Chico joint calibration
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We explain here how to calibrate Chico's joint encoders.
General calibration procedure
- Power-cycle (i.e., switch off and on) the board controlling the joint that you want to calibrate.
- With the emergency/fault button pressed down, launch
iCubInterface --config $ICUB_ROOT/app/iCubLisboa01/conf/icubRaw.ini
- Launch
robotMotorGui
- Manually align the joints to a desired zero position and write down the values provided by
robotMotorGui
- Open
$ICUB_ROOT/app/iCubLisboa01/conf/iCub_Calibration_Lisboa_001.xls
- Go to the desired joint section; edit the yellow fields with the
robotMotorGui
values that you have previously noted down; observe the resulting red values.
- Edit
$ICUB_ROOT/app/iCubLisboa01/conf/icub_<limb>_safe.ini
and write the new "red" values that you have just read in the XLS. The rows to edit are typically: Zeros, Min, Max, Encoders, Calibration1, Calibration3.
- Update
$ICUB_ROOT/app/iCubLisboa01/conf/icub_<limb>.ini
as well.
- With the emergency/fault button must be pressed down, launch
iCubInterface --config $ICUB_ROOT/app/iCubLisboa01/conf/icubSafe.ini
- Verify these things:
- that the zero position makes physical sense, i.e., it is really close to the desired zero;
- manually move the joints a bit around the zero position, check that the values provided by
robotMotorGui
are changing continuously, without glitches or jumps
- Calibration is now complete. You are ready to run
iCubInterface
with the motors enabled (emergency button up).
Example: shoulder calibration
- With
canLoader20
, flash the old firmware version 1.51 to board number 2 (example for right shoulder: pcan, net 2, board 2).
- For the
icubRaw.ini
phase, follow the instructions of the general calibration procedure above, and proceed in this order:- Manually place the 3 shoulder joints to a position that is consistent to the desired values (0, 0, any). This corresponds to the arm being vertical and perpendicular to the floor. Write down the first two encoder values provided by
robotMotorGui
; let's call them "first value" and "second value". - Next, manually put the shoulder to position (first value - 30, second value + 30, 0), which means that the first two values are given by the formula, while the third joint must be in a position that corresponds to the desired zero. Take note of the "third value" provided now by
robotMotorGui
.
- Manually place the 3 shoulder joints to a position that is consistent to the desired values (0, 0, any). This corresponds to the arm being vertical and perpendicular to the floor. Write down the first two encoder values provided by
- Update the XLS file as per general procedure.
- With
canLoader20
, flash back to the new firmware version 1.53.