downloading labview program on multiple robots

[goutz]

Hello,

I am new to labview and robotics kit. My question is how to download a simple example(obstacle avoidance) on to multiple robots at the same time. I am able to download it separatly one by one and it is taking time. Is there a way such that all the robots with ethernet cables are connected to the switch and controlled simultaneously and program each one just by giving name or ip adress ??

Thanks

Goutham

[RoboticsME]

There are a couple approaches I might consider.

First is that you could build the obstacle avoidance program you have in to a Real-Time Executable.  If you set the executable to run on startup, then all of the robots would run the obstacle avoidance program as soon as the boot up.

Second is that you could try running the code that would normally run on the Real-Time operating system on your desktop machine.  Then you would just use a different FPGA reference for each robot.  You would have to make the program re-entrant and then have an FPGA reference as an input control, but other than that, it should work very similar to how you were asking.  The one problem I could see is that by doing this, you are not making use of the real-time operating system.  I do not know if the network would be able to keep up.

What are you hoping to do by running them all at once?  Maybe there's an even better solution to accomplish what you're looking for.

[goutz]

Hi,

I am just trying to set the robots as of now. The obstacle avoidance is just a program to test. Right now i need to no how to download a program on multiple robots at the same time. I connected the laptopn to switch and from switch to all 9 robots. The labview detects all 9 of them but i have to select each one separatly and put the program on them. next i will have to select another robot and do the same. I would want to know if there is any other easy method so that can download the program onto all 9 robots just by configuring once.

I really appreciate the help.

Goutham

[RoboticsME · Accepted solution]

Great news.  We actually have a Real-Time Software Configuration palette in LabVIEW that can copy the image of a target and then apply that image to other targets.

You can find the palette in Measurement IO > System Configuration

All you would have to do is copy the image and then you could download the image to all of your robots.

Either this option or one of the other two should do the job.

Finally, you should know that if two of the starter kit robots are pointed at each other, the sonar sensors will interfere with each other.  If you are using the stock start kit, you may run in to some difficulties running multiple robots at once using the sonar sensor if they face each other.