Week 4 :

Add support for YDLIDAR in meta-ros2-foxy layer

• Create YDLidar-SDK recipe as it a dependency for ydlidar_ros2_driver.

  # Change into recipe directory
  $ cd $AGL_TOP/master/external/meta-ros/meta-ros2-foxy/generated-recipes/
  $ mkdir ydlidar-ros2-sdk/ 
  $ cd ydlidar-ros2-sdk/
  $ vim ydlidar-ros2-sdk_1.4.7.bb
  
  # Define the recipe
  
  DESCRIPTION = "YDLIDAR SDK"
  AUTHOR = "..."
  ROS_AUTHOR = "...."
  HOMEPAGE = "https://wiki.ros.org"
  SECTION = "devel"
  LICENSE = "BSD"
  LIC_FILES_CHKSUM = "file://LICENSE.txt;md5=4e320231d59c825e45dbfda066af29c9"
  
  SRC_URI = "git://github.com/YDLIDAR/YDLidar-SDK.git;protocol=https"
  
  SRCREV = "8b287ed831db0892f51793650b438790442fa09c"
  
  S = "${WORKDIR}/git"
  
  inherit cmake
  
  FILES_${PN} += "${datadir} ${prefix}/startup"
  
  do_install_append() {
      sed -i -e 's|${DEBUG_PREFIX_MAP}||g; s|--sysroot=${STAGING_DIR_TARGET}||g' ${D}${libdir}/pkgconfig/*.pc
  }
  
  RDEPENDS_${PN} += "bash"
  

• Create ydlidar_ros2_driver recipe.

  # Change into recipe directory
  $ cd $AGL_TOP/master/external/meta-ros/meta-ros2-foxy/generated-recipes/
  $ mkdir ydlidar-ros2-driver/ 
  $ cd ydlidar-ros2-driver/
  $ vim ydlidar-ros2-driver_1.0.1.bb
  
  # Define the recipe
    
  inherit ros_distro_foxy
  inherit ros_superflore_generated
  
  DESCRIPTION = "The ROS2 device driver for YDLIDAR LIDARS"
  AUTHOR = "..."
  ROS_AUTHOR = "...."
  HOMEPAGE = "https://wiki.ros.org"
  SECTION = "devel"
  LICENSE = "BSD"
  LIC_FILES_CHKSUM = "file://LICENSE.txt;md5=d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e"
  
  ROS_CN = "ydlidar_ros2_driver"
  ROS_BPN = "ydlidar_ros2_driver"
  
  ROS_BUILD_DEPENDS = " \
      rclcpp \
      rclcpp-components \
      sensor-msgs \
      visualization-msgs \
      geometry-msgs \
      std-srvs \
  "
  
  ROS_BUILDTOOL_DEPENDS = " \
      ament-cmake-auto-native \
      ament-cmake-ros-native \
  "
  
  ROS_EXPORT_DEPENDS = ""
  
  ROS_BUILDTOOL_EXPORT_DEPENDS = ""
  
  ROS_EXEC_DEPENDS = " \
      rclcpp \
      rclcpp-components \
      sensor-msgs \
      visualization-msgs \
      geometry-msgs \
      std-srvs \
  "
  
  # Currently informational only -- see http://www.ros.org/reps/rep-0149.html#dependency-tags.
  ROS_TEST_DEPENDS = ""
  
  DEPENDS = "${ROS_BUILD_DEPENDS} ${ROS_BUILDTOOL_DEPENDS}"
  # Bitbake doesn't support the "export" concept, so build them as if we needed them to build this package (even though we actually
  # don't) so that they're guaranteed to have been staged should this package appear in another's DEPENDS.
  DEPENDS += "${ROS_EXPORT_DEPENDS} ${ROS_BUILDTOOL_EXPORT_DEPENDS}" 
  #added
  DEPENDS += "ydlidar-ros2-sdk"
  
  RDEPENDS_${PN} += "${ROS_EXEC_DEPENDS}"
  
  #ROS_BRANCH ?= "branch=release/foxy/ydlidar_ros2_driver"
  SRC_URI = "git://github.com/YDLIDAR/ydlidar_ros2_driver;branch=master;protocol=https"
  SRCREV = "2e095da315aec0a0bc5aaac12082cb9d1f97f8b5"
  S = "${WORKDIR}/git"
  
  ROS_BUILD_TYPE = "ament_cmake"
  
  inherit ros_${ROS_BUILD_TYPE}
  

• Add ydlidar_ros2_driver recipe to superflore-ros-distro.inc configuration file.

