Configuration is a function which dynamically (run-time) regulate the behavior of RT component. RTC can be configured in its runtime using Configuration.

Imagine RTC for motor-control.
If you prepare PID parameter as the configuration of the RTC, it can be configured without re-compile.

If you want to set some numerical parameters to RTCs, you can also use DataPorts.
Configuration is suitable for the purpose of low frequency parameter setting. The configuration can be automatically loaded from rtc.conf file. This might be one reason to use configuration.

Use the previous project

Import previous project. You can find RTC.xml file in the project folder. Let’s use it.

Open RTC Builder. Then select “import” button from “Basic” tab.

Read RTC.xml

Select “RTC.xml” file in PeriodicConsoleOut folder.

Select RTC.xml

Append Configuration parameters

Select “configuration” tab, and press “Add” button.

• Name… name of the configuration. this is not the name of variables used in your codes. Here “value” is set.
• Type… Type of configuration. You can use int, float, string, etc. Here “int” is set.
• Default Value… default value. Here “0” is set.

Configuration parameters

Scroll and input setting parameters in Detail menu.

• Name … The name of variables. Here “param_value” is set.
• Unit … Unit of variables. For example, “meter”, “kilogram”, “miles” and so on. You can skip this.
• Constraint … maximum/minumum values can be set. You can skip this.
• Widget … You can change the presentation of setting dialog, like spin control, edit box, slider, and so on.

Configuration Paramters

Code generation

If you press “generate” button in “basic” tab, you can find some confirmation dialog for overwriting the project files.

Merging Chages for RTC

Sometimes, bugs will happen, but you can find backup named like “**.cpp20090727”.

Coding

You can find onInitialize function is uncommented. Here, the parameters are bind to configurations. You do not have to modify the onInitialize function.

Let’s modify onExecute function.

• ”C++”
• ”Java”
• ”Python”

RTC::ReturnCode_t PeriodicConsoleOut::onExecute(RTC::UniqueId ec_id)
{
  std::cout << "Value = " << m_param_value << std::endl;
  return RTC::RTC_OK;
}

    protected ReturnCode_t onExecute(int ec_id) {
    	System.out.println("Value = " + m_param_value.value);
        return super.onExecute(ec_id);
    }

	def onExecute(self, ec_id):		
		print "Param is %d" % (self._param_value[0])
		return RTC.RTC_OK

rtc.conf

You can find a file to set default value of configuration.
In rtc.conf, the default value setting file is set as “Test.PeriodicConsoleOut.config_file:PeriodicConsoleOut.conf”

This is …

“category”.”component name or instance name”.config_file: file name

Category name can be set in RTC Builder.
If you use component name, default values of all components are set.
If you use instance name (like PeriodicConsoleOut0), only the specified instance is set.

Launch RTC

Launch process is the same as the previous section.
1. Name Service
2. RTSE
3. Launch RTC

Then, if you select your RTC in RTSE, you can find the configuration setting menu in “Configuration View”.
The configuration view is usually displayed in the bottom region of RTSE.

Configuring on RT System Editor

Press Edit button, and modify “value”.

Configuring on RT System Editor

You must press “Apply” to apply the modified value.

You can see the value is modified.

Configured RTC

Sammary

Configuration is sophisticated way to dynamically change the behavior of RTCs, because it do not request “read” process. Code is very simple.
PeriodicConsoleOutR_v10
PeriodicConsoleOutJavaR
PeriodicConsoleOutPyR