Template Input Files

Template Input Files Passed to SIERRA

Examples of the structure/required content of the XML file passed to SIERRA via --template-input-file for each supported Platform are below.

For the purposes of illustration we will use --template-input-file=sample.argos and a controller MyController:

 <argos-configuration>
    ...
    <controllers>
       <__CONTROLLER__>
          ...
          <params>
             <task_alloc>
                <mymethod threshold="17"/>
             </task_alloc>
          </params>
       </__CONTROLLER__>
    </controllers>
    ...
<argos-configuration>

See XML Content Requirements for usage/description of the __CONTROLLER__ tag.

This is for the following ROS1-based platforms:

ROS1+Gazebo
ROS1+Robot

For the purposes of illustration we will use --template-input-file=sample.launch:

 <ros-configuration>
    <master>
       ...
       <param name="metrics/directory" value="/path/to/dir"/>
       ...
    </master>
    <robot>
       ...
       <param name="task_alloc/mymethod/threshold" value="17"/>
       <param name="motion/random_walk" value="0.1"/>
       ...
    </robot>
<ros-configuration>

This is for the following ROS-based platforms:

ROS1+Gazebo
ROS1+Robot

For the purposes of illustration we will use --template-input-file=sample.launch:

<ros-configuration>
   <master>
      ...
   </master>
   <robot>
      ...
   </robot>
   <params>
      <metrics directory="/path/to/dir"/>
      <task_alloc>
         <mymethod threshold="17"/>
      </task_alloc>
      <motion>
         <random_walk prob="0.1"/>
      </motion>
   </params>
</ros-configuration>

Post-Processed Template Input Files

SIERRA may insert additional XML tags and split the processed template input file into multiple template files, depending on the platform. The results of this processing are shown below for each supported Platform. No additional modifications beyond those necessary to use the platform with SIERRA are shown (i.e., no Batch Criteria modifications).

Any of the following may be inserted:

A new tag for the configured random seed.
A new tag for the configured experiment length in seconds.
A new tag for the configured # robots.
A new tag for the controller rate (ticks per second).
A new tag for the path to a second XML file containing all controller XML configuration.

<argos-configuration>
   ...
   <controllers>
      <MyController>
         ...
         <params>
            <task_alloc>
               <mymethod threshold="17"/>
            </task_alloc>
         </params>
      </MyController>
   </controllers>
   ...
<argos-configuration>

No tags are insert by SIERRA input the input .argos file.

Input sample.launch file is split into multiple files:

sample_runX_robotY.launch containing the <robot> tag in the original input file, which is changed to <launch>. This has all nodes and configuration which is robot-specific and/or will be launched on each robot Y for each run X.

sample_master_runX.launch containing the <master> tag in the original input file, which is changed to <launch>. This has all the nodes and configuration which is ROS master-specific and will be launched on the SIERRA host machine (which where the ROS master will be set to) for each run X.

sample_run0_robot0.launch file:

<launch>
   ...
   <param name="task_alloc/mymethod/threshold" value="17"/>
   <param name="motion/random_walk" value="0.1"/>
   ...
   <group ns='sierra'>
      <param name="experiment/length" value="1234"/>
      <param name="experiment/random_seed" value="5678"/>
      <param name="experiment/param_file" value="/path/to/file"/>
      <param name="experiment/n_robots" value="123"/>
      <param name="experiment/ticks_per_sec" value="5"/>
   </group>
   ...
</launch>

sample_master_run0.launch file:

<launch>
   ...
   <param name="metrics/directory" value="/path/to/dir"/>
   ...
   <group ns='sierra'>
      <node
         name="sierra_timekeeper"
         pkg="sierra_rosbridge"
         type="sierra_timekeeper.py"
         required="true"
         output="screen"/>
      <param name="experiment/length" value="1234"/>
      <param name="experiment/random_seed" value="5678"/>
      <param name="experiment/param_file" value="/path/to/file"/>
      <param name="experiment/n_robots" value="123"/>
      <param name="experiment/ticks_per_sec" value="5"/>
   </group>
   ...
</launch>

Input sample.launch file is split into multiple files:

sample_runX_robotY.launch containing the <robot> tag in the original input file, which is changed to <launch>. This has all nodes and configuration which is robot-specific and/or will be launched on each robot Y for each run X.

sample_master_runX.launch containing the <master> tag in the original input file, which is changed to <launch>. This has all the nodes and configuration which is ROS master-specific and will be launched on the SIERRA host machine (which where the ROS master will be set to) for each run X.

sample_runX.params containing the <params> tag in the original input file, which is written out as a common file to use to share parameters between the robots and the ROS master for each run X.

Processed sample_run0_robot0.launch file:

<launch>
   ...
   <group ns='sierra'>
      <param name="experiment/length" value="1234"/>
      <param name="experiment/random_seed" value="5678"/>
      <param name="experiment/param_file" value="/path/to/file"/>
      <param name="experiment/n_robots" value="123"/>
      <param name="experiment/ticks_per_sec" value="5"/>
   </group>
   ...
</launch>

Processed sample_run0_master.launch file:

<launch>
   ...
   <group ns='sierra'>
      <node
        name="sierra_timekeeper"
        pkg="sierra_rosbridge"
        type="sierra_timekeeper.py"
        required="true"
        output="screen"/>
      <param name="experiment/length" value="1234"/>
      <param name="experiment/random_seed" value="5678"/>
      <param name="experiment/param_file" value="/path/to/file"/>
      <param name="experiment/n_robots" value="123"/>
      <param name="experiment/ticks_per_sec" value="5"/>
   </group>
   ...
</launch>

Processed sample_run0.params file:

<params>
   <metrics directory="/path/to/dir"/>
   <motion>
      <random_walk prob="0.1"/>
   </motion>
   <task_alloc>
      <mymethod threshold="17"/>
   </task_alloc>
</params>