XpadControl

A cross-platform console application for controlling the Adam robot via a local/remote socket using an xbox gamepad and its analogues.

Capture and simulation of game controllers

To capture the gamepad in Windows, the XInputium library is used. In Linux the Gamepad library is used.

To simulate the operation of controllers in Linux, you can use uinput-joystick-demo. In Windows x360ce

Install xpad driver in Linux (raspberrypi)

$ sudo apt-get install raspberrypi-kernel-headers
$ sudo apt-get install dkms 
$ sudo git clone https://github.com/paroj/xpad.git /usr/src/xpad-0.4
$ sudo dkms install -m xpad -v 0.4

Command line arguments

You can view the command line arguments by typing --help or -h in Linux:

$ dotnet XpadControl.dll -h
        -c, --set-config-path[optional]... Loads the settings from the specified configuration file path and runs the program
        -s, --show-config-path[optional]... Shows path loaded config and close program
        -v, --version[optional]... Show app version and close program
        -h, --help[optional]... Show this help and close program

or Windows

C:\XpadControl\bin\Debug\net7.0-windows>XpadControl.exe -h

Usage:
        -c, --set-config-path[optional]... Loads the settings from the specified configuration file path and runs the program
        -s, --show-config-path[optional]... Shows path loaded config and close program
        -v, --version[optional]... Show app version and close program
        -h, --help[optional]... Show this help and close program

Managing configuration files

When running the program without arguments, a configuration file named appsettings.default.json will be used, it is located in the "Configs" subfolder in relation to the executable file.. Console output is disabled in it, and the log level of the record is error.

To set your own configuration file, you need to copy and rename the default ones, and then use the -c argument when starting the program.

If the file is located in the same directory as the executable, it is enough to specify only the name:

$ dotnet XpadControl.dll -c mysettings.json

If the configuration file is located in a nested directory relative to the executable file:

$ dotnet XpadControl.dll -c settings/mysettings.json

If the configuration file is located in an external directory relative to the executable file, you must specify the full path:

$ dotnet XpadControl.dll -c /etc/mysettings.json

To check where the settings are loaded from, run the program with the -s key

$ dotnet XpadControl.dll -s
Setting loaded from /usr/src/XpadControl/bin/Debug/net7.0-windows/publish/Configs/appsettings.default.json

Tested WebSocket server

The test web socket server is located here

Action

Axis action - an action that consists of two components (for example: head_up_down).
Only stick axes can be linked to such actions. Binding buttons or triggers to them will cause a NotImplementedException error. This is done intentionally to avoid logical errors in bindings.

Button/trigger/axis action - an action that consists of a single component (for example: head_up, head_down, to_home_position)
Can be linked to stick axes, buttons and triggers

Action list and binding

• to_home_position - is button/trigger/axis action. the command to return the Adam robot to the zero position

  execution conditions:    
          if binding to buttons: button pressed value `{ == true }` => execute    
          if binding to trigger: trigger value `{ >= 0.5 }` => execute    
          if binding to axis: axis value `{ <= -0.5 or  >= 0.5 }` => execute   
  

• head_up_down head_up head_down - head control commands

  head_up_down is axis action

  execution conditions: 
      if binding to buttons:  throw new NotImplementedException("Button can`t binding to axis action");
      if binding to trigger:  throw new NotImplementedException("Trigger can`t binding to axis action");
      if binding to axis:     if axis value { == 0 } => execute with param servo command = home position
                              if axis value { < 0 } => execute with param servo command = home position - axis value
                              if axis value { > 0 } => execute with param servo command = home position + axis value
  

  head_up head_down is button/trigger/axis action

     execution conditions:
         if binding to buttons:  button pressed value { == true } => execute home position + 1 by goal position != 100
                                 button pressed value { == false } => execute home position - 1 by goal position != home position 
         if binding to trigger:  trigger value { == 0 } => execute with param servo command = home position
                                 trigger value { > 0 } => execute with param servo command = home position + trigger value
         if binding to axis:     axis value { == 0 } => execute with param servo command = home position 
                                 axis value { != 0 } => execute with param servo command = home position + axis value
  

Examples:

Axis action

Binding the y-axis of the right stick to the action:

{
    "action": "head_up_down",
    "axis": "right.stick.y"
}

With this combination of parameters, the robot will move its head down when the right stick is deflected down and up when the stick is deflected up.

Button/trigger/axis action

Binding the right trigger to an action:

{
    "action": "head_up",
    "trigger": "right.trigger"
}

If you press the right trigger of the joystick, the robot will lift its head up, if you release it, the head returns to its original position

Binding the button A to an action:

{
    "action": "head_down",
    "button": "button.a"
}

If you press the button A of the joystick, the robot will lower its head down, if you release it, the head returns to its original position