1. 3DoT Technical Documentation
Arduino/Arxterra Programming
Part V – Custom Commands and Telemetry: Arxterra Control Panel & Android/iPhone Application

2. How to Configure Custom Commands and Telemetry
For details about the data types, flow protocols and packet protocols required for Custom Commands and Telemetry between the MCU, the ArxRobot apps, and the Control Panel, see the Communication between MCU, Phone and Control Panel spreadsheet.
The basic workflow is as follows:
Design your custom entity to take advantage of one of the available combinations of data type and flow protocol, and assign it to an entity ID in the available range.
Create the code in your MCU firmware (e.g., Arduino Sketch) to handle the custom incoming (command) packets and/or send the custom outgoing (telemetry) packets.
Use the Custom Command and Telemetry Configuration view in the ArxRobot app to enable it and the Control Panel to interpret your custom packets appropriately. A video of some test examples is posted on the Arxterra YouTube Channel as Arxterra - Update to Custom Command and Telemetry Config.
Test to confirm that your code and configuration are doing what you intend them to do. A video of the Control Panel view of the examples configured in step 3 is posted as Arxterra - Control Panel View of Custom Command and Telemetry.

3. Custom Commands: Arxterra Control Panel & Android Application
Tommy Sanchez - EE400D
Custom Commands: Arxterra Control Panel & Android Application
Creating A Custom Command
Command Control Panel Interface
Implementation Example

4. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Custom commands will allow you to expand the capabilities of your robot. In order to reach the custom menu, please press “Custom”.
If you don’t know how to connect to the app or don’t have the app, see the Getting Started tutorial.

5. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Press and hold the yellow icon on any page for contextual help
As this is your first time accessing the Custom command Definitions window, you will not have any active commands. To add a new command press the plus (+) button.
Note: Pressing “Done” on this page will take you out of the command menu

6. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
The following command types will appear after pressing the plus (+) button:
Boolean
Select
Byte
Unsigned Byte
Short
Unsigned Short
Heading/Separator

7. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Move Up or Down
Pressing on any command type
will add them to the window space.
Selecting an added command
in the windows space will
allow you to: delete, move up or down, or edit the command properties.
Each command’s properties window has a “Command ID” button. This will be explored first before moving on to the command types.
Delete
Edit

8. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Command ID is used to assign a Hex value to the command. This value is used in your Arduino IDE sketch so the microcontroller can identify what instruction it’s receiving.
Pressing the “Command ID:” button on any command type properties window will give you the option to choose from 32 custom command IDs. The range is from 0x40(64) to 0x5F(95).
Command types also have 1 or 2 value bytes associated with the command. This will be addressed on the next slides as each command type is covered. (Slide explores the byte arrays received from commands)

9. Brief Overview Of Commands:
Command ID Availability (8-bit integer)
Associated Data Type
Widget Type
Boolean
0x40 to 0x5F
8-bit integer
Switch
Select
8 bit-integer
Radio Button/List
Byte
8-bit signed integer
Slider/Stepper
Unsigned Byte
8-bit unsigned integer
Short
16-bit signed integer
Unsigned Short
16-bit unsigned integer
Heading/Separator
None

10. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
To get started with a Boolean command choose Boolean.
Once the command is added to the window space, select it and press the edit button.

11. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Properties for Boolean Command:
Give the command an ID (In HEX)
Give the command a Label (Name)
Include a hover over Tip for the control panel if desired
Choose a Default Value for the selector switch (On or Off)
The command’s associated value (1 byte) comes from the selector switch position. On being [0x01] and Off being [0x00].

12. Command Control Panel Interface
The Interface for Boolean command on the Control Panel
Label: Boolean
Tip: On or Off

13. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
To get started with a select command choose Select.
To the left you will see the new command, and to the right the “Options for Select Command”. Pressing the (+) on the right adds more options (choices). Choose an option and press the edit button.

14. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Option Properties:
Give the option an ID (In HEX)
Give the option a Label (Name)
Include a hover over Tip for the control panel if desired
Press the “back” button to return to the main page to do the same for all your options.
Once you have made the option changes desired it’s time to edit the Select command properties.

15. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
With the Select command chosen, press the edit button on the left to go to the Select command properties.

16. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Properties for Select Command:
Give the command an ID (In HEX)
Give the command a Label (Name)
Include a hover over Tip for the control panel if desired
Choose a default Option from the ones created earlier. (Default Value)
Choose widget type
In this instance, the command’s associated value (1 byte) will be the selected option’s ID
Widget Types:
Radio Buttons
Select List

17. Command Control Panel Interface
The Interface for Select command on the Control Panel
(Two select commands for illustrative purposes)
Widget Types: Boolean & List Default Value: New Option 0
Tip: Make a Selection Label: New Select

18. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
To get started with a Byte command choose Byte.
Once the command is added to the window space, select it and press the edit button.

19. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Properties for Byte Command:
Give the command an ID (In HEX)
Give the command a Label (Name)
Include a hover over Tip for the control panel if desired
Choose a default value(can be negative)
Choose a minimum and maximum (can be negative)
Choose a step size value
Choose widget type
The command’s associated value (1 byte) comes from slider position or stepper value.
Widget Types:
Slider
Stepper

20. Command Control Panel Interface
The Interface for Byte command on the Control Panel
(Two Byte commands for illustrative purposes)
Widget Types: Slider & Stepper Default Value: 0
Tip: Change value Label: New Byte Maximum: 127
Minimum:-128
Step:1
Note: Values can be negative for Byte command

21. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
To get started with an Unsigned Byte command choose Unsigned Byte.
Once the command is added to the window space, select it and press the edit button.

22. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Properties for Unsigned Byte Command:
The Unsigned Byte command has all the same properties as a Byte Command but considering it is unsigned the minimum, maximum, and default value cannot be negative.
The command’s associated value (1 byte) comes from slider position or stepper value.
Widget Types:
Slider
Stepper

23. Command Control Panel Interface
The Interface for Unsigned Byte command on the Control Panel
(Two Unsigned Byte commands for illustrative purposes)
Widget Types: Slider & Stepper Default Value: 0
Tip: Change value Label: New Unsigned Byte Maximum: 255
Minimum: 0
Step:1
Note: Values cannot be negative in Unsigned Byte command.

24. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
To get started with a Short command choose Short.
Once the command is added to the window space, select it and press the edit button.

25. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Properties for Short Command:
Give the command an ID (In HEX)
Give the command a Label (Name)
Include a hover over Tip for the control panel if desired
Choose a default value(can be negative)
Choose a minimum and maximum (can be negative)
Choose a step size value
Choose widget type
The command’s associated value (2 bytes) comes from slider position or stepper value.
Widget Types:
Slider
Stepper

26. Command Control Panel Interface
The Interface for Short command on the Control Panel
(Two Short commands for illustrative purposes)
Widget Types: Slider & Stepper Default Value: 0
Tip: Change value Label: New Short Maximum: 32767
Minimum:
Step:1
Note: Values can be negative for Short command.

27. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
To get started with an Unsigned Short command choose Unsigned Short.
Once the command is added to the window space, select it and press the edit button.

28. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Properties for Unsigned Short Command:
The Unsigned Short command has all the same properties as a Short Command but considering it is unsigned the minimum, maximum, and default value cannot be negative.
The command’s associated value (2 bytes) comes from slider position or stepper value.
Widget Types:
Slider
Stepper

29. Command Control Panel Interface
The Interface for Unsigned Short command on the Control Panel
(Two Unsigned Short commands for illustrative purposes)
Widget Types: Slider & Stepper Default Value: 0
Tip: Change value Label: New Unsigned Short Maximum: 65535
Minimum: 0
Step:1
Note: Values cannot be negative for Unsigned Short command.

30. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
To get started with a adding a command Separator or heading in the control panel choose Heading /Separator.
Once the command is added to the window space, select it and press the edit button.

31. Custom Command Menu: Arxterra App
Properties for Heading/ Separator Command:
Give the command a Label (Name)
Include a hover over Tip for the control panel if desired
An empty label will cause the heading to function as an unlabeled Separator.