  # After setting up AGL workspace
  
  # Clone the meta-ros layer, skip if already cloned
  $ cd $AGL_TOP/master/external
  $ git clone https://github.com/ros/meta-ros.git
  $ cd meta-ros
  $ git checkout -b dunfell
  
  # Change into conf directory
  $ cd $AGL_TOP/master/external/meta-ros/meta-ros2-foxy/conf/ros-distro/include/foxy/generated
  $ vim superflore-ros-distro.inc
    
  Edit according to add ydlidar_ros2_driver :
  
  In ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_RECIPES add,
    ydlidar-ros2-driver \
  
  In ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_RECIPE_BASENAMES_WITH_COMPONENT add,
    ydlidar-ros2-driver/ydlidar-ros2-driver_1.0.1 \
    
  In ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_WORLD_PACKAGES add,
    ydlidar-ros2-driver \
  
  In ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_RECIPES_FOR_COMPONENTS add,
    ydlidar-ros2-driver \
  

Build master/x86: meta-ros + agl-image-weston + YDLIDAR support

• Kindly go through build process of AGL and building for x86 for detailed reference to setup and initialize AGL workspace.

  # After setting up AGL workspace
  
  # Clone the meta-ros layer, skip if already cloned
  $ cd $AGL_TOP/master/external
  $ git clone https://github.com/ros/meta-ros.git
  $ cd meta-ros
  $ git checkout -b dunfell
  
  # Setup build directory
  $ cd $AGL_TOP/master/
  $ source meta-agl/scripts/aglsetup.sh -b build-x86-meta-ros-weston agl-devel
  $ ln -sf $AGL_TOP/site.conf conf/
  $ ls -alh conf/
    
  # Edit the following conf files :
  
  $ vim conf/local.conf #add the following to the bottom, to save error logs for future debugging
  # local.conf
    INHERIT += "buildhistory"
    BUILDHISTORY_COMMIT = "1"
    IMAGE_INSTALL_append = " packagegroup-ros-world-foxy"
    ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_WORLD_PACKAGES_remove = "plotjuggler"
    ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_WORLD_PACKAGES_remove = "plotjuggler-msgs"
    ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_WORLD_PACKAGES_remove = "plotjuggler-ros"
    ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_WORLD_PACKAGES_remove = "eigenpy"
    ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_WORLD_PACKAGES_remove = "py-trees-ros-tutorials"
      
  $ vim conf/bblayers.conf #Replace the following chunk
  # bblayers.conf
    AGL_META_NETWORKING ?= ""
    AGL_META_PYTHON = "${METADIR}/external/meta-openembedded/meta-python"
    AGL_META_ROS = " \
      ${METADIR}/external/meta-ros/meta-ros-common \
      ${METADIR}/external/meta-ros/meta-ros-backports-gatesgarth \
      ${METADIR}/external/meta-ros/meta-ros2 \
      ${METADIR}/external/meta-ros/meta-ros2-foxy \
      "
    AGL_OTHER_DEPENDENCY_LAYERS = " \
      ${AGL_META_NETWORKING} \
      ${AGL_META_PYTHON} \
      ${AGL_META_ROS} \
      "
  
  # Build the image
  
  $ cd $AGL_TOP/master/build-x86-meta-ros-weston/
  $ source agl-init-build-env #if not sourced
  $ bitbake -p ros-core #build ros-core first, to check all layers are added.
  $ time bitbake agl-image-weston #wait for the build process to finish.
  

Run master/x86: meta-ros + agl-image-weston + YDLIDAR support

• Kindly use pre-built image agl-image-weston-qemux86-64, if you want to skip the building process.

• Kindly go through using prebuilt x86 images for detailed reference to setup and initialize AGL workspace.

