jonancm / rhinochip-os

Firmware of the RhinoChip Controller for Educational Robotics

RhinoChip OS

RhinoChip OS is the firmware of the RhinoChip Controller for Educational Robotics.

The RhinoChip platform provides a controller for the educational robots Rhino XR-4 and Rhino SCARA and is intended to replace the Rhino Mark IV controller. RhinoChip OS is the software that powers the RhinoChip platform.

RhinoChip OS consists of two programs: the general purpose core (gpcore) and the motor control program (motorctl).

The gpcore is the program that runs on the General Purpose Microcontroller Unit (GPMCU) and communicates with the host PC over the RS-232C protocol in order to interpret the commands sent from the host PC and coordinate the actions and movements indicated by those commands, which are excecuted by motorctl.

motorctl is the program that runs on the Motor Control Microcontroller (MCMCU) and drives the motors of the robotic arm, executing the movement commands indicated by the gpcore.

rhinochip-os's Issues

Evaluate and set up alternate toolchain for building and testing

• Search and evaluate optimizing compilers.
• Set up CMake for build configuration.
• Select and deploy static code analyzer (i.e. lint program)
• Support different IDEs within CMake configuration (e.g. MPLAB, Eclipse, QtCreator, CLion, PiKdev).
• Explore the possibility of setting up a testing platform on PC, including: compiler for desktop PCs, unit tests, microcontroller simulation.

Audit code for potential improvement in design, readability, safety & performance

• Use C99 integer types (see Efficient C Tips #1 – Choosing the correct integer size)
• Use Saks notation for const as suggested in Efficient C Tips #8 – Use const
• Replace humongous switch from function interpret_cmd in module gpcore/shell.c with jump tables according to this article on Jump Tables via Function Pointer Arrays in C/C++
• Refactor functions like set_motor_mode from gpcore/controller_status.h according to Efficient C Tip #11 – Avoid passing parameters by using more small functions
• Analyze performance if ISRs (see Minimize Interrupt Service Routine Overhead)

More on Efficient C:

• Efficient C Tips #1 – Choosing the correct integer size
• Efficient C Tips #2 – Using the optimizer
• Efficient C Tips #3 – Avoiding post increment / decrement
• Efficient C Tips #4 – Use Speed Optimization
• Efficient C Tips #5 – Make ‘local’ functions ‘static’
• Efficient C Tips #6 – Don’t use the ternary operator
• Efficient C Tips #7 – Fast loops
• Efficient C Tips #8 – Use const
• Efficient C Tips #9 – Use lookup tables
• Efficient C Tips #10 – Use unsigned integers
• Efficient C Tip #11 – Avoid passing parameters by using more small functions
• Efficient C Tip #12 – Be wary of switch statements
• Efficient C Tip #13 – use the modulus (%) operator with caution