Category Archives: Feldman Project

Tom DeVito 4.5.2012

Start: 12:30

  • Continued to work on the audio controller class
  • added methods to normalize i/o data to be between 0-1
  • Added commands for changing notes and playing sounds

end: 6:30

 

#NOTE: Raspberry Pi and Cotton Candy do not use standard OpenGL.  Instead they use OpenGL ES 2.0

“For programmable hardware: OpenGL ES 2.0 is defined relative to the OpenGL 2.0 specification and emphasizes a programmable 3D graphics pipeline with the ability to create shader and program objects and the ability to write vertex and fragment shaders in the OpenGL ES Shading Language. OpenGL ES 2.0 does not support the fixed function transformation and fragment pipeline of OpenGL ES 1.x”

More info: http://www.khronos.org/opengles/

Tom DeVito 4.4.2012

Start: 10:00

  • Working on the audio controller logic
  • I got a good response when sending a test command
  • Finally found a arduino sketch which has data transfer in it:  http://breakfastny.com/2011/06/verbalizer-open-source-toy-googles-voice-search/
  • I may have found that a bit late but now I know that bluetooth works the same way as USB once connected.  My classes should be useful for any type of connection.
  • Looked at Rasberry Pi.  Looks really cool for $35.  Seems powerful enough to handle basic graphics.

End: 5:20

Tom DeVito 4.3.2012

Start: 10:00

  • Changed how items are published to the dictionary to make things more memory efficient
  • Step up a new PC test environment which we may be able to drop in the simulations to once ready
  • Tried sending some commands to see how the controller was working.   This doesn’t seem to be working right yet.
  • Did an echo test for the command and it seems to be coming back corrupted.
  • Found that I did not specify the int type for the command class.  This is important because windows defaults to 32-bit while the arduino defaults to 16-bit.  The problem seems to be resolved now that they are both 16-bit.
  • Check the response class for similar problems.
  • Sent a command and received a response from the audio controller class.  The next step make it play a sound on command.

End: 6:00

Tom DeVito 4.2.2012

Start: 10:00

  • Continued troubleshooting the Audio Controller class
  • Compiled a partial list of required parts
  • Made some changes to the Controller base class.  I think I finally got all the old code out.

Parts:

  1. 2-pin header:  http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/640454-2/A19423-ND/258984
  2. 2-pin connector:  http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/1375820-2/A99613-ND/1864915
  3. Tin wire crimp for connectors: http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/1375819-1/A100453CT-ND/2233146
  4. 3-pin header:  http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/3-644456-3/A31113-ND/698345
  5. Jumpers: http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/2-382811-1/A31697-ND/769840
  6. power jack:  http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/PJ-202A/CP-202A-ND/252007
  7. I will double check other components tomorrow to make sure we have enough resistors and capacitors before ordering

End: 6:00

Tom DeVito 3.30.2012

Start: 8:30

  • Fixed an issue with the computer receiving sensor data.  Sensors now stream data properly.
  • Made changes to how you set data in the data dictionary so its easier.
  • Planned out how to do what is remaining.  Despite much progress, I am still finding myself a bit lost from the break I took to make the boards.  I am confident that this won’t be a problem now

end: 6:30

Phil 3.30.12

8:00 – 9:30 CSIP

  • More Drools JBoss Rules 5.0 Developer’s Guide, chapter 2
  • Drools JBoss Rules 5.0 Developer’s Guide, chapter 3
    • Starting the Banking Domain Model example

9:30 – 12:00 FP

  • Developer meeting at UMBC

12:00 – 4:00 CSIP

  • Building classes and interfaces for a pretty complex model. We’ll see if this can be made to work…

Tom DeVito 3.29.2012

Start: 8:10

  • Amp class uses doubles again for the set volume parameter
  • Another advantage to having the amps separate from the midi devices, is that it allows us to have sound sequences of varying volumes without effecting the total volume.
  • Reviewed the circuit board one more time and saw something that might be a minor issue.  I forgot the arduino ground has to attach to the ground line of the board for signals to transfer.  There are plenty of holes to run this wire from, so its not a big deal.  It just won’t have its own independent point.  It might also not even be necessary.
  • Seems that Rick has averted the problem with DNS switch for the server.  We still need to get registrar account but we are good for a couple months while he figures that out.
  • Made some changes to the midi class to make selecting sounds easier.
  • Still working on the Controller, should be ready to test soon.

