Only released in EOL distros:   fuerte

Introduction

The pipette_driver package allows control and communication with Viaflo Vision Pipette over a bluetooth link. The package contains:

• The pipette python package (library) that allows access to pipette.

• pipette_node provide a ROS service interface to pipette and diagnostics.

• purge, aspirate, and dispense scripts that make simple service calls to pipette_node

Tutorial: using the pipette with a PR2

This tutorial describes how to use the ViaFlo Vision pipette with a PR2, but should be instructive for other setups as well.

Put Pipette in Bluetooth mode

1. Use back <- button on pipette to get into 'Main Menu'.

2. Scroll to bottom of menu and select 'Toolbox' option
3. In 'Toolbox' menu, select 'Communications' option
4. In 'Communications' menu, scroll to 'Bluetooth' and select to enter bluetooth mode.

Local computer setup

Get bluetooth tools

sudo apt-get install bluez

Plugin bluetooth adapter...

PR2 setup

The PR2 already has a bluetooth adapter. However, the adapter is connected to the second computer (c2). For the rest of the tutorial you should run commands from c2.

Log into second computer on PRI:

ssh pri2

Determine bluetooth address of pipette

Make sure bluetooth adapter was found and is running:

hciconfig

You should see something like

hci0:   Type: USB
        BD Address: 00:1B:DC:00:04:81 ACL MTU: 310:10 SCO MTU: 64:8
        UP RUNNING PSCAN 
        RX bytes:367492 acl:10576 sco:0 events:9367 errors:0
        TX bytes:124782 acl:6401 sco:0 commands:1120 errors:0

If UP is not present then run:

sudo hciconfig hci0 up

Now scan for bluetooth devices (this may take 30+ seconds):

hcitool scan

The output might look like something like

Scanning ...
        00:80:98:E6:2B:30       Ezurio blu2i E62B30
        00:80:98:EB:96:BA       WINXPHOME-DK

The Ezurio blu2i E62B30 is the pipette. You will want to remember the bluetooth device address 00:80:98:EB:96:BA for later.

Starting pipette_node

Compile

rosmake pipette_driver

The pipette node need to be told what the address for the bluetooth pipette that was determined in the previous step.

rosrun pipette_driver pipette_node.py -a 00:80:98:E6:2B:30

Run make service calls using scripts

Once the pipette node is running, there are some scripts that can be use to make service calls.

Flush contents of pipette

rosrun pipette_driver purge

Suck up 200uL of fluid

rosrun pipette_driver aspirate 200

Spit out 100uL of fluid

rosrun pipette_driver dispense 100

Using diagnostics

The pipette node provide some output to the diagnosics topic. You can use the the runtime monitor (or pr2_dashboard on robot) to view this data.

rosrun runtime_monitor monitor

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When using the PR2 and dashboard, the pipette diagnostics will be put in the "Other" category

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