[Playerstage-developers] 1.2.x vs. 1.3 (fwd)

[brian g. <bg...@po...>]

sending this for the 3rd time....

        brian.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 2002 00:06:20 -0800 (PST)
From: brian gerkey <bg...@cs...>
To: Maxim Batalin <ma...@cs...>, Boyoon Jung <bo...@ro...>
Cc: Player/Stage Developers <pla...@li...>
Subject: 1.2.x vs. 1.3

hi,

for you client-maintainers, here's a list to help you update your clients.
this list is not exhaustive, but it represents all the work that i had to do
to upgrade my Tcl client, and it only took me about 90 minutes.  it will, of
course, take longer if you want to add support for every interface and
configuration request.

btw, the manual is up-to-date, as is it now being auto-generated from
<server/player.h>, where the message structures are defined.

let me know if you have questions.

        brian.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Client-visible differences from 1.2.3 to 1.3 (in no particular order)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- the response to the 'request device access' now includes a string that is
  the name of the underlying driver

- the 'vision' device is now the 'blobfinder' interface

- the 'broadcast' device is now the 'comms' interface

- the 'laserbeacon' device is now the 'fiducial' interface

- the 'misc' device has removed; it's components are now in the following
  interfaces:
     - power
     - bumpers
     - aio
     - dio

- the 'bps' device has been removed (for now)

- some interface (formerly device) codes have been added/deleted/changed

- some interface (formerly device) strings have been added/deleted/changed

- player config request codes have changed, including the most important
  "device request".  also, new requests have been added.

- position config request codes have changed, and some new requests have been
  added.

- position cmd and data packets have changed.  they now both contain
  x,y,theta,dx,dy,and dtheta (data also contains stall).  all pose and speed
  values are now 4 bytes, instead of 2

- blobfinder (formerly vision) data has changed slightly.  each blob now
  contains, at the end, a 2-byte range field (for simulating stereo vision)

- sonar data packet now has 32 samples, instead of 16

- sonar config request codes have changed

- laser config request codes have changed

- fiducial (formerly laserbeacon) no longer accepts any config requests;
  things like bit-widths and bit-counts can be specified (for certain drivers_
  in Player's configuration file.

- each element in the fiducial (formerly laserbeacon) data packet now contains
  uncertainty estimates, in addition to poses.  also, the id is now signed
  2 bytes, instead of unsigned 1 byte.

- the laser data packet now has the intensity readings separate from the
  ranges, instead of being packed into the high 3 bits.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------