32. Command Control Panel Interface
The Interface for New Heading/Separator command on the Control Panel
(Two Separator commands for illustrative purposes)
Tip: Separator Label: New Heading/Separator
Tip: Separator Label: (Was left blank)

33. Implementation Examples: Overview
Robot Types Covered
Byte Arrays
Spiderbot/Hexapod
Example illustrates: Robot’s sleep mode, walking motion(Gait), stance modes like arched, variable leg motion for defensive leg jabbing, and leg servo speed for quick adjustment to outrun another robot.
Rover
Example illustrates: Robot’s motor status, special trick movements like weaving, and variable speed for quick adjustment to motors.
Biped
Example illustrates: Robot’s leg status, walking mode speed, and leg balance options
Byte array examples will cover how byte arrays are sent to the microcontroller based on the custom command used.
Also, byte array information going from the microcontroller back to the Android phone will be explored.

34. Implementation Example: A Spiderbot/Hexapod
Here is an example of possible custom commands that can be used with a Spiderbot/Hexapod.
It will depend on the programmer to choose what best fits their application. If for example you want a variable value command but don’t need negative values to be sent to the microcontroller, you can choose Unsigned when adding a Byte or Short command.

35. Implementation Example: A Rover
Here is an example of possible custom commands that can
be used with a Rover
It will depend on the
programmer to choose what
best fits their application.

36. Implementation Example: A Biped
Here is an example of possible custom commands that can
be used with a Biped
It will depend on the
programmer to choose what
best fits their application.

37. Byte Array Explored:
Using the Spider/Hexapod example. Each command type’s byte array will be covered.
Sleep Mode: This is a Boolean command. It has a Command ID byte and an associated value (1 byte).
On and Off provides the associated byte and is represented by 0x01 and 0x00 respectively.
Arbitrarily choose the Boolean Command ID to be 0x40. The byte array sent to the microcontroller would be [0x40 0x00] or [0x40 0x01]

38. Byte Array Explored:
Gait/Stance: These are Select commands. A Select command has a Command ID byte and an associated value (1 byte).
The options from the list menu or radio buttons provide the associated byte.
Using Stance as the example: Arbitrarily choose the Select Command ID to be 0x41 and the Arched, Level, and Recon Option ID’s to be 0x42,0x43,0x44 respectively. if Recon is selected then the byte array sent to the microcontroller would be [0x41 0x44].

39. Byte Array Explored:
Variable Leg Motion/Leg Servo Speed: These can be Short, Unsigned Short, Byte, or Unsigned Byte commands. A Byte and Unsigned Byte command have a Command ID byte and an associated value (1 byte). A Short and Unsigned Short command have a Command ID and an associated value (2 bytes).
The value from the slider or stepper provide the associated byte(s).
Continue on for example

40. Byte Array Explored: Using Variable Leg Motion as the example:
Byte command:
Arbitrarily choose Command ID to be 0x45 and the maximum and minimum for the slider to be 127 and -128 respectively. If you were to move the slider to a value of 30 or 0x1E in HEX, then the byte array sent to the microcontroller would be [0x45 0x1E].
Note: It works the same for Unsigned Byte. Remember that Unsigned
Byte differs in that it cannot produce negatives.

41. Byte Array Explored: Using Variable Leg Motion as the example:
Short command:
Arbitrarily choose Command ID to be 0x46 and the maximum and minimum for the slider to be and respectively. If you were to move the slider to a value of 1000 or 0x03E8 in HEX, then the byte array sent to the microcontroller would be [0x46 0x03 0xE8].
Note: It works the same for Unsigned Short. Remember that Unsigned
Short differs in that it cannot produce negatives.

42. Byte Array Explored: From Microcontroller to Android
Byte arrays can be sent back to the Android phone. The reason is to properly display the robot’s present state on the Control Panel widgets.
Using the Spiderbot/Hexapod example:
If in Recon mode(a mode in which the robot cannot move) an instruction is sent for the robot to move, the Control Panel should reflect a change in its stance by showing Level (a move capable mode). Since as it moves it’s in Level mode. The Android phone would need to receive a byte array of [0x41 0x43] to make the change.
(Stance and Option IDs from previous example)

43. Extra Resources/Information
Setting Up the Code For The Arduino ADK:
Tutorial Provided by Ryan Fiske (Fall 2013)
Arduino Uno requires a USB to USB OTG cable to connect to Android phone.
The following link provides information on: -How to get permission to download the apps (please use google associated with your google play account) -Where to download Arduino code for communication with Phone.