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alphasense_setup.md

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Alphasense software setup (host PC)

The instructions below must be executed in the host PC (i.e, the PC where you will connect the Alphasense).

Install Sevensense's Alphasense drivers

The drivers you install in the host PC must match the firmware version on Alphasense you're using. If not, you'll get:

  1. Host errors when trying to launch the drivers (usually because the driver is older than the firmware)
  2. Firmware errors asking to update it (when the firmware is older than the drivers)

Bear this in mind before installing the drivers on your host PC.

Latest version of drivers:

curl -Ls https://deb.7sr.ch/pubkey.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://deb.7sr.ch/alphasense focal main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sevensense.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install alphasense-driver-core alphasense-firmware ros-noetic-alphasense-driver-ros ros-noetic-alphasense-driver
echo -e "net.core.rmem_max=11145728" | sudo tee /etc/sysctl.d/90-increase-network-buffers.conf

SubT/Glimpse-compatible drivers:

We need to change the PPA to alphasense/1.0 and manually install the compatible version:

curl -Ls https://deb.7sr.ch/pubkey.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://deb.7sr.ch/alphasense/1.0 focal main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sevensense.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install alphasense-driver-core=1.7.2-0~build83~focal \
                 alphasense-firmware=1.7.2-0~build82~focal \
                 ros-noetic-alphasense-driver-ros=1.7.2-0~build81~focal \
                 ros-noetic-alphasense-driver=1.7.2-0~build79~focal
echo -e "net.core.rmem_max=11145728" | sudo tee /etc/sysctl.d/90-increase-network-buffers.conf

Alphasense viewer

If you also need the alphasense viewer:

Latest

sudo apt install alphasense-viewer

SubT/Glimpse

sudo apt install alphasense-viewer=1.7.2-0~build81~focal

Network configuration

Identify the ethernet interface

Identify the ethernet interface (we will call it INTERFACE_NAME_ALPHASENSE onwards) you'll use to connect to the Alphasense. e.g enp4s0, eno0, eth0

PTP and PHC2SYS Configurations

Instructions on how to setup PTP time sync; steps to be executed on NPC:

sudo apt install linuxptp ethtool

Modify /etc/linuxptp/ptp4l.conf and (A) Change line regarding clockClass to:

clockClass		128

(B) append the following lines at the end of the file, replacing INTERFACE_NAME_ALPHASENSE by the interface name:

# RSL Customization
boundary_clock_jbod 1
[INTERFACE_NAME_ALPHASENSE]

Example:

# RSL Customization
boundary_clock_jbod 1
[enp4s0]

Create a systemd drop-in directory to override the system service file:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/system/ptp4l.service.d

Create a file at /etc/systemd/system/ptp4l.service.d/override.conf with the following contents:

[Service]
ExecStart=
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/ptp4l -f /etc/linuxptp/ptp4l.conf

Restart the ptp4l service so the change takes effect:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart ptp4l
sudo systemctl status ptp4l

Enable the ptp4l service:

sudo systemctl enable ptp4l.service

Alphasense - phc2sys

Create a systemd drop-in directory to override the system service file:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/system/phc2sys.service.d

Create a file at /etc/systemd/system/phc2sys.service.d/override.conf with the following contents, replacing INTERFACE_NAME_ALPHASENSE by the interface name:

[Service]
ExecStart=
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/phc2sys -c INTERFACE_NAME_ALPHASENSE -s CLOCK_REALTIME -w -O 0

Restart the phc2sys service so the change takes effect:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart phc2sys
sudo systemctl status phc2sys

Enable the phc2sys service:

sudo systemctl enable phc2sys.service

Recommendations

Maximize Network Performance

Follow instructions at: maximize_network_performance.md

Hints: To permanently set 'mtu' to 7260 (see mtu: XXX) of ethernet interface where alphasense is connected, netplan config is modified as follow:

network:
    version: 2
    renderer: networkd
    ethernets:
        enp4s0:
            dhcp4: no
            mtu: XXX # this is where you can set mtu in netplan config file
            addresses: [192.168.20.1/24]

Increase Network Buffer

echo -e "net.core.rmem_max=11145728" | sudo tee /etc/sysctl.d/90-increase-network-buffers.conf

Above command taken from "getting started" github page.

Settings for ANYmal Cerberus (23/11/2020)

- net.core.netdev_budget=600
- net.core.netdev_max_backlog=2000
- mtu 7260
- net.core.rmem_max=11145728

Time Synchronization

The settings for time_synchronization.md over PTP are included in the section PTP and PHC2SYS Configurations.