WholeBodyDynamics device not launched when running launch-wholebodydynamics.xml

[gabrielenava]

The wholebodydynamics device that should be launched by the launch-wholebodydynamics.xml file is actually not launched. Namely, I am talking about this line: https://github.com/robotology/codyco-modules/blob/master/src/devices/wholeBodyDynamics/app/launch-wholebodydynamics-icub-six-fts-sim.xml#L95

Here there are no errors: the line is simply skipped and I have no idea why. But the file exists, and if I substitute the path to the file with the content of the file inside launch-wholebodydynamics.xml` I am finally able to run the Yoga demo. But this is not a good solution.

[traversaro]

Did you fixed the problem in #276 ?
What is location of the files that you are trying to run in the yarprobotinterface?

[gabrielenava]

I fixed the invalid DTD problem locally on my laptop, see #276 (comment). I will open a PR for fixing the remote branch too.

the launch-wholebodydynamics.xml file is located in $PATH_TO_SUPERBUILD_INSTALL/share/codyco/robots/iCubGazeboV2_5/ and the wholebodydynamics-external.xml is located in $PATH_TO_SUPERBUILD_INSTALL/share/codyco/robots/iCubGazeboV2_5/estimators. Superbuild paths seem to be set correctly an I set them by sourcing the setup.sh file.

[traversaro]

Have you tried to test it with another devices file to check if that is loaded instead?

[gabrielenava]

All the other devices in the file are correctly loaded: https://github.com/robotology/codyco-modules/blob/master/src/devices/wholeBodyDynamics/app/launch-wholebodydynamics-icub-six-fts-sim.xml#L89

The wholebodydynamics device itself is loaded without any problem if I copy the content of wholebodydynamics-external.xml instead of using the path to the xml file as specified currently in the launch-wholebodydynamics.xml file: https://github.com/robotology/codyco-modules/blob/master/src/devices/wholeBodyDynamics/app/launch-wholebodydynamics-icub-six-fts-sim.xml#L95

[traversaro]

I got it. I asked if you could load any other devices files, similar to wholebodydynamics-external.xml but with less devices or something similar.

[gabrielenava]

I did now the following test:

• I modified the launch-wholebodydynamics.xml. I removed the right foot FT sensor device and I put it in a file called device-test.xml. Then, I modified this path to point my device-test file instead of wholebodydynamics-external.xml. The two files are in the same folder.

I run YARP_ROBOT_NAME=iCubgazeboV2_5 yarprobotinterface --config launch-wholebodydynamics.xml. The last device loaded is the left foot FT:

[INFO]created device <analogsensorclient>. See C++ class AnalogSensorClient for documentation.
yarp: Port /wholeBodyDynamics/l_foot_ft_sensor active at tcp://140.93.4.152:10079/
yarp: Port /wholeBodyDynamics/l_foot_ft_sensor/rpc:o active at tcp://140.93.4.152:10080/
yarp: Receiving input from /icubSim/left_foot/analog:o to /wholeBodyDynamics/l_foot_ft_sensor using udp
yarp: Sending output from /wholeBodyDynamics/l_foot_ft_sensor/rpc:o to /icubSim/left_foot/analog:o/rpc:i using tcp
[INFO]created device <analogsensorclient>. See C++ class AnalogSensorClient for documentation.

Therefore it seems the problem is not in the wholebodydynamics-external.xml file.

[prashanthr05]

I also experience this issue.

[prashanthr05]

I made the following quick hack and it apparently works,

In the launch-wholebodydynamics-icub-six-fts-sim.xml
I changed
https://github.com/robotology/codyco-modules/blob/75a681590889a13967351911f694dd7a0a9c14df/src/devices/wholeBodyDynamics/app/launch-wholebodydynamics-icub-six-fts-sim.xml#L2
to

<robot name="@WBD_YARP_ROBOT_NAME" portprefix="icubSim" build="1"  xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">

Then I changed
https://github.com/robotology/codyco-modules/blob/75a681590889a13967351911f694dd7a0a9c14df/src/devices/wholeBodyDynamics/app/launch-wholebodydynamics-icub-six-fts-sim.xml#L95
to

    <xi:include href="estimators/wholebodydynamics-external.xml" />

In the wholebodydynamics-icub-external-six-fts-sim.xml,
I commented the lines ,
https://github.com/robotology/codyco-modules/blob/75a681590889a13967351911f694dd7a0a9c14df/src/devices/wholeBodyDynamics/app/wholebodydynamics-icub-external-six-fts-sim.xml#L4
and
https://github.com/robotology/codyco-modules/blob/75a681590889a13967351911f694dd7a0a9c14df/src/devices/wholeBodyDynamics/app/wholebodydynamics-icub-external-six-fts-sim.xml#L75

then finally changed,
https://github.com/robotology/codyco-modules/blob/75a681590889a13967351911f694dd7a0a9c14df/src/devices/wholeBodyDynamics/app/wholebodydynamics-icub-external-six-fts-sim.xml#L5
to

<device xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" name="wholebodydynamics" type="wholebodydynamics">

[prashanthr05]

Were there any recent changes in the parsing done by yarprobotinterface?

The only change as listed in the changelog of YARP 3.2 release seems to be,

Tools
yarprobotinterface
YARP//DTD yarprobotinterface 3.0//EN is now the default parser for robot xml configuration files.
yarprobotinterface will not run anymore deprecated DTD format v1.0

[GiulioRomualdi]

Same problem with the latest version of YARP

[GiulioRomualdi]

Thanks to @prashanthr05 suggestion the problem is solved. I open a PR

[traversaro]

Guys, do you have any idea why this is now necessary? I am a bit out of time to check this out, but it could be interesting.

[prashanthr05]

Guys, do you have any idea why this is now necessary? I am a bit out of time to check this out, but it could be interesting.

I faced this problem after updating YARP to 3.2, specifically to this commit robotology/yarp@7ee03f8. and this line

<devices file="estimators/wholebodydynamics-external.xml" />

in the configuration file was not being parsed by the yarprobotinterface.

[traversaro]

Yes, I was asking because I fear that we are actually doing a workaround but the actual bug is in YARP, but if no one has bandwidth to investigate that I am ok to merge Giulio's PR. Opening a bug in YARP without a minimun working example is probably just creating noise.

[nunoguedelha]

I just experienced the same issue. Actually the issue is solved by using the current format supported by YARP for including device config files (we are more familiar with it now).
I just replaced

<!-- estimators -->
<devices file="estimators/wholebodydynamics-external.xml" />

by

<!-- estimators -->
<devices>
<xi:include href="estimators/wholebodydynamics-external.xml" />
</devices>

As it is done in for any other inclusion.
@prashanthr05 had already done this more or less, but I didn't need the other workarounds:

• There is no need for changing the included file for removing the tag <devices>.
• The following prefix is no more required

<device xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" name=... />

• Nor setting the xmlns:xi include tool at the top (apparently), probably becasue now it is a default?

I'm pushing a fix in the same PR opened by @GiulioRomualdi #280.

[nunoguedelha]

CC @CarlottaSartore

[traversaro]

Thanks @nunoguedelha

[nunoguedelha]

Fixed by by #280 .

[traversaro]

Thanks @nunoguedelha .