HASS integrations

[N0tMy4cc0unt]

I saw on another issue that you are aiming for HASS integration. I'm on the same page with you, as I have acquired couple of used rm510 to work on remote location. I just want to let you know that I'm interested into this, so if you think we can team up our effort in this matter - it would be great!

[martonmiklos]

Hi @N0tMy4cc0unt

In short: I would like to get my mower to work with OpenMower, to achieve it I would need to expose the robot control and diagnostic capabilities to ROS. The factory firmware expose wide range of diganostic capabilities: see the capabilities of the RM tools and other fellows reverse engineered the protocol:
https://github.com/katzenberger/robomow_rm_toolkit_protocol

Unfortunately the factory firmware does not expose any capabilities for controlling the mower motors. Motor test do exists, but those functions cannot be used for precise movement control.
My best bet was using the IR remote signals for controlling the robot:
https://github.com/katzenberger/robomow_rm_ir_remote_emulator
however they are limited and the loop rate is to small to be appropriate for RTK based navigation (someone suggested 50 Hz update rate on the OpenMower's discord).

With the RM tool leak we managed to find robot firmware updates which are unencrypted M16C binaries which could be disassembled (this is how the IR protocol got reverse engineered).

My next idea was to reverse engineer the schematic and writing an alternative firmware to it.

I made some progress recently (I switched over to Kicad after Autodesk killed the good old EAGLE..).
I just pushed my work to the repo see this PDF about the current state:
https://github.com/martonmiklos/robomow_rm_510_mainboard_schematic/blob/master/Robomow_PCG5000G1.pdf

I got stuck with finding the motor driver PWMs (Pin 11 on the drivers). I washed the conformal coating from my board with acetone with let's say 60% result, but it is still hard to get probed with my reveng brush sometimes.

My body does not really wants to do firmware development with Windows only tools from the 90s without debugger, but at the moment I do not see much other way to it (other than replacing the whole PCB board).

[N0tMy4cc0unt]

The way lawnmower currently work (by random movements and paths) it delivers pretty amazing results. I do not see much benefit out of introducing more precise control for mowing as grass cutting is not so precise.

In HASS, I'm monitoring charging including parking at base with simple zigbee socket with power metering feature. With that I can tell mower is parked (or not) and what is it's state of battery charging. I can even use it as emergency cut off (from remote) if I need to stop mowing process by simply turning off smart socket (which will cut mains to the base). In near future I might use zigbee dry contact relays to shape areas for mowing (by rerouting boundary wires). So far so good while still keeping it as simple as possible. I'm using mower own built-in scheduler for once-per week scheduled mowing. This is less than ideal as if this schedule is skipped it will wait another week for another attempt. I'm contemplating with every day schedule then to use HASS to break border wire circuit at scheduled time using dry contact zigbee relays to prevent unwanted mowing.

Having mowers on remote location (watched over internet via security cameras) I need remote control (over internet) to manage specific situations (which requires hands on site) - for example controlled mower return into area when it slides outside border wire, controlled obstacle management and resolve stuck situations. Creating over-web-IR-remote seems like a way to go (at least for remote control of limited mower movements).

I've gone trough Arduino code for IR control and list of identified codes, but I'm not sure how to proceed from there as I do not see how to use IR codes from list to put them into Arduino sketch. I do not even know where IR receiver is on mower. I assume it's visible from the front of the mower, but videos on youtube shows that driver with IR remote walks behind mower...?

[martonmiklos]

The way lawnmower currently work (by random movements and paths) it delivers pretty amazing results. I do not see much benefit out of introducing more precise control for mowing as grass cutting is not so precise.

I need RTK based navigation for two reasons:

• I do not want to install perimeter wire
• I have slopes where with the random movements got struck (when going to the slope sideways.) With RTK navigation I could constrain the movement direction on the slopes to be perpendicular to the incline.

I do not even know where IR receiver is on mower. I assume it's visible from the front of the mower, but videos on youtube shows that driver with IR remote walks behind mower...?

The IR receiver is in the middle of the LED cap between the two LEDs:

I think the LED cap reflecting IR properly from all directions.
But if I were you I would wire the simulated IR impulses directly to the motherboard.

