Starting Up AstroBot

On this page are listed some of the basic facts about starting up AstroBot that may or may not be common sense. ..

SET UP
 * There are four levels of plywood and a metal level in between the second and third levels = 5 levels total. They are not equally spaced. Starting from top to bottom, these levels will be referred to on this page as levels (A, B, C, D, E).
 * The binocular camera system (stereovision hardware component) is a gold box about 6 inches long by an inch and a half wide by an inch tall. It has two lenses and a little LED between those. The LED turns green when the device is on. There is a cable that must be plugged in from the camera to the appropriate slot on the motherboard (there are 3 slots currently available). Right now, they are located on the right hand side of the motherboard in the back of the robot. The cameras are on level A and the motherboard is on level B.
 * A monitor and keyboard must be plugged into the motherboard when AstroBot is being tested for code and readings and such. The monitor is plugged into the motherboard via the blue slot on the middle left of the motherboard at the back of AstroBot. The keyboard is plugged into the far left port.
 * A small push button control (about an inch and a quarter long), silver body and white plastic head is used for power control after the main red power button is turned on. It turns on AstroBot's CPU.
 * There are two infared sensors, mounted with Velcro, located on the front of AstroBot.
 * The movable charging pole protrudes from AstroBot's shell in the front.
 * Sonar sensors lie at various outward angles over the rest of AstroBot's body. They are black cylindrical units, roughly a centimeter in height and diameter, (right now mounted directly to the previously described levels) with angle brackets.

CHARGING
 * On level D, there is a large red power button. This is the main power button, and it must be turned on first when AstroBot is to be used, and must be turned off when AstroBot is not in use (i.e. charging).
 * Level E contains most of the components required for charging. There are several relays in the front (three clear rectangular boxes). When AstroBot is charging, six sets (three in each: red, yellow, green) of LED indicators should go on. When AstroBot is charging, the red and yellow lights will go on. When AstroBot is charged, all three including the green light should go on.
 * To charge AstroBot, the robot must be maneuvered to the charging station. The charging station looks like a sheet metal platform with a raised yellow cone, wide end facing over the sheet. AstroBot's copper pole must fit into the yellow cone. Make sure the charging station itself is plugged into a wall socket. Check to make sure everything is working by verifying the charging indicator lights (described above).
 * AstroBot takes a long time to charge especially if the batteries are depleted. No specific estimate, but around an hour to 3 hours should do it.
 * While it's probably ok, it's not the best idea to leave AstroBot charging without supervision (i.e. overnight) in case it were to catch fire. It's usually sufficient to just charge it when it is not in actual use, but people are still in the lab.

TURNING ON
 * To start AstroBot, disconnect the robot from the charging station if it has been charging.
 * For testing purposes, sometimes we place the machine on a rolling wooden box about a foot high so we can check the motor control without having AstroBot actually go anywhere.
 * Connect the monitor and keyboard into AstroBot's motherboard.
 * Flip the main red power button on level D "On".
 * Press the second power button (white push) located on level B. If the stereovision set is connected, the green LED on the device should turn on at this point.
 * Once AstroBot starts up, open a terminal (please review Linux setup if this is unfamiliar). The terminal is located at the top right of the computer's header. It is represented by a black box encompassed by a white border, and has white ">" and "_" symbols inside. Type help for a list of commands if needed. FYI, the basic ones needed here are listed below.
 * cd is used to change directory. To use, type "cd name" but replace "name" with the name of the directory you want to switch to. To switch successfully, either the entire path must be defined, or only switch one directory at a time. If you plan to switch directories via a path type "cd name/name/name/name" etc. with as many backslashes as there are levels to the path.
 * ls is used to list what files exist in the current directory. This is helpful when one needs to access a file, but doesn't remember the path.  The result of this command is a list of the files available, color coded by type.  Programs that can be run are listed in green.  Other basic files are in blue.
 * cd .. is used to switch directories, but to go up a level instead of go down a level like in the regular cd command.
 * ~cd is used to switch directories, but go back to the very beginning. It's equivalent of starting up a whole new terminal, and is a shortcut from a lot of "cd .." commands if one is pretty far down/lost in directories.
 * make is used to make or compile a program before it is run. Any programs created (for example in C++ through Eclipse like AstroBot's code is), will have a makefile.  This can often be found in the "src" or source folder.
 * ./ is the command used to actually run a program once it is compiled. Once the directory containing the correct program is accessed, type "./name" where name is the name of the program (should be shown in the directory in green coloration).  The program will then run.
 * h