Manual

II. WiRobot SDK Overview

WiRobot Software Development Kit (SDK) is a part of the WiRobot development system. Being a PC-

based software framework for robotic system development, the SDK contains the facilities for

memory management, system communication and user interface, and the utilities for audio, video

input/output, sensor data acquisition and motion control. Please refer to the WiRobot PMS5005,

PMB5010, or DRK6000/8000 User Manuals for the detailed information on the SDK architecture,

organization and system programming.

Under the WiRobot system architecture, all the controllers are connected in a chain. Programs

developed using WiRobot SDK runs on the Host as the central controller of each chain. All the

embedded controllers have at least two SCI ports for the system communications: upper-reach port

and lower-reach port, with the direction respect to the central controller. The WiRobot system

controller-level connection architecture is shown as Figure II.1.

Figure II.1 WiRobot System Architecture

The APIs described in this manual are the interface between the application-level software and the

WiRobot hardware system. Programs developed using WiRobot SDK runs on the PC sending and

receiving data to and from the WiRobot hardware via wire or wireless connection. The firmware on

the embedded controllers take care of all the low level operations of the system functional modules,

such as data acquisition, fast-loop low level motion control, image and audio capture and compression,

audio playback and wireless communication. They are transparent to the high level software system

running on the central PC controller. All the system software development can be carried on solely

under user-friendly PC system. WiRobot SDK for Windows is available for MS Visual C++ and MS

Visual Basic environment.

API exists as a MS ActiveX component, called “WiRobot SDK ActiveX Module”. User program uses

this component in VB or VC++ program to communicate with the WIRobot PMS5005 or/and

PMB5010 controllers. Data in between WiRobot hardware and the “WiRobot SDK ActiveX Module”