  # gdrive : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kTjN-Ptouwo6MMB23E5bJQ76Wm6FnRdb?usp=sharing
    
  # Install the dependencies
  $ apt-get install qemu
  $ sudo apt install vinagre
  $ sudo apt install qemu-system-x86
  
  # Copy image and kernel files
  $ cp ~/Downloads/agl-image-weston-qemux86-64.ext4 ./
  $ cp ~/Downloads/bzImage ./
  $ sync
  
  # Run
  $ vim startup.sh
    # attach YDLIDAR to the host system.
    #-device usb-host,hostbus=1,hostport=4, change accordingly to ydlidar usb port `lsusb -t` 
  
    ( sleep 5 && vinagre --vnc-scale localhost ) > /tmp/vinagre.log 2>&1 &
        qemu-system-x86_64 -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0,mac=52:54:00:12:35:02 -netdev user,id=net0,hostfwd=tcp::2222-:22 \
        -drive file=agl-image-weston-qemux86-64.ext4,if=virtio,format=raw -show-cursor -usb -usbdevice tablet -device virtio-rng-pci \
        -device usb-host,hostbus=1,hostport=4 -vga virtio \
        -vnc :0 -soundhw hda -machine q35 -cpu kvm64 -cpu qemu64,+ssse3,+sse4.1,+sse4.2,+popcnt -enable-kvm \
        -m 2048 -serial mon:vc -serial mon:stdio -serial null -kernel bzImage \
  
  $ sudo ./startup.sh
  
  # Boots up
  qemu-system-x86_64: -usbdevice tablet: '-usbdevice' is deprecated, please use '-device usb-...' instead
  qemu-system-x86_64: warning: host doesn't support requested feature: CPUID.80000001H:ECX.svm [bit 2]
  
  Automotive Grade Linux 11.91.0+snapshot qemux86-64 ttyS1
  
  qemux86-64 login: root
  root@qemux86-64:~# source /usr/bin/ros_setup.sh
  root@qemux86-64:/# echo $LD_LIBRARY_PATH
    /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu:/usr/lib
  root@qemux86-64:/# cd /usr/share/ydlidar_ros2_driver/ 
  root@qemux86-64:/# vim params/ydlidar.yaml
  # Edit accordingly, for YDLIDAR X4 :
    ydlidar_ros2_driver_node:
      ros__parameters:
        port: /dev/ttyUSB0
        frame_id: laser_frame
        ignore_array: ""
        baudrate: 128000
        lidar_type: 1
        device_type: 0
        sample_rate: 5
        abnormal_check_count: 4
        resolution_fixed: true
        reversion: false
        inverted: true
        auto_reconnect: true
        isSingleChannel: false
        intensity: false
        support_motor_dtr: true
        angle_max: 180.0
        angle_min: -180.0
        range_max: 12.0
        range_min: 0.1
        frequency: 8.0
        invalid_range_is_inf: false
    
  root@qemux86-64:/# ros2 launch launch/ydlidar_launch.py # YDLIDAR starts spinning
    
  # # In a new terminal, ssh into qemu : $ ssh -p 2222 root@localhost
  root@qemux86-64:~# source /usr/bin/ros_setup.sh
  root@qemux86-64:/# echo $LD_LIBRARY_PATH
    /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu:/usr/lib
  root@qemux86-64:/# ros2 topic list -t 
    /parameter_events [rcl_interfaces/msg/ParameterEvent]
    /rosout [rcl_interfaces/msg/Log]
    /scan [sensor_msgs/msg/LaserScan]
    /tf_static [tf2_msgs/msg/TFMessage]
  root@qemux86-64:/# ros2 topic echo /scan # View data stream
    
  # In either terminal
  root@qemux86-64:/# poweroff #else, runs in background
  

Build master/raspberrypi4: meta-ros + agl-image-weston + YDLIDAR support

• Kindly go through build process of AGL and building for raspberrypi4 for detailed reference to setup and initialize AGL workspace.

  # After setting up AGL workspace
  
  # Clone the meta-ros layer, skip if already cloned
  $ cd $AGL_TOP/master/external
  $ git clone https://github.com/ros/meta-ros.git
  $ cd meta-ros
  $ git checkout -b dunfell
  
  # Setup build directory
  $ cd $AGL_TOP/master/
  $ source meta-agl/scripts/aglsetup.sh -f -m raspberrypi4 -b build-rpi4-meta-ros-weston agl-devel
  $ ln -sf $AGL_TOP/site.conf conf/
  $ ls -alh conf/
  
  # Edit the following conf files :
  
  $ vim conf/local.conf #add the following to the bottom, to save error logs for  future debugging
  # local.conf
    INHERIT += "buildhistory"
    BUILDHISTORY_COMMIT = "1"
    IMAGE_INSTALL_append = " packagegroup-ros-world-foxy"
    ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_WORLD_PACKAGES_remove = "plotjuggler"
    ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_WORLD_PACKAGES_remove = "plotjuggler-msgs"
    ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_WORLD_PACKAGES_remove = "plotjuggler-ros"
    ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_WORLD_PACKAGES_remove = "eigenpy"
    ROS_SUPERFLORE_GENERATED_WORLD_PACKAGES_remove = "py-trees-ros-tutorials"
  
