ms-iot/hexapod

Name: hexapod

Owner: ms-iot

Description: null

Created: 2016-07-21 19:03:30.0

Updated: 2016-08-30 16:59:41.0

Pushed: 2016-07-25 23:01:29.0

Homepage: null

Size: 56

Language: Python

GitHub Committers

User	Most Recent Commit	# Commits

Other Committers

User	Email	Most Recent Commit	# Commits

README

Phoenix Hexapod

This project contains instructions to port phoenix.js (code to control a Lynxmotion Phoenix hexapod with Johnny-Five) to be able to run on Windows IoT Core with Node.js (ChakraCore).

Hardware

The hardware used is similar to what is used in the original phoenix.js project. The difference is that instead of attaching the servos to an Arduino, they are attached to servo hats connected to the Raspberry Pi. This is achieved, with the help of the Johnny-Five IO Plugin feature.

• Lynxmotion Phoenix
• 2 Adafruit 16-Channel PWM/Servo Hats (In this project 2 are used for the 18 servos to fit)
• SINOLLC DC 12V 24V to 5V 10A 50W Converter Step Down Regulator
• Raspberry Pi 2 with Windows IoT Core
• 11.1v 2200mAh Battery Pack

Software

The software is similar to what is used in the original phoenix.js project. The only change in phoenix.js will be to initialize Johnny-Five with an IO plugin. The IO plugin we use (win-io) is only useful for this project. It just handles i2c reads/writes to control the servos provided with the hexapod. A proper IO plugin does much more than that. The code in server.js can also be added to phoenix.js as a way to control the hexapod from a simple Express website.

Instructions to run

Install/Copy Node.js (ChakraCore)

• Install node-chakracore from here
• Use File Explorer to copy the arm version of node-chakracore to the Raspberry Pi (unzip files in node-chakracore-arm.zip and copy to C:\nodejs on the Pi)
• We need to patch* gyp so that i2c-bus npm package can be built after running 'npm install.' i2c-bus is used by win-io to do i2c reads/writes to the servos. To patch:
• Replace \node_modules\npm\node_modules\node-gyp\gyp\pylib\gyp\generator\msvs.py with msvs.py
• Replace \node_modules\npm\node_modules\node-gyp\gyp\pylib\gyp\MSVSSettings.py with MSVSSettings.py

*The change we are applying can be seen here the reason we patch is because the change hasn't made it to the node-chakracore repository yet.

Prepare the code

phoenix.js

• Clone this repository and go to the root in a command window
• Copy phoenix.js to your clone root
• Open phoenix.js in a editor and make the following changes:
• Add var winio = require('win-io'); at the beginning of the file.
• Change board = new five.Board() to board = new five.Board({ io: new winio()})
• Optionally add the code in server.js if you want to send commands to the hexapod through a simple Express server. If you do this, also add the IP address of your Pi to index.html
• Run npm install --target_arch=arm

win-io

• Copy constants.js to \node_modules\win-io\lib
• Copy win-io.js to \node_modules\win-io\lib
• Follow instructions in patch.js to modify win-io.js
• Run npm install sleep --target_arch=arm

Run phoenix.js

• Use File Explorer to copy the clone to the Raspberry Pi to c:\hexapod.
• Connect to your device with SSH or PowerShell
• Run netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="node.js" dir=in action=allow program="C:\nodejs\node.exe" enable=yes (this step is only needed if you'll be running the server code)
• Run c:\nodejs\node.exe c:\hexapod\phoenix.js