ChikoBot Firmware

Firmware and libraries for ChikoBot, an ESP32-based robot platform. This project includes main robot logic, hardware drivers, BLE gamepad support, face/eye animation, and a suite of test and example applications.

Features

• Modular code for robot control, sensors, and peripherals
• BLE gamepad client for Xbox and other controllers
• OLED face/eye animation with U8g2
• Accelerometer (BMA250) support
• Multiple test and example programs
• PlatformIO-based build system

Project Structure

├── src/main_code/        # Main application code
├── src/examples/         # Example sketches and test programs
├── lib/                  # Libraries (BLE, face, sensors, etc.)
├── platformio.ini        # PlatformIO configuration
└── README.md             # This file

Requirements

• ESP32 Dev Board (e.g., ESP32-DevKitC)
• Windows, macOS, or Linux PC

Step-by-Step: Install VS Code and PlatformIO

1. Install Visual Studio Code

• Download VS Code from https://code.visualstudio.com/
• Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete installation.

2. Install PlatformIO Extension for VS Code

• Open VS Code.
• Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
• Search for PlatformIO IDE.
• Click Install on the PlatformIO IDE extension (by PlatformIO Labs).
• Wait for installation to complete (it may take a few minutes).

3. Clone the Project Repository

Open a terminal (in VS Code: Ctrl+` or use your OS terminal) and run:

git clone https://gitlab.com/chikobot/chiko_firmware.git
cd chiko_firmware

4. Open the Project in VS Code

• In VS Code, go to File > Open Folder...
• Select the chiko_firmware directory you just cloned.

5. Configure PlatformIO for Your Board (Optional)

• Open platformio.ini in the project root.
• Make sure the board field in your environment matches your ESP32 board (e.g., esp32dev).
• Save the file if you make changes.

6. Build, Upload, and Monitor

• Open the PlatformIO sidebar (alien icon on the left).
• Under "PROJECT TASKS", expand your desired environment (e.g., chiko_main, Example_XboxController).
• Click Build to compile, Upload to flash, and Monitor to view serial output.
• Default serial baud rate is 115200.

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Quick Start (Summary)

1. Install VS Code
2. Install PlatformIO IDE extension
3. Clone this repo and open it in VS Code
4. Build, upload, and monitor using PlatformIO sidebar

Running Examples

• Each example or test has its own environment in platformio.ini.
• To run an example, build/upload the corresponding environment (e.g., Example_XboxController).
• You can add new examples in the examples/ folder and create a new environment with a build_src_filter in platformio.ini.

Test Your OWN Code

1. Edit `src/main_code/main.cpp´.
2. Select chiko_main environment under "PROJECT TASKS"
3. Build and upload the main.cpp.
4. Monitor the out using Serial Terminal.

VS Code/PlatformIO Tips

• Use the PlatformIO sidebar for all build, upload, and monitor tasks.
• Use "Clean" if you encounter strange build errors.
• You can have multiple environments for different tests/examples.
• Use build_src_filter to control which files are compiled for each environment.

Detailed Tutorials, Library Discription and Workflow

1. How to setup the development envoirnment.
2. Tutorails
3. All more in the Wiki of the Repo.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please fork the repo and submit a merge request.

License

See LICENSE file for details.

Authors

ChikoBot Team and contributors.