Easy PID Motor Controller (EPMC) C++ Library

This library helps communicate with the Easy PID Motor Controller Module (i.e L298N EPMC MODULE or a CUSTOM EPMC INTERFACE BOARD) in your PC or microcomputer linux c++ robotic project (as it depends on the libserial-dev package), with the epmc_setup_application.

you can use it in your microcomputer robotics project running on linux (e.g Raspberry Pi, PC, etc.)

A simple way to get started is simply to try out and follow the example code in the example folder

How to Use the Library

• install the libserial-dev package

  sudo apt-get update

  sudo apt install libserial-dev

• Ensure you have the L298N EPMC MODULE or a CUSTOM EPMC INTERFACE BOARD interfaced with your preferred motors, setup the encoder and PID parameters with the epmc_setup_application.

• Download (by clicking on the green Code button above) or clone the repo into your PC using git clone

Note

you can use this command if you want to clone the repo:

git clone https://github.com/samuko-things-company/epmc_cpp.git

• check the serial port the driver is connected to:

  The best way to select the right serial port (if you are using multiple serial device) is to select by path

  ls /dev/serial/by-path

  you should see a value (if the driver is connected and seen by the computer), your serial port would be -> /dev/serial/by-path/[value]. for more info visit this tutorial from ArticulatedRobotics

  • OR you can also try this:

  ls /dev/ttyU*

  you should see /dev/ttyUSB0 or /dev/ttyUSB1 and so on

• A simple way to get started is simply to try out and follow the example motor_control.cpp code.

• make, build and run the example code.

  cd into the root directory

  mkdir build (i.e create a folder named build)

  enter the following command in the terminal in the root folder:

  cmake -B ./build/
  

  cmake --build ./build/
  

  ./build/motor_control
  

• You can follow the pattern used in the example motor_control.cpp in your own code.

Basic Library functions and usage

• connect to the L298N EPMC MODULE or a CUSTOM EPMC INTERFACE BOARD

  .connect("port_name or port_path")

• send target angular velocity command

  .sendTargetVel(motorA_TargetVel, motorB_TargetVel)

• set motor command timeout in ms

  .setCmdTimeout(timeout_ms) // sets command timeout in ms

• set motor command timeout in ms

  .getCmdTimeout(&timeout_ms) // sets command timeout in ms

• send PWM commands

  .sendPwm(motorA_PWM, motorB_PWM)

• read motors angular position

  .getMotorsPos(&angPosA, &angPosB) // copies the motors angular position into angPosA, angPosB

• read motors angular velocity

  .getMotorsVel(&angVelA, &angVelB) // copies the motors ang vel angVelA, angVelB

• read motorA maximum commandable angular velocity

  .getMotorAMaxVel(&maxVelA)

• read motorB maximum commandable angular velocity

  .getMotorBMaxVel(&maxVelB)