BEST Software Options Greg Young William Polanco Saturday Apr 27, 2013

Copyright © 2012 BEST Robotics, Inc. All rights reserved.

1

Software Providers

• Simulink • easyCv4 for Cortex • ROBOTC • Solidworks, Inspirtech, HSMWorks • Mathematica for Students

Simulink Benefits

• Simple Programming Interface - Graphical drag and drop - BEST library provided (basic & advanced models included) - Generates C-code using easyCv4 function library • More Efficient Design Flow - Parallel development - No waiting for robot to be built • Simulation and Debug - Test your program without hardware - What-if scenarios are easy - Interactive debug via realistic input (USB joystick) • Advanced Functionality • Conditional programming with StateFlow • Textual program integration with MATLAB

Old workflow

Efficient Design Flow

New workflow Locomotion Arm/Gripper Sensors

program robot sharing Robot Team Robot program Robot Robot Team

Simulink Access

• Why MathWorks?

• BEST Corporate Partner • Use widely in industry and universities • More than 5000 university/colleges all over the world • Students will likely see MathWorks in their future • •Team Licensing •12 mo, 2 DVDs per team, open # seats, May • Unique license key from teams (on DVD sleeve)

easyCv4 Benefits

• Block-based programming - Drag and drop function blocks into a program flow - Extensive library provided for VEX • Teaches C-programming structure - Basic programming constructs & structure - Less prone to syntax errors • Real-time interface to robot - Debug hardware components using direct control - Requires VEX programming h/w kit (orange cables) • Limit S/W Debug Capabilities • Feedback from robot program through terminal window • Embed debug functions in the code (e.g., PrintToScreen)

easyCv4 diagram

easyCv4 Access

• Considerations • Requires unique VEX firmware download • Intelitek offers a robotic curriculum using VEX • Team Licensing • 5mo, download, 3 seats, July • Hub gets an allocation • Hubs assign to teams • Hub must enter license assignments in Dashboard

easyCv4 licenses

RobotC Benefits

• Complete C Development Environment - Based on ANSI C programming language Code, compile, debug, download • Interactive Run-time debugger -Single step code, set breakpoints, read variables - Requires VEX programming h/w kit (orange cables) • Interactive Run-time debugger http://www.education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/robotc/videos/1_cprogramm ing/cprogramming.html

3D CAD Software

•What is It?

- 3D mechanical design software - intuitive 3D CAD modeling, data validation, data management • Benefits - Students learn about part modeling - Students learn to create and read drawings - Offers design validation through simulation - Allow students to develop a highly-desired industry skill • BEST applications - BEST provides Solidworks produced field drawings & models - BEST provides Solidworks part models for many kit components - BEST provides a complete game field model ( eDrawing )

3D CAD Software

• Team Licenses - 150 day license, download, full product license, May 2013 - Single special access code provided to all BEST teams - Teams request the software through a web application form - Hubs only need to distribute web URL and access code

Solidworks Training

• Benefits - Fundamentals of SolidWorks training - Companion video training, side-by-side training - Now is web accessible - Provides a path to

SolidWorks certification for students

!

- Discounted pricing for teams off-season use • Team Licensing - Online access, no more downloading required - 5+ month access - teams register through dedicated web form - Team is sent login information to access training - Hubs only need to distribute access information

Solidworks Training

CAM (Tooling) S/W

• What is It?

- Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) - Generate cut instructions for your lathe or CNC - Cut out that wheel or gear on your CNC straight from your CAD tool • Benefits - More and more teams have access to CNC and lathes -Tooling products fully integrated within SolidWorks - Works with any lathe or CNC milling machine - Simple to use (30 min): load model, select tool, cut it • 2 Products available HSMExpress (2 ½ axis tooling) (

target tool for BEST team

) - HSMWorks (3+ axis tooling) (

upon request

)

CAM (Tooling) S/W

• Team Licensing - HSMExpress – free download @ hsmexpress.com

- HSMWorks – full 3D package can be requested - Hubs do not need to be involved with licenses - Hubs only need to distribute access information

Mathematica

• Benefits - Computation Tool - Highly useful for research and visualizations - Especially useful for technical document creation • Team Licensing - 12 month, download, student only license - BEST provides web URL and access code - Students must watch a short screencast before downloading http://www.wolfram.com/common/includes/m8videos/students.h

tml?KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&width=870&height=509

Hub Licenses

• MathWorks Simulink •12 mo, 1 DVD, open # seats, May • Unique license key from teams (on DVD sleeve) • easyC • permanent, download, 3 seats • see BRI Dashboard, Hub Tools, Licensing • RobotC • same as team license • CAD/CAM (SolidWorks, HSMWorks, Inspirtech) • same as team license

FAQ

• How/when does my hub get a copy?

• All hubs get hub copies of s/w upon hub creation or annually (depending on the s/w) • Mathematica is provided for students only • What’s my hub license key? Teams’ license keys?

• BRI Dashboard > Hub Tools > Licensing • BE SURE you select “HUB licenses” or “TEAM licenses” • Where can teams/hubs get support?

• BRI website > Participants > Resources • Training videos, PPT, other technical docs, links to resources • http://www.bestinc.org/b_resources1.php