Shell - Distance IR Bricklet 2.0

This is the description of the Shell API bindings for the Distance IR Bricklet 2.0. General information and technical specifications for the Distance IR Bricklet 2.0 are summarized in its hardware description.

An installation guide for the Shell API bindings is part of their general description.

Examples

The example code below is Public Domain (CC0 1.0).

Simple

Download (example-simple.sh)

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#!/bin/sh
# Connects to localhost:4223 by default, use --host and --port to change this

uid=XYZ # Change XYZ to the UID of your Distance IR Bricklet 2.0

# Get current distance
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet $uid get-distance

Callback

Download (example-callback.sh)

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#!/bin/sh
# Connects to localhost:4223 by default, use --host and --port to change this

uid=XYZ # Change XYZ to the UID of your Distance IR Bricklet 2.0

# Handle incoming distance callbacks
tinkerforge dispatch distance-ir-v2-bricklet $uid distance &

# Set period for distance callback to 1s (1000ms) without a threshold
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet $uid set-distance-callback-configuration 1000 false threshold-option-off 0 0

echo "Press key to exit"; read dummy

kill -- -$$ # Stop callback dispatch in background

Threshold

Download (example-threshold.sh)

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#!/bin/sh
# Connects to localhost:4223 by default, use --host and --port to change this

uid=XYZ # Change XYZ to the UID of your Distance IR Bricklet 2.0

# Handle incoming distance callbacks
tinkerforge dispatch distance-ir-v2-bricklet $uid distance &

# Configure threshold for distance "smaller than 30 cm"
# with a debounce period of 1s (1000ms)
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet $uid set-distance-callback-configuration 1000 false threshold-option-smaller 300 0

echo "Press key to exit"; read dummy

kill -- -$$ # Stop callback dispatch in background

API

Possible exit codes for all tinkerforge commands are:

  • 1: interrupted (ctrl+c)
  • 2: syntax error
  • 21: Python 2.5 or newer is required
  • 22: Python argparse module is missing
  • 23: socket error
  • 24: other exception
  • 25: invalid placeholder in format string
  • 26: authentication error
  • 201: timeout occurred
  • 209: invalid argument value
  • 210: function is not supported
  • 211: unknown error

Command Structure

The common options of the call and dispatch commands are documented here. The specific command structure is shown below.

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet [<option>..] <uid> <function> [<argument>..]
Parameters:
  • <uid> – Type: String
  • <function> – Type: String

The call command is used to call a function of the Distance IR Bricklet 2.0. It can take several options:

  • --help shows help for the specific call command and exits
  • --list-functions shows a list of known functions of the Distance IR Bricklet 2.0 and exits
tinkerforge dispatch distance-ir-v2-bricklet [<option>..] <uid> <callback>
Parameters:
  • <uid> – Type: String
  • <callback> – Type: String

The dispatch command is used to dispatch a callback of the Distance IR Bricklet 2.0. It can take several options:

  • --help shows help for the specific dispatch command and exits
  • --list-callbacks shows a list of known callbacks of the Distance IR Bricklet 2.0 and exits
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> <function> [<option>..] [<argument>..]
Parameters:
  • <uid> – Type: String
  • <function> – Type: String

The <function> to be called can take different options depending of its kind. All functions can take the following options:

  • --help shows help for the specific function and exits

Getter functions can take the following options:

  • --execute <command> shell command line to execute for each incoming response (see section about output formatting for details)

Setter functions can take the following options:

  • --expect-response requests response and waits for it

The --expect-response option for setter functions allows to detect timeouts and other error conditions calls of setters as well. The device will then send a response for this purpose. If this option is not given for a setter function then no response is sent and errors are silently ignored, because they cannot be detected.

tinkerforge dispatch distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> <callback> [<option>..]
Parameters:
  • <uid> – Type: String
  • <callback> – Type: String

The <callback> to be dispatched can take several options:

  • --help shows help for the specific callback and exits
  • --execute <command> shell command line to execute for each incoming response (see section about output formatting for details)

Basic Functions

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-distance
Output:
  • distance – Type: Int, Unit: 1 mm, Range: [0 to 216 - 1]

Returns the distance measured by the sensor. Possible distance ranges are 40 to 300, 100 to 800 and 200 to 1500, depending on the selected IR sensor.

If you want to get the value periodically, it is recommended to use the distance callback. You can set the callback configuration with set-distance-callback-configuration.

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-analog-value
Output:
  • analog-value – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 221 - 1]

Returns the analog value as read by a analog-to-digital converter.

This is unfiltered raw data. We made sure that the integration time of the ADC is shorter then the measurement interval of the sensor (10ms vs 16.5ms). So there is no information lost.

If you want to do your own calibration or create your own lookup table you can use this value.

If you want to get the value periodically, it is recommended to use the analog-value callback. You can set the callback configuration with set-analog-value-callback-configuration.

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> set-moving-average-configuration <moving-average-length>
Parameters:
  • <moving-average-length> – Type: Int, Range: [1 to 1000], Default: 25
Output:
  • no output

Sets the length of a moving averaging for the distance.

Setting the length to 1 will turn the averaging off. With less averaging, there is more noise on the data.

New data is gathered every ~10ms. With a moving average of length 1000 the resulting averaging window has a length of approximately 10s. If you want to do long term measurements the longest moving average will give the cleanest results.

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-moving-average-configuration
Output:
  • moving-average-length – Type: Int, Range: [1 to 1000], Default: 25

Returns the moving average configuration as set by set-moving-average-configuration.

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> set-distance-led-config <config>
Parameters:
  • <config> – Type: Int, Range: See symbols, Default: 3
Output:
  • no output

Configures the distance LED to be either turned off, turned on, blink in heartbeat mode or show the distance (brighter = object is nearer).

The following symbols are available for this function:

For <config>:

  • distance-led-config-off = 0
  • distance-led-config-on = 1
  • distance-led-config-show-heartbeat = 2
  • distance-led-config-show-distance = 3
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-distance-led-config
Output:
  • config – Type: Int, Range: See symbols, Default: 3

Returns the LED configuration as set by set-distance-led-config

The following symbols are available for this function:

For config:

  • distance-led-config-off = 0
  • distance-led-config-on = 1
  • distance-led-config-show-heartbeat = 2
  • distance-led-config-show-distance = 3
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> set-sensor-type <sensor>
Parameters:
  • <sensor> – Type: Int, Range: See symbols
Output:
  • no output

Sets the sensor type.

The Bricklet comes configured with the correct sensor type and the type is saved in flash (i.e. the Bricklet retains the information if power is lost).

If you want to change the sensor you can set the type in Brick Viewer, you will likely never need to call this function from your program.

The following symbols are available for this function:

For <sensor>:

  • sensor-type-2y0a41 = 0
  • sensor-type-2y0a21 = 1
  • sensor-type-2y0a02 = 2
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-sensor-type
Output:
  • sensor – Type: Int, Range: See symbols

Returns the sensor type as set by set-sensor-type.

The following symbols are available for this function:

For sensor:

  • sensor-type-2y0a41 = 0
  • sensor-type-2y0a21 = 1
  • sensor-type-2y0a02 = 2

Advanced Functions

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-spitfp-error-count
Output:
  • error-count-ack-checksum – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]
  • error-count-message-checksum – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]
  • error-count-frame – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]
  • error-count-overflow – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]

Returns the error count for the communication between Brick and Bricklet.

The errors are divided into

  • ACK checksum errors,
  • message checksum errors,
  • framing errors and
  • overflow errors.

The errors counts are for errors that occur on the Bricklet side. All Bricks have a similar function that returns the errors on the Brick side.

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> set-status-led-config <config>
Parameters:
  • <config> – Type: Int, Range: See symbols, Default: 3
Output:
  • no output

Sets the status LED configuration. By default the LED shows communication traffic between Brick and Bricklet, it flickers once for every 10 received data packets.

You can also turn the LED permanently on/off or show a heartbeat.

If the Bricklet is in bootloader mode, the LED is will show heartbeat by default.

The following symbols are available for this function:

For <config>:

  • status-led-config-off = 0
  • status-led-config-on = 1
  • status-led-config-show-heartbeat = 2
  • status-led-config-show-status = 3
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-status-led-config
Output:
  • config – Type: Int, Range: See symbols, Default: 3

Returns the configuration as set by set-status-led-config

The following symbols are available for this function:

For config:

  • status-led-config-off = 0
  • status-led-config-on = 1
  • status-led-config-show-heartbeat = 2
  • status-led-config-show-status = 3
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-chip-temperature
Output:
  • temperature – Type: Int, Unit: 1 °C, Range: [-215 to 215 - 1]

Returns the temperature as measured inside the microcontroller. The value returned is not the ambient temperature!

The temperature is only proportional to the real temperature and it has bad accuracy. Practically it is only useful as an indicator for temperature changes.

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> reset
Output:
  • no output

Calling this function will reset the Bricklet. All configurations will be lost.

After a reset you have to create new device objects, calling functions on the existing ones will result in undefined behavior!

