Clarification on syntax issue after commit a1cf818

[xEnVrE]

This morning I tried to run iCubGenova01 after git pulling the latest robots-configuration and I could not run the robot due to the following issue (reporting from the output of yarprobotinterface)

2,278432 <DEBUG> (device virtualAnalogServer) (name "/icub/joint_vsens/left_arm:i") (net_VFT_LA (0 5 0 5)) (networks (net_VFT_LA)) (period 10) (robotName icub) 
 2,278554 <DEBUG> Using VirtualAnalogServer 
 2,278605 <ERROR> Check network parameters in part description. I was expecting net_VFT_LA followed by four integers 
 2,278655 <ERROR> Driver <virtualAnalogServer> was found but could not open 
 2,278716 <WARNING> Cannot open device left_arm_VFTserver 
 2,278753 <WARNING> Cannot open device left_arm_VFTserver 
 2,278783 <DEBUG> (device virtualAnalogServer) (name "/icub/joint_vsens/right_arm:i") (net_VFT_RA (0 5 0 5)) (networks (net_VFT_RA)) (period 10) (robotName icub) 
 2,278827 <DEBUG> Using VirtualAnalogServer 
 2,278864 <ERROR> Check network parameters in part description. I was expecting net_VFT_RA followed by four integers 
 2,278901 <ERROR> Driver <virtualAnalogServer> was found but could not open 
 2,278937 <WARNING> Cannot open device right_arm_VFTserver 
 2,278966 <WARNING> Cannot open device right_arm_VFTserver 
 2,278994 <DEBUG> (device virtualAnalogServer) (name "/icub/joint_vsens/torso:i") (net_VFT_TO (0 5 0 5)) (networks (net_VFT_TO)) (period 10) (robotName icub) 
 2,279033 <DEBUG> Using VirtualAnalogServer 
 2,279067 <ERROR> Check network parameters in part description. I was expecting net_VFT_TO followed by four integers 
 2,279109 <ERROR> Driver <virtualAnalogServer> was found but could not open 
 2,279144 <WARNING> Cannot open device torso_VFTserver 
 2,279173 <WARNING> Cannot open device torso_VFTserver 

After checking I found that the issue, at least on our setup, is coming from a1cf818.

Specifically, it seems that the parentheses surrounding the integers are not recognized by the parser

robots-configuration/iCubGenova01/wrappers/VFT/left_arm_VFT_wrapper.xml

Line 6 in 2bc1ca0

<elem name="net_VFT_LA">( 0 5 0 5 )</elem>

robots-configuration/iCubGenova01/wrappers/VFT/right_arm_VFT_wrapper.xml

Line 6 in 2bc1ca0

<elem name="net_VFT_RA">( 0 5 0 5 )</elem>

robots-configuration/iCubGenova01/wrappers/VFT/torso_VFT_wrapper.xml

Line 6 in 2bc1ca0

<elem name="net_VFT_TO">( 0 5 0 5 )</elem>

I wanted to ask the following: is this change wanted and I need to update YARP and/or icub-main because the parser was changed or is there something else that I am missing?

Thank you!

[xEnVrE]

It seems that, YARP-side, the error is thrown here:

https://github.com/robotology/yarp/blob/b418c1b37ab7e317369e64f2840bfad3881ad7f5/src/devices/VirtualAnalogWrapper/VirtualAnalogWrapper.cpp#L150

[traversaro]

Thanks for raising the point @xEnVrE . For reference, the related PR I guess is #227 .

The problem seems that the virtualAnalogServer (see https://github.com/robotology/yarp/blob/0fcdd28793d2b8d2356c72a2edb728774a9ef7a3/src/devices/VirtualAnalogWrapper/VirtualAnalogWrapper.cpp#L154 ) was never updated to support the same networks format used by the controlboardwrapper2 (see https://github.com/robotology/yarp/blob/b418c1b37ab7e317369e64f2840bfad3881ad7f5/src/devices/ControlBoardWrapper/ControlBoardWrapper.cpp#L466), and it is only supporting the legacy format (that the controlboard marked deprecated, see https://github.com/robotology/yarp/blob/b418c1b37ab7e317369e64f2840bfad3881ad7f5/src/devices/ControlBoardWrapper/ControlBoardWrapper.cpp#L489).

While the quickest workaround is probably to revert the changes that #227 applied to the virtualAnalogServer devices files (it was supposed to only affect controlboardwrapper2 devices files), the cleanest change for the future is probably to also modify virtualAnalogServer to support exactly the same formats supported by the controlboardwrapper2 device.

[pattacini]

Thanks @xEnVrE and @traversaro for spotting this!

I think the best solution is that we update the virtualAnalogServer asap. We can do that!
Changing backward and forward lots of files in the repo is unwieldy.

Stay tuned.

[xEnVrE]

Thank you @pattacini

[traversaro]

I think the best solution is that we update the virtualAnalogServer asap. We can do that!

This is probably something that we need to monitor for 2021.02 @Nicogene .

[pattacini]

@xEnVrE you can continue to work on the local copy of robots-configuration by reverting the changes in #227 anyway.
We will make the patch land within tomorrow.

[xEnVrE]

Absolutely, I changed manually the three lines in order to run the robