MyroC Materials to Support a C-based Course with Scribbler 2 Robots

Quick Summary; This page organizes links and materials for MyroC — a project supporting a C-based course that introduces computer science using Scribbler 2 robots.

MyroC: A Project to Support a C-based Course with Scribbler 2 Robots

Quick section reference:

Overview

The MyroC project provides infrastructure and materials to allow the use of Scribbler 2 robots in introductory computer science courses that emphasize imperative problem solving with C programming. MyroC provides a complete course package that includes:

• a C-based infrastructure for both Linux and Mac OS X environments
• installation and use guides
• tools for day-by-day class scheduling
• course interface and materials for student use
• examples
• readings
• laboratory exercises
• projects
• problem sets

This material encourages a lab-based pedagogy, which highlights pair programming during most class sessions. Outside class activities may involve individual work, such as problem solving with programming assignments.

This MyroC infrastructure builds upon three primary outside packages — all widely used and available without charge.

• eSpeak from Jonathan Duddington (admin)
• libjpeg from the Independent JPEG Group
• the OpenGL graphics library

Products

MyroC Software License

All MyroC software is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

According to this license for MyroC software, you are free to share (copy and redistribute) and adapt (modify or expand) the MyroC infrastructure, provided

• you give appropriate credit,
• provide a link to the Creative Commons License (as given below),
• indicate any changes, if any, that have been made,
• do not use this material for commercial purposes, and
• distribute any derivatives of this material under the same Creative Commons License.

Additional License details may be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ .

Current stable eEspeak release: eSpeakPackage.3.0

• eSpeak header file
• Introduction to eSpeak
• Package included in MyroC.3.3b

Current stable MyroC release: MyroC.3.3b

• MyroC.h header file
• Starting with version 3.0, MyroC is organized into multiple files, which (eventually) are linked together in both Linux and Mac environments

• Some initial test programs and Makefile

• Compressed tar file with MyroC.h, implementation files, and selected test programs: MyroC.3.3b.tgz

• The MyroC documentation that identifies MyroC operations defined for the Scribbler 2 robots in C.

  • MyroC data structures (Picture, Pixel) — html format
  • MyroC document — latex format

• Troubleshooting Guide (idea seems good, quite incomplete)

• Getting Started Guides

  • Getting Started with MyroC on Mac OS X

  • Getting Started with MyroC on Windows 10

Installation of eSpeak/MyroC

The MyroC/eSpeak infrastructure requires installation of the following packages.

• the eSpeak speech synthesizer, available from sourceforge.net with Jonathan Duddington (admin)
• the jpeglib library for jpeg images, available from the Independent JPEG Group
• the openGL graphics library, part of Mac OS X and also available from opengl.org
• the eSpeakPackage interface for programs written in C
• the MyroC C-based infrastructure for Scribbler 2 robots

In addition to the C-based infrastructure itself, the eSpeak and MyroC packages includes selected test programs that may help verify that installation has been successful.

Beginning with Version 3.0, the eSpeak and MyroC packages can be installed on both Linux and Mac OS X platforms. The following links provide detailed installation instructions for all of these packages.

• Installation Commentary and Guide

  • for Linux
  • for Macintosh
  • for Windows 10

Bluetooth Setup for Linux and Macintosh Workstations/Laptops

Using MyroC to control one or more Scribbler 2 robots naturally begins with a decision regarding which robot(s) will be involved. Once a user identifies conceptually the desired robot(s), low-level information must be supplied to the user's workstation or laptop. In practice, the mechanisms for specifying this information vary substantially among Linux, Macintosh, and Windows platforms.

• Bluetooth Setup for Linux Workstations/Laptops
• Bluetooth Setup for Mac OS X Workstations/Laptops
• Bluetooth Setup for Windows 10 Workstations/Laptops

Firmware Upload

Firmware installation requires several steps:

1. [if an upgrade of earlier releases is desired: check firmware versions]
2. download Fluke 2 firmware version 3.0.9 and Scribbler 2 firmware version 1.1.6 from www.betterbots.com/upgrade
3. load firmware to the Fluke 2
4. load firmware to the Scribbler 2
5. [if desired, check firmware versions, repeating Step 1]

Within the "firmware-update" subdirectory of the "MyroC.3.3b" directory,
program initialize-firmware.c performs

• steps 1 and 5 of the above outline in Part 1 of the program
• step 2 in Part 2 of the program, and
• steps 3 and 4 in Part 3 of the program.

Warning: Program initialize-firmware.c is designed to install firmware in the context of Fluke 2 and Scribbler 2 hardware. This program will not run appropriately on older hardware versions (e.g., Fluke [1] or Scribbler [1] hardware).

Details for both Linux and Mac OS X may be found at the Firmware Installation Guide

Course Materials

• Most recent offering: CSC 161: Imperative Problem Solving and Data Structures (Fall 2019)
• Materials currently updated and available
  • readings and labs available online for each class
  • php access and administrative scripts
  • several supplemental programming assignments available

MyroC Development Materials

• Bluetooth Communication with C
• Data Structure Design for Scribbler 2 Camera Images

created 16 February 2015 reorganized and expanded 16-20 October 2015 revised December 2015, February 2016, March 2016 updated 17 April 2016 updated to include Windows 10: 4 January 2021 updated for MyroC.3.3b: 30 June 2022
For more information, please contact Henry M. Walker at walker@cs.grinnell.edu.

The MyroC project is Copyright © 2011-2015 by Henry M. Walker. Selected materials copyright by Marge Coahran, Samuel A. Rebelsky, John David Stone, and Henry Walker and used by permission. This Web page, all laboratory exercises, and all MyroC software are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License. Course readings are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.