BotWay Getting Started Level 2: Virtual AGVs, Job Queues and Buttons. - ResgreenGroup/Botway-Documentation GitHub Wiki
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This section details some of the more advanced configuration options the user can modify in BotWay like the Job queue and peripheral devices, as well as setting up a virtual robot.
Virtual AGVs can be run on the same computer as BotWay or they can be run on different computers. Open the virtualAGV.properties file in a text editor like Notepad ++. When the virtual AGV is to be run on the same machine as BotWay, ensure that the "host" line contains the IP address 127.0.0.1. This IP address will reference the machine that it is running on.
For the case where the virtual AGV is to be run on a different machine than what is running BotWay, the IP address will need to match that of the computer running BotWay. This can be acquired through several different methods like typing ipconfig into the command window. An example of virtualAGV.properties is shown below. MQTT information begins on line 9.
Image: virtualAGV.properties example.
Next, double click the virtualAGV.jar file in the BotWay main folder. This opens a window that allows for modification of the virtual AGV. Name the robot in the "Serial #" box and specify the type of robot in the "model" box, then click the "Connect" button. The ability to name the robot and specify the type is disabled while the virtual AGV is connected. Shown below is an example of the virtualAGV.jar dialogue window. This shows a virtual robot that has not been connected yet. This is shown by the information banner on the bottom of the dialogue window saying "Disconnected in the bottom left, and the ability to rename the robot still being enabled. The robot will be on route 10, tag 100 by default. Change the route and tag information in the virtualAGV window to an existing route-tag combination in the route editor.
Image: Image: VirtualAGV.jar example.
Now, click the "Connect" button on the bottom of the window. This will connect the robot to BotWay and the virtual robot will immediately begin following the route commands of the route that it was assigned to. Furthermore, the robot will appear as a robot tile on the left side of the BotWay dashboard. When signed in as Admin, the user can right click any robot tile in the tiles section to open a popup menu. This menu contains several fundamental commands and properties that describe the robot; the user can command the robot to go, command the robot to stop, change the robot's route, take the robot "offline," show the robot's information log, rename the robot, or remove the robot from the tiles list. An example of this menu is shown below. The "Go" and "Change Route" options will be disabled when the user is in edit mode. The "Take Offline" option is to be used when a robot is unable to travel and needs to be ignored but still needs to be powered on. In offline mode this vehicle will not be considered for any traffic decisions.
Image: Virtual AGV tile in BotWay.
Image: Robot Popup menu.
Traffic stops are tags that are given special status. These are created to manage areas where multiple robots travel over the same stretch of tape. First, sign in as Admin and enter edit mode. Tags that are turned into traffic stops are essentially turned into stop signs. Robots that arrive at traffic stops will halt and wait for BotWay to send it a "Go." This is to allow other robots with higher priority at the dependent tags to proceed first since BotWay will not send a "Go" until all dependent tags are unoccupied.
Sign in as admin, click the edit button in the map display toolbar, then click the "Show All" checkbox in the traffic status section of the dashboard. This enables traffic editing and shows all traffic stops next to their locklists. Click the "Add" button to open an empty dialogue window that allows for traffic stop creation. Fill in the "Tag" field with the name of the traffic stop and fill in the "Locklist" field with the tag IDs of all dependent tags. Dependent tags are tags that have right of way over the traffic stop: if there is a robot at the traffic stop and another at the dependent tag, the robot at the dependent tag will go first and the robot at the traffic stop will wait until all dependent tags are unoccupied. Click "Update," then click "Save" in the toolbar to finalize changes. The "Edit" button opens the same dialogue window, but prefilled with whatever existing traffic stop was selected. The "Remove" button can be used to revert a traffic stop to a normal tag. NOTE: change the command associated with a reverted traffic stop to no longer hold the robot, as now it will never receive a "Go" if the robot stops there.
Image: Entering Traffic mode by initializing a traffic stop.
Image: Designating tags.
Image: Exiting traffic mode.
Job queues are important methods of distributing tasks to robots automatically. To set up a job queue, sign in as admin and click the "Edit" button, then the "Options" button, then the "Queues" button from the dropdown menu. This opens the "Queues Configuration" dialogue window. Add a queue by clicking the "Add" button in the top half of the window, then filling in the queue name and the queue list type. The list type determines how jobs are handed out for that queue: List-type hands out jobs in sequential order of stations, Random-type hands out jobs to random stations, and RR-type orders each station by priority, with each station moving to the bottom of the priority list when the robot at it takes a job. Once the fields in the top half of the window are filled in, click "Save." Once the queue is created, it will appear in the list in the top half of the window. Click on the queue, then click "Add" in the bottom half of the window to add a station to the selected queue. Fill in the tag name and return route for the station. The return route is the route that the robot will take when it completes jobs assigned from this station. Click "Save" in the bottom half of the window to save the station to the selected queue. To change the order of the stations for a queue, click on a station and then click the "Priority" button. This will switch the position of the selected station and the station above it. Finally, close the dialogue window and click the "Save" button in the toolbar. Queues will appear above the traffic status display on the right side of the map display.
Buttons are accessories to BotWay. They can be Purchased from ResGreenGroup Here. Buttons can be configured to interact with BotWay and activate specific functions. Visit the Accessories Wireless connection instructions page for instructions on connecting buttons to BotWay.
BotWay also has a virtual button that can be connected and run just like a virtual robot. Open the VirtualDevice.properties file in a text editor like Notepad++. Input the correct IP address of the machine running BotWay. 127.0.0.1 can be used if the virtual device is on the same machine as BotWay, or input the IP address of the computer running BotWay otherwise. The port should be left to 1883 as the MQTT default port. If the user has changed the MQTT port, then the port should be whatever it was changed to. Save the file and open virtualDevice.jar. Set the name of the device in the "Serial #" box, the click the "connect" button. Shown below are examples of virtualDevice.properties and virtualDevice.jar.
Image: VirtualDevice.properties example.
Image: VirtualDevice.jar example.
Log in as Admin and click the "Edit" button in the map display toolbar, then click the "Buttons" option. This opens the button dialogue window. Shown below is an example of the buttons dialogue window. The buttons in the button dialogue window can be configured to have one of many different types. The most common types will be the "Job Add" and "Job Release" buttons. For a full description of different button types, visit the Buttons Page. A button must be connected to BotWay to be visible in the button creation dialogue window. click the "Add" button on the top of the dialogue window to create a new button in BotWay. The button creation process will highlight the next field to complete in yellow. Shown below is a sequence of panels showing the progression of button creation. First, select the type of button to create, the device ID, and the button number to assign the new button command to. The next step of the button creation process depends on the button type chosen. Some just require a tag or a route. The Job Add button command requires many parameters to create a job. Visit the buttons page for specific instructions. Once all the fields are filled, click the "Save" button in the toolbar of the dialogue window, then click the "Done" button in the bottom right of the dialogue window. Finally, save changes by clicking the "Save" button in the map display toolbar to exit edit mode.
Image: Buttons dialogue window.
Image: Button creation process. When the "Add" button is clicked, the "Button Type" field will be highlighted in yellow. When the type field is filled in, the device name will be highlighted, then the button number, then the button-type-specific information. This example shows a "Job Add" button type.
