-a-time for updates
- i.e. all f'n update calls are to single module-global state update
- !
- states / getters / setters not applicable to sub-elements in an object within state
- i.e. array access
- consistent dereferencing, type checking implementation?
## UI Desires
- modules have visual ways to throw errors - i.e. flashing red, popping up...
- off-screen divs get pointers-to so that we don't get lost
- 'h' or something to zoom-to-extents
- better module menu
- hover for alt descriptions
## Planner Bugs
- trapezoid linking doesn't account for speed changes properly, i.e. doesn't ramp down into next move if next move's cruise speed is less than our exit speed
- should have some stronger ideas about flow control, allowable segment size (based on time)
- log() for logs-from-module tagged
## Demo Desires
- want to show immediacy of hardware: software representation
- want to show physical reconfigurability and software reconfigurability
- i.e. mill, add rotary tool, pull normal vector from planner moves and route to r motor
- want to have UI elements
- button, terminal,
- live motor torque display, vector from accelerometer
## Network Desires
- c improvements / dma etc, would be very cool
- flow control probably desired ... what can we model with uart and implement with fpga?
- proper speed tests
- DMA not possible / not enough channels for router implementation / not portable enough ...
- lights displaying activity
## Bugs
- cannot connect input to output w/o backwards bezier
- when source has changed, opening programs that have references to that source should be carefully done ...
One of the desires here is to run programs headlessly on small embedded computers like the Raspberry Pi. The router has pogo-pins for this, so that when it's mounted beneath a Raspberry Pi the USB and Power lines are automatically hooked up - the 2A Buck Converter on the Router can also be used to power the RPI, so it can all run on one DC power bus. Nice!
### Setup the Raspberry Pi
- [download raspbian](https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/installation/installing-images/README.md)
- [flash and boot, setup etc](https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/setup/)
### Install Node on the Raspberry Pi
- to install node, download the distro you want from nodejs.org
- extract the files, and hit these commands
navigate to the distribution
`` cd <distro> ``
copy that to local space on the pi
`` sudo cp -R * /usr/local/ ``
to check that node is installed, check the version using
`` node -v ``
which should return the version number of the distro you installed.
- https://github.com/cncjs/cncjs/wiki/Setup-Guide:-Raspberry-Pi-%7C-Install-Node.js-via-Node-Version-Manager-(NVM)