Encode a local variable integer into a string

    Hi everyone!

    First of all, thank you for this forum. It's the hope and a great help for every robot programmer. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

    I'm writing a driver for a Kawasaki RS013N with F60 controller. I'm using KIDE and I need to encode an integer into a string to send it over TCP/IP.

    To do this, I am writing a program named .PROGRAM PackStatus(.@packet_size, ...), which takes as local variable an integer .@packet_size. This should be encoded into a string $packet_msg.

    I understood that I need to use the function $ENCODE to do this, but this cannot take as input an integer. So, following this thread, I decided to use BITS to convert the integer and encode it. However, if I try to do the following

    Code
    .PROGRAM PackStatus (.@packet_size)
  ; Fill the packet size
  $packet_msg = $ENCODE (/I3, BITS(.@packet_size, 16))
.END

    I get the syntax error "0012: Illegal variable type" for .@packet_size. And, this is not a problem with local variables, because if I do the following in my Main

    Code
    $packet_msg = $ENCODE (/I3, BITS(@packet_size, 16))

    I get the syntax error""0025: Illegal argument of function" for @packet_size.

    Could you please help me understand where I am going wrong? What is the correct way to convert and integer into a string and encoding it. I would prefer to do it in a program using a local variable integer.

    Thank you so much in advance.

  • Go to Best Answer

  • 95devils June 3, 2023 at 2:47 PM

    Approved the thread.

    Welcome to the forum............... :beerchug:

    @ is only a recognized number when used in conjunction with 32bit referenced commands such as BITS32 and UTIMER as far as I'm aware.

    I am pretty sure (not 100%) that you cannot encode integer values into BCD directly using those commands as $ENCODE will not recognize 32bit references only real numbers as a compatible format.

    I noticed also in your code, you are trying to use integers (@) and then encode them into decimals.

    This again I do not think is possible as @ are considered whole numbers (no decimal places).

    I think more code will be required for conversion and a special thanks to dm.bogachev for providing some conversion routines between reals and 32 bits here that maybe of some use from the following post:

    Be sure to give him a thumbs up if you are going to download it/use it...... :top:

    However, it appears you are trying to read 16 bits, so it would be much simpler to follow this convention just by using real numbers (reals) instead.

    Code
    .PROGRAM PackStatus (.packet_size)
; Fill the packet size
$packet_msg = $ENCODE (/I3, BITS(.packet_size, 16))
.END

    However I am not too sure how you are trying to use the /I3 format and $ result in your example..... ???

    Can you explain/share the format of string you are trying to construct if it's not IP protected info?

    Thank you so much for your detailed answer kwakisaki! :smiling_face:

    I got your point and I think I will use real variables instead of integers. So, something like this would work:

    Code
    $packet_msg = $ENCODE (/I3, .packet_size)

    And, it indeed seems to work. I am using the /I3 format to keep only tehe non decimal part of the integer since these variables are intended to be integers.

    Regarding the format of string I am trying to construct, it is basically some integer values like counters, that are stored in the robot and also the current joint position of the robot with the separator being "/".

    So, I would do something like this:

    This seems to work. But I am encountering another problem now. Because if I want to also pass the current tcp pose to the function and encode it in the same way I did for the .#joint_values, I get an error.

    Here, I get a runtime error "(E0102) Variable is not defined." when I first use .tcp_pose inside the program.

    I really don't understand what I am doing wrong and I'm stuck here from several hours. Could you please help me understand?

    Thank you very much in advance.

    Still not sure about why you require the /I3 format, but if it's working for you.

    DEXT directly accesses pose/posture locations and grabs the required element and turns it into a real values (including decimals).

    You haven't included your CALL to the subroutine and the parameters, so your issue probably lies in that area.

    You need to use the & in your CALL to parse in pose and postures.

    Why not look into the DECOMPOSE command and also consider creating your string on one line.

    The following just shows something quick for joint 1 and joint 2 so that its displayed here on 1 step.

    You can also add all your other joints to the same step and notice the inclusion of the separators ","

    • Best Answer

    You can also use something like this:

    HERE .a

    .$message = $ENCODE(/L, INT(DX(.a))) ; X

    .$message = $ENCODE(/L, INT(DY(.a))) ; Y

    ..$message = $ENCODE(/L, INT(DZ(.a))) + ; Z

    .$message = $ENCODE(/L, INT(DEXT(.a, 4))) ; O

    .$message = $ENCODE(/L, INT(DEXT(.a, 5))) ; A

    .$message = $ENCODE(/L, INT(DEXT(.a, 6))) ; T

    and for sending on TCP/IP maybe create a string with this kind of structure:

    $tcp.message = "<Message ID" + $ENCODE(/L, LEN(.$message)) + .$message +">" it depends how you want to create your message.

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