End: 6:10

Tom DeVito 3.28.2011

Start: 8:00

  • Helped Phil solve a problem regarding deployment of his 3d applications on a machine that did not have Visual Studio 2010.
  • A couple things were learned in the process.
  1. Dropping in the DLLs did not work.  I suspect this is because of the debug version not being compatible without proper registry entries, as well as, the difference between 64bit and 32 bit distributions between two of the machines.
  2. The required DLLs are available in the redistribution pack found here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5555
  3. This distribution can be silently blocked by some anti-malware programs if auto-protect is on.
  4. Always build dependent libraries as Release before using them with your programs if not already in a binary form.  It seems the real issue was not with the application itself but with the dependent libraries.  Also check in c++/code generation project properties, that it is not set to a debug mode.
  5. Always test on a machine that does not have visual studio before going into a demo.
  • Played with the simulation a bit.  Looks good and now I have a better idea of what is needed.
  • Finished fixing the controller base class
  • Started figuring out the logic for the audio controller.
  • Hopefully we can start integrating the simulation with the electronics by Friday.

End: 6:00

Tom DeVito 3.27.2012

Start: 8:00

  • After my recent issues with the IDE I decided to upgraded Visual Micro.  The new version was for Arduino 1.0 and although the old would probably work I decided now would be a good time to upgrade
  • Some methods and classes have changed names and parameters, most notable, Newsoftserial in now softwareserial, and wire.send (BYTE) is now wire.write(byte(0x00)).  BYTE is no longer a data type but the is a byte(0x00) function which may be necessary.  I remember needing to use this when my friend was doing his project with the I2C compass but do not remember which type he was using in the first place.  It may not matter since I was using char in the first place.
  • Fixed some problems with outdated code that was not changed to reflect the new parameters of data elements or the current way of storing data in the Data Dictionary.
  • Fixing the recently imported Controller base class to work with the various changes that were made when testing the data dictionary.
  • Found out the real source to what I thought were IDE problems were actually that arduino extended classes need to be included in the main .pde file or they will not include properly.  This includes wire.h and softwareserial.h.

End: 6:00

Phil 3.26.12

8:00 – 10:00 CSIP

  • Starting to dig into Drools.
    • Starting documentation
    • Attempting to install the Drools Eclipse Plugins from the amazingly sullen JBoss update site
      • Well, at least it’s started updating. Heading off to class with high hopes of progress upon my return!
      • Yay – downloaded and installed
  • I came across this over the weekend that looks like an eclipse-based graphical rules engine that could be used as a reference case. It’s from Repast, a system that I did quite a bit of work with back when I was consulting for UMD/ONR. Looks like they’ve been doing quite a bit of work on the system.

10:00 – 1:00 FP

1:00 – 4:00 CSIP

  • Onward with Drools
  • Planner (http://docs.jboss.org/drools/release/5.3.0.Final/drools-planner-docs/html/ch01.html, and http://www.jboss.org/drools/drools-planner.html)
    • Huh, Drools uses fitness tests, but doesn’t have a genetic algorithm/programming component. Interesting.
    • Downloaded the drools-planner-distribution-5.3.0.Final
      • Added as a preexisting project. All kinds of Java errors, which were fixed by running Maven on the POM file followed by mvn eclipse:eclipse. Then all the .drl files were being flagged as errors. While flailing generally, I noticed that I could set the project as a drools project (which it wasn’t yet apparently). That seems to have fixed all the errors, though there are a bunch of “Java raw type” warnings
      • Got the following message: The directory dataDir (C:Droolsdrools-planner-distribution-5.3.0.Finalexamplessourcesdatanqueens) does not exist. The working directory should be set to the directory that contains the data directory. This is different in a git clone (drools-planner/drools-planner-examples) and the release zip (examples).
        • Fixed by copying the data directory from the examples level to the sources level.
      • Everything is running. Tomorrow, we figure out what it means!

