Roboticscape support under Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on Beaglebone Black Wireless + Robotics Cape

Dear Robert and Jason:

  I am trying to work out the details getting the EduMIP running with ROS under Ubuntu 16.04 on the Beaglebone Blue and also the Beaglebone Black wireleess+ Robotics Cape, and hope you may office some pointers. I have the latest version of roboticscape installed ("sudo apt-get install roboticscape").

ubuntu@arm:~$ sudo apt-get install roboticscape
[sudo] password for ubuntu:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
roboticscape is already the newest version (0.3.4-git20170602-0rcnee4~xenial+20171108).
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

Here are my 2 quesions:

1. On the Beaglebone Blue under Ubuntu 16.04, when you run a rc_xxx program it reports the error "ERROR: pru-rproc driver missing", but then runs normally. Example:

ubuntu@arm:~$ rc_balance
ERROR: pru-rproc driver missing
Inner Loop controller D1:

So far I have been ignoring this message.

Question: any thoughts?

2. On the Beaglebone Black wireless + robotics cape, under Ubuntu 16.04, when you run rc_xxx program it reports numerous startup errors. Some programs such as rc_check_battery run normally after printing numerous errors. Other programs such as rc_balance print a continuous stram of "ERROR: uart4 must be initialized first" and fail to operate properly, perhaps due to the stream of "ERROR: uart4 must be initialized first" messages (see below).

The warning messages for rc_balance begin with this (longer transcript at the end of this email)

ubuntu@arm:~$ rc_balance
WARNING: RoboticsCape library should only be run on BB Blue, Black, and Black wireless when the roboticscape device tree is in use.
If you are on a BB Black or Black Wireless, please execute "configure_robotics_dt.sh" and reboot to enable the device tree
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_28_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_23_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_11_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory

So I ran Robotics_Cape_Installer/device_tree$ sudo ./configure_robotics_dt.sh, but configure_robotics_dt.sh appears to only support Debian:

ubuntu@arm:~/Robotics_Cape_Installer/device_tree$ sudo ./configure_robotics_dt.sh
ERROR: This is not Debian Jessie.
Flash the latest Jessie image to your BBB
or use the Wheezy branch of this installer.
ubuntu@arm:~/Robotics_Cape_Installer/device_tree$

Question: Do you have suggestions on how to fix this?

Thanks and Best Regards,

   -Louis

ubuntu@arm:~$ rc_balance
WARNING: RoboticsCape library should only be run on BB Blue, Black, and Black wireless when the roboticscape device tree is in use.
If you are on a BB Black or Black Wireless, please execute "configure_robotics_dt.sh" and reboot to enable the device tree
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_28_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_23_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_11_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_22_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_21_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_26_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_24_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_30_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_29_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
can't open: /sys/devices/platform/ocp/ocp:P9_31_pinmux/state
Pinmux: No such file or directory
WARNING: missing PINMUX driver
You probbaly just need a newer kernel
ERROR: ti-eqep driver not loaded for eqep0
WARNING: failed to initialize eQEP0
ERROR: ti-eqep driver not loaded for eqep1
WARNING: failed to initialize eQEP1
ERROR: ti-eqep driver not loaded for eqep2
WARNING: failed to initialize eQEP2
ERROR: ti-pwm driver not loaded for pwm subsystem 1
ERROR: failed to initialize hrpwm1
WARNING: Failed to initialize motors
ERROR: pru-rproc driver missing
Inner Loop controller D1:
order: 2
timestep dt: 0.0100
-4.9450z² + 8.8620z + -3.9670

Yeah, i need to fix that combination. My robotic's cape is at work,
and i'm at home today with the furnace guys over..

Regards,

Hi Robert:

Just checking in to see if you have had a chance to look into the combination of the robotics cape under Ubuntu that we discussed via email on 11/27/2017?  The beaglebone blue worked great under Ubuntu, but the roboticscape does not\.  If not, perhaps you can point me in the right direction on how to fix this\.

Wishing you safe and happy holidays\!

Best Regards,

\-Louis