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Installation

Requirements

  • Python 3.10 or 3.11 (tested on 3.10.12 and 3.11.0; newer versions break some pinned dependencies).
  • Windows, Linux or macOS. On macOS, follow the Linux steps, as the repository's README says.
  • A PC that keeps the 100 Hz loop: What you need.

Install

The commander goes into its own folder with its own virtual environment (.venv), on every operating system. It pins numpy 1.23.4 and the Python API needs numpy 2, so the two cannot share one Python: give each its own environment, as the Quick start does.

git clone https://github.com/Source-Robotics/PAROL-commander-software.git
cd PAROL-commander-software
py -3.11 -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\activate
python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
py -3.11 picks Python 3.11 when several are installed; py -3.10 works too. The robot's serial port is COM and a number: Device Manager lists it under Ports (COM & LPT).

sudo apt install python3.11 python3.11-venv python3.11-tk
git clone https://github.com/Source-Robotics/PAROL-commander-software.git
cd PAROL-commander-software
python3.11 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER     # access to the serial port; log out and in again once
Ubuntu's own Python is 3.10 on 22.04 and 3.12 on 24.04; where Python 3.11 is not in the distribution, the deadsnakes PPA has it (sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa first). On 22.04 the system Python 3.10 with python3-venv and python3-tk works as well. The robot's serial port is ttyACM0 (ls /dev/ttyACM* lists it).

git clone https://github.com/Source-Robotics/PAROL-commander-software.git
cd PAROL-commander-software
python3.11 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
With Python 3.11 from python.org; the repository's README says the Linux steps work on macOS.

After the activate line the prompt starts with (.venv). Activate the environment again in every new terminal before you start the program.

The repository's Windows and Linux guides list the packages one by one if requirements.txt fails: the robotics toolbox, swift, numpy and scipy are pinned to the versions that work together, and the Working dependency folder has the full module lists of PCs on which the software runs.

Run

For the first run, write the robot's port into the program: open GUI/files/Serial_sender_good_latest.py in a text editor and find these lines near the top:

if my_os == "Windows": 
    STARTING_PORT = 8 # COM3
else:   
    STARTING_PORT = 0

On Windows, replace 8 with the number of the robot's port (5 for COM5; Device Manager, Ports (COM & LPT), shows it). On Linux, 0 means /dev/ttyACM0. Save, then start the program from the activated virtual environment:

cd GUI/files
python Serial_sender_good_latest.py

Two windows open: the commander and the simulator. Enter the serial port at the bottom of the commander (COM5, or ttyACM0 on Linux) and press Connect, more than once if needed. On Linux, a permission error on the port is fixed with sudo chmod 666 /dev/ttyACM0, or by joining the dialout group.

Check the loop

The terminal the program runs in prints the robot's data; Time between 2 commands in ms should sit near 0.010 while you jog. The value is in seconds, whatever the label says: 0.010 is the 10 ms cycle. If it is often much higher, the PC is too slow for the loop, and the robot will stutter (Communication).

Check

The commander shows the robot's data after Connect, and the simulator moves with the robot when you jog. If not: Communication.

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