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-identity
Output:
  • uid – Type: String, Length: up to 8
  • connected-uid – Type: String, Length: up to 8
  • position – Type: Char, Range: [a to h, z]
  • hardware-version – Type: Int Array, Length: 3
    • 0: major – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 255]
    • 1: minor – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 255]
    • 2: revision – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 255]
  • firmware-version – Type: Int Array, Length: 3
    • 0: major – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 255]
    • 1: minor – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 255]
    • 2: revision – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 255]
  • device-identifier – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 216 - 1]

Returns the UID, the UID where the Bricklet is connected to, the position, the hardware and firmware version as well as the device identifier.

The position can be 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g' or 'h' (Bricklet Port). A Bricklet connected to an Isolator Bricklet is always at position 'z'.

The device identifier numbers can be found here

Callback Configuration Functions

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> set-distance-callback-configuration <period> <value-has-to-change> <option> <min> <max>
Parameters:
  • <period> – Type: Int, Unit: 1 ms, Range: [0 to 232 - 1], Default: 0
  • <value-has-to-change> – Type: Bool, Default: false
  • <option> – Type: Char, Range: See symbols, Default: x
  • <min> – Type: Int, Unit: 1 mm, Range: [0 to 216 - 1], Default: 0
  • <max> – Type: Int, Unit: 1 mm, Range: [0 to 216 - 1], Default: 0
Output:
  • no output

The period is the period with which the distance callback is triggered periodically. A value of 0 turns the callback off.

If the value has to change-parameter is set to true, the callback is only triggered after the value has changed. If the value didn't change within the period, the callback is triggered immediately on change.

If it is set to false, the callback is continuously triggered with the period, independent of the value.

It is furthermore possible to constrain the callback with thresholds.

The option-parameter together with min/max sets a threshold for the distance callback.

The following options are possible:

Option Description
'x' Threshold is turned off
'o' Threshold is triggered when the value is outside the min and max values
'i' Threshold is triggered when the value is inside or equal to the min and max values
'<' Threshold is triggered when the value is smaller than the min value (max is ignored)
'>' Threshold is triggered when the value is greater than the min value (max is ignored)

If the option is set to 'x' (threshold turned off) the callback is triggered with the fixed period.

The following symbols are available for this function:

For <option>:

  • threshold-option-off = x
  • threshold-option-outside = o
  • threshold-option-inside = i
  • threshold-option-smaller = <
  • threshold-option-greater = >
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-distance-callback-configuration
Output:
  • period – Type: Int, Unit: 1 ms, Range: [0 to 232 - 1], Default: 0
  • value-has-to-change – Type: Bool, Default: false
  • option – Type: Char, Range: See symbols, Default: x
  • min – Type: Int, Unit: 1 mm, Range: [0 to 216 - 1], Default: 0
  • max – Type: Int, Unit: 1 mm, Range: [0 to 216 - 1], Default: 0

Returns the callback configuration as set by set-distance-callback-configuration.

The following symbols are available for this function:

For option:

  • threshold-option-off = x
  • threshold-option-outside = o
  • threshold-option-inside = i
  • threshold-option-smaller = <
  • threshold-option-greater = >
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> set-analog-value-callback-configuration <period> <value-has-to-change> <option> <min> <max>
Parameters:
  • <period> – Type: Int, Unit: 1 ms, Range: [0 to 232 - 1], Default: 0
  • <value-has-to-change> – Type: Bool, Default: false
  • <option> – Type: Char, Range: See symbols, Default: x
  • <min> – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 232 - 1], Default: 0
  • <max> – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 232 - 1], Default: 0
Output:
  • no output

The period is the period with which the analog-value callback is triggered periodically. A value of 0 turns the callback off.

If the value has to change-parameter is set to true, the callback is only triggered after the value has changed. If the value didn't change within the period, the callback is triggered immediately on change.

If it is set to false, the callback is continuously triggered with the period, independent of the value.

It is furthermore possible to constrain the callback with thresholds.

The option-parameter together with min/max sets a threshold for the analog-value callback.

The following options are possible:

Option Description
'x' Threshold is turned off
'o' Threshold is triggered when the value is outside the min and max values
'i' Threshold is triggered when the value is inside or equal to the min and max values
'<' Threshold is triggered when the value is smaller than the min value (max is ignored)
'>' Threshold is triggered when the value is greater than the min value (max is ignored)

If the option is set to 'x' (threshold turned off) the callback is triggered with the fixed period.