  $ vim conf/bblayers.conf #Replace the following chunk
  # bblayers.conf
    AGL_META_NETWORKING ?= ""
    AGL_META_PYTHON = "${METADIR}/external/meta-openembedded/meta-python"
    AGL_META_ROS = " \
      ${METADIR}/external/meta-ros/meta-ros-common \
      ${METADIR}/external/meta-ros/meta-ros-backports-gatesgarth \
      ${METADIR}/external/meta-ros/meta-ros2 \
      ${METADIR}/external/meta-ros/meta-ros2-foxy \
      "
    AGL_OTHER_DEPENDENCY_LAYERS = " \
      ${AGL_META_NETWORKING} \
      ${AGL_META_PYTHON} \
      ${AGL_META_ROS} \
      "
  
  # Build the image
    
  $ cd $AGL_TOP/master/build-rpi4-ros-demo/
  $ source agl-init-build-env #if not sourced
  $ bitbake -p ros-core #build ros-core first, to check all layers are added.
  $ time bitbake agl-image-weston #wait for the build process to finish.
  

Run master/raspberrypi4: meta-ros + agl-image-weston + YDLIDAR support

• Kindly use pre-built image agl-image-weston-raspberrypi4-64, if you want to skip the building process.

• Kindly go through using prebuilt raspberrypi4 images for detailed reference to setup and initialize AGL workspace.

• Connect YDLIDAR X4 to Raspberry Pi 4. Attach external USB if using with Raspberry Pi (otherwise underpowered and DEVICE FAILED warning).

  ## gdrive : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eD-g32fao-5LsiF7k8w4XbbQXkZv0iMP?usp=sharing
  
  # Copy image and extract into SD card
  $ cp ~/Downloads/agl-image-weston-raspberrypi4-64.wic.xz ./
  $ lsblk #find <SD_CARD>
  $ sudo umount <SD_CARD>
  $ xzcat agl-image-weston-raspberrypi4-64.wic.xz | sudo dd of=<SD_CARD> bs=4M
  $ sync
    
  # Boot up Pi and ssh into it (local network)
  $ ifconfig #checkout local address
  $ sudo nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24 #scan local network
  $ ssh-keygen -f "/home/boron/.ssh/known_hosts" -R "192.168.1.xx" #required if new image on same device
  $ ssh root@192.168.1.xx #Connect to raspberrypi4 through ssh
  
  # Boots Up
  raspberrypi4-64 login: root
  root@raspberrypi4-64:~# source /usr/bin/ros_setup.sh
  root@raspberrypi4-64:/# echo $LD_LIBRARY_PATH
    /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu:/usr/lib
  root@raspberrypi4-64:/# cd /usr/share/ydlidar_ros2_driver/ 
  root@raspberrypi4-64:/# vim params/ydlidar.yaml
  # Edit accordingly, for YDLIDAR X4 :
    ydlidar_ros2_driver_node:
      ros__parameters:
        port: /dev/ttyUSB0
        frame_id: laser_frame
        ignore_array: ""
        baudrate: 128000
        lidar_type: 1
        device_type: 0
        sample_rate: 5
        abnormal_check_count: 4
        resolution_fixed: true
        reversion: false
        inverted: true
        auto_reconnect: true
        isSingleChannel: false
        intensity: false
        support_motor_dtr: true
        angle_max: 180.0
        angle_min: -180.0
        range_max: 12.0
        range_min: 0.1
        frequency: 8.0
        invalid_range_is_inf: false
    
  root@raspberrypi4-64:/# ros2 launch launch/ydlidar_launch.py # YDLIDAR starts spinning
    
  # In a new ssh terminal
  $ ssh root@192.168.1.xx #Connect to raspberrypi4 through ssh
  root@raspberrypi4-64:~# source /usr/bin/ros_setup.sh
  root@raspberrypi4-64:/# echo $LD_LIBRARY_PATH
    /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu:/usr/lib
  root@raspberrypi4-64:/# ros2 topic list -t 
  root@raspberrypi4-64:/# ros2 topic echo /scan # View data stream