[N0tMy4cc0unt]

I need RTK based navigation for two reasons

Your reasons are valid. I do not have slopes (I have a few on perimeter wire where occasionally mower slides outside moving area, but I will manage this by moving border elsewhere). I already setup perimeter wires. I would like RTK, but it does seems like a huge effort to me (maybe in later stage).

I'm thinking about putting esp32 board for IR control over WiFi and optionally to expose all diagnostic metric as sensors entities in HASS (voltages, temperatures etc...).

But if I were you I would wire the simulated IR impulses directly to the motherboard.

Please advice how to do this exactly as I would like to avoid burning circuits (this is the main reason why I aimed for less intrusive way as I can do some soldering work and embedded programming but far from circuit hacks).

Ideally, I would be able to read display content (from LCD) to show remotely to enable better interaction with mower control buttons (which would also be interfaced to esp32).

[martonmiklos]

Please advice how to do this exactly as I would like to avoid burning circuits (this is the main reason why I aimed for less intrusive way as I can do some soldering work and embedded programming but far from circuit hacks).

The pinout is:

1. OC signal
2. GND
3. Power

The silkscreen shows the pin 1 next to the device.

[N0tMy4cc0unt]

I see IR receiver is TSOP1736TB1 (36 kHz):

According to specs sheet it does support variety of protocols:

Some examples for suitable data format are: NEC Code, Toshiba Micom Format, Sharp Code, RC5 Code, RC6 Code, R–2000 Code, Sony Format (SIRCS).

I do not see what protocol is in use and need to be simulated (by additional esp32 family board)?

[martonmiklos]

The TSOP1736TB1 is not the exact type of the part I just picket it arbitrarily.

I do not see what protocol is in use and need to be simulated (by additional esp32 family board)?

See here:

https://github.com/martonmiklos/robomow_rm_ir_remote_emulator/blob/master/robomow_rm_ir_remote_simulator.ino#L17

You need to send a code encoded with different 0-1 bit lengths.

[N0tMy4cc0unt]

I understood this is to receive mower IR command codes via serial and to send them via IR (on pin 3).
How to know which codes/commands are supported?
I see only 1 to 6 bytes are encoded, is that all or more needs to be added?

[martonmiklos]

The IR protocol of the Robomow only supports sending the 6 button's state on the original remote.

[N0tMy4cc0unt]

Thanks, so I have everything I need to build WiFi IR remote next week!
This is the video showing how to use original remote I have found.
Do I need to adjust frequency based on IR receiver?

[martonmiklos]

Do I need to adjust frequency based on IR receiver?

If you attach the ESP after the IR receiver to the board you do not need to output frequency.
In my repo you can find code without modulation, which can be used to be directly connected:
https://github.com/katzenberger/robomow_rm_ir_remote_emulator

Katzenberger's repo contains a code which does the frequency modulation, that one could be used with an IR LED.

[N0tMy4cc0unt]

I will go with IR (for the first version).
I see that commands can be send very fast (like tens of milis), does mower (receiver) have some logic to deal with it and how? Are the commands received queued or discarded? For one command (i.e. "left") how much mower will turn left (angle)? Can multiple commands be combined, i.e. forward+left?

[martonmiklos]

I see that commands can be send very fast (like tens of milis),

Do not try to increase the sending interval because it will not work, the mower cannot handle it.

[N0tMy4cc0unt]

I disconnected main board (assuming it's the one behind keyboard and display (with IR receiver attached) to identify 5 keyboard pins. It went OK, but I'm facing another issue, on battery power message on display is that it's expecting 4 pin codes. This board is from spare mower, never powered before. Do you by any chance know what is this 4 digit code, how to reset, or is it somehow related to all disconnected peripherals?

[martonmiklos]

I disconnected main board (assuming it's the one behind keyboard and display (with IR receiver attached) to identify 5 keyboard pins. It went OK, but I'm facing another issue, on battery power message on display is that it's expecting 4 pin codes. This board is from spare mower, never powered before. Do you by any chance know what is this 4 digit code,

I have no idea, the service code is 01210 but that is 5 digits.

or is it somehow related to all disconnected peripherals?

I do not think so.