Operating System RoBIOS

The following describes operating system features and demos included in RoBIOS version 1.1. Please note, that newer versions of the RoBIOS software may differ from the functionality described below.

After connecting camera and power cable, you are ready to start EyeBot. Supply about 7.2V by a power supply or by using rechargeable batteries. Upon power-up, you should see messages on the graphics display, similar to the following: 

- ROBIOS Vx.x -
 128 KB RAM free
READY




<I> Hrd Usr Demo

EyeBot displays the version number of its operating system and shows the amount of memory available. The last line of text is right above the four colored input keys and the small reset key. The four colored keys (yelow, red, blue, green) operate as soft keys, i.e. their meaning in the current context is always displayed by the last line of text in the graphics display. From the main menu, these functions are:

The EyeBot's operating system RoBIOS also provides a number of routines, which can be called directly from a user program, so they do not have to be compiled and downloaded. For more information on these routines, refer to the library section.

Hardware Routines

Entering the hardware setup, there are two menu choices for setting several hardware properties or for testing all hardware equipment connected, as defined in the system's Hardware Description Table (HDT). 
Hardware:






Set  Tst     END

The sub-menu for setting parameters then splits further as shown below, while the Test submenu allows selecting each individual hardware component for testing, as defined in the HDT.

Setting Parameters

The menu for setting parameters allows the setting of parameters for camera (grayscale or color) or the serial line connection. 
Setup:






Cam  Ser     END

Setting Camera Parameters

There are two choices for camera settings, depending on whether a grayscale or color camera is connected. Shown here is the settings menu for the grayscale camera. The current camera image is overlayed, so the effects of parameters can easily be recognized. Pressing the + or - button changes the currently selected parameter (indicated by "*"). Pressing "Nxt" circularly selects the next parameter, while "END" returns to the menu one level up. 
CamSetup:

Bright :   140 *
Offset :    43
Contr. :   104
AutoBr.:   OFF
Version:   $00
 +   -   Nxt END

Seting Download Parameters

For details on parameter setting for the serial line connection see section Downloading Programs.

Testing Hardware Components

All hardware components, which have been defined in the HDT, are listed here and can be selected for individual testing. E.g. with two motors, one PSD sensor, and twelve servos, this menu will look like the following: 
Motors:  2, 1  *
PSDs:    1, 1
Servos: 12, 1




Sel  +   Nxt END

An individual hardware component is selected using Sel, while + switches between components within a group, and Nxt switches between different groups.

Depending on the type of hardware component selected, an appropriate testing program is being started.

Example: Servo Test

After selecting an individual servo from the hardware test sub-menu, the angle of this particular servo can be controlled. 
Servotest:
Sem: -354

Angle:  105



+    -       END

User Programs

Downloading of user programs is shown in detail in section Downloading Programs.

Demos

The demos included in ROM are camera demos (for grayscale or color), multi-threading demo, and sound demo. 
Select a DEMO






Cam  MT  AU  END

Camera Demos

There are three demos implemented, one for the grayscale or color camera, one especially for the color camera, and one for the zoom effect. The demo for the grayscale camera shows a number of simple image processing routines, while the demo for the color camera allows storing and retrieving of a color-pattern within images.

For the grayscale camera-demo discussed in more detail here, the real-time camera image is displayed, while the user can select up to four image operations, which will subsequently be executed on each camera image. Default is identity, pressing + and - buttons changes between identity, Laplace edge detection, Sobel edge detection, dithering, and difference motion detection. Pressing Nxt circularly selects the next operator number, while END returns to the menu one level up. Also displayed is EyeBot's speed in frames per second (fps). 
..........Norm.*
..........Norm.
..........Norm.
..........Norm.
..........
..........fps:
..........16.67
 +  -  Nxt  END

Multi-Threading Demo

The multi-threading demo starts three parallel threads and allows them to be individually blocked and released by pressing one of the three buttons associated with a semaphore. E.g. V.2 releases thread no. 2, while P.2 blocks it. 
Semaphore..done
Spawn..done
master start
slave 2 start
slave 1 start
slave 0 start

V.0 V.1 V.2 END

Audio Demo

The audio demo provides three different demos: 
AudioDemos:






Mus Mic Wav END

Thomas Bräunl, 1997