Phil 3.25.12

10:00 –  2:00 FP

  • What a soggy weekend.
  • Integrating collision detection and response into the hand.
  • Checked out from SVN – still working!
  • Firngertips are now being calculated in world space.
  • Spent a good deal of time getting the global to local (CollisionCube) transformations working. They still haven’t been tested through the rotations, but are working for translation and scaling.
  • Wired up the volume components. At this point the simulation is pretty much ready to hook up to the Arduino.

Phil 3.23.12

8:00 – 12:30 FP

  • It’s going to be an abbreviated day. I’ve got to be over at my parent’s old house in the early afternoon to let in the GB&E guy, and since the weather’s * phenomenal* I’m going to go for a longer and early bike ride. Given all the rain in the forecast for the weekend, I’ll be here to make up the hours, probably more likely on Sunday.
  • Adding in CollisionCube. It’s drawing, and I’m getting fingertip position info for collisions. More on Sunday
  • Checked into SVN

Tom DeVito 3.23.2012

Start: 10:00

  • Ordered the boards.  The company said to ignore the warnings on the PJ-202A port
  • Looked up the necessary components.  Need to double check our inventory to make sure we aren’t buying stuff we already have.  Will finish this tomorrow and compile the list of things that need to be ordered.
  • Still having some IDE problems with Visual Micro.  Decided to just move the classes into a new project.  This seemed to fix the issue.
  • Did some more testing of the Data dictionary and communication classes to make sure it will work when we try to put it together tomorrow.
  • There are a few issues, I fixed most of them.  I should be good to go by the time you are done with your bike ride tomorrow.

End: 6:00

Phil 3.22.12

8:00 – 4:00 FP

  • Looks like I’ll have the CSIP project to charge to soon. Woohoo!
  • debugging RightHand::drawPrimitive() – fixed. Passing by value rather than by reference. D’oh.
  • Shiny hand model! Now I need to wire the graphics to the FingerIO classes – partly done, waiting on putting in the CollisionCube.
  • Tried adding the FingerIO classes directly to RightHand, but the class isn’t instanced by the time show() gets called in KF_GUI. So the FingerIO classes went back to the KF_Hand_window class, and I added pointers to the RightHand class. Not really happy with this, but it will do for now as I get all the other pieces working. And better than the alternative of grabbing the parent of the window class while still reaching into the RightHand class.
  • Next, put all the changed code back into the fluid code – done
  • Adding CollisionCube drawableObject – most pieces are in and I need to test.

4:00 – 5:00 CSIP

  • Spent about 45 min talking CSIP with Ed.
  • Start figuring out drools, with particular emphasis on creating xml that can be ingested and used to create running rule sets. Note that RulePoint could be a starting point for look-and-feel, as this may be the basis for the request for the system.

Tom DeVito 3.21.2012

Start: 9:15

  • Price estimate for 10 boards is 236.88
  • Changed the sensor circuits so the output is separate from the sensor.
  • Called Pad2Pad about the PJ202A footprint because I had to force it to add and there are warnings.  They told me to email padtopad@gmail.com with the question and the software guys would get back to me with a solution.
  • For some reason my arduino project stopped linking properly. Every time I try to build the solution it tells me that header files don’t exist even though auto complete adds them correctly.
  • After trying a bunch of stuff I eventually reset Visual Micro.  This solved the problem.
  • Still waiting on Pad2Pad for a reply.  Everything is ready to go but I don’t want the traces to not be connected properly because of some type of glitch.

End: 5:15