The following symbols are available for this function:

For <option>:

  • threshold-option-off = x
  • threshold-option-outside = o
  • threshold-option-inside = i
  • threshold-option-smaller = <
  • threshold-option-greater = >
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-analog-value-callback-configuration
Output:
  • period – Type: Int, Unit: 1 ms, Range: [0 to 232 - 1], Default: 0
  • value-has-to-change – Type: Bool, Default: false
  • option – Type: Char, Range: See symbols, Default: x
  • min – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 232 - 1], Default: 0
  • max – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 232 - 1], Default: 0

Returns the callback configuration as set by set-analog-value-callback-configuration.

The following symbols are available for this function:

For option:

  • threshold-option-off = x
  • threshold-option-outside = o
  • threshold-option-inside = i
  • threshold-option-smaller = <
  • threshold-option-greater = >

Callbacks

Callbacks can be used to receive time critical or recurring data from the device:

tinkerforge dispatch distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> example

The available callbacks are described below.

Note

Using callbacks for recurring events is always preferred compared to using getters. It will use less USB bandwidth and the latency will be a lot better, since there is no round trip time.

tinkerforge dispatch distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> distance
Output:
  • distance – Type: Int, Unit: 1 mm, Range: [0 to 216 - 1]

This callback is triggered periodically according to the configuration set by set-distance-callback-configuration.

The parameter is the same as get-distance.

tinkerforge dispatch distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> analog-value
Output:
  • analog-value – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 221 - 1]

This callback is triggered periodically according to the configuration set by set-analog-value-callback-configuration.

The parameter is the same as get-analog-value.

Internal Functions

Internal functions are used for maintenance tasks such as flashing a new firmware of changing the UID of a Bricklet. These task should be performed using Brick Viewer instead of using the internal functions directly.

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> set-bootloader-mode <mode>
Parameters:
  • <mode> – Type: Int, Range: See symbols
Output:
  • status – Type: Int, Range: See symbols

Sets the bootloader mode and returns the status after the requested mode change was instigated.

You can change from bootloader mode to firmware mode and vice versa. A change from bootloader mode to firmware mode will only take place if the entry function, device identifier and CRC are present and correct.

This function is used by Brick Viewer during flashing. It should not be necessary to call it in a normal user program.

The following symbols are available for this function:

For <mode>:

  • bootloader-mode-bootloader = 0
  • bootloader-mode-firmware = 1
  • bootloader-mode-bootloader-wait-for-reboot = 2
  • bootloader-mode-firmware-wait-for-reboot = 3
  • bootloader-mode-firmware-wait-for-erase-and-reboot = 4

For status:

  • bootloader-status-ok = 0
  • bootloader-status-invalid-mode = 1
  • bootloader-status-no-change = 2
  • bootloader-status-entry-function-not-present = 3
  • bootloader-status-device-identifier-incorrect = 4
  • bootloader-status-crc-mismatch = 5
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> get-bootloader-mode
Output:
  • mode – Type: Int, Range: See symbols

Returns the current bootloader mode, see set-bootloader-mode.

The following symbols are available for this function:

For mode:

  • bootloader-mode-bootloader = 0
  • bootloader-mode-firmware = 1
  • bootloader-mode-bootloader-wait-for-reboot = 2
  • bootloader-mode-firmware-wait-for-reboot = 3
  • bootloader-mode-firmware-wait-for-erase-and-reboot = 4
tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> set-write-firmware-pointer <pointer>
Parameters:
  • <pointer> – Type: Int, Unit: 1 B, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]
Output:
  • no output

Sets the firmware pointer for write-firmware. The pointer has to be increased by chunks of size 64. The data is written to flash every 4 chunks (which equals to one page of size 256).

This function is used by Brick Viewer during flashing. It should not be necessary to call it in a normal user program.

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> write-firmware <data>
Parameters:
  • <data> – Type: Int Array, Length: 64, Range: [0 to 255]
Output:
  • status – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 255]

Writes 64 Bytes of firmware at the position as written by set-write-firmware-pointer before. The firmware is written to flash every 4 chunks.

You can only write firmware in bootloader mode.

This function is used by Brick Viewer during flashing. It should not be necessary to call it in a normal user program.

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> write-uid <uid>
Parameters:
  • <uid> – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]
Output:
  • no output

Writes a new UID into flash. If you want to set a new UID you have to decode the Base58 encoded UID string into an integer first.

We recommend that you use Brick Viewer to change the UID.

tinkerforge call distance-ir-v2-bricklet <uid> read-uid
Output:
  • uid – Type: Int, Range: [0 to 232 - 1]

Returns the current UID as an integer. Encode as Base58 to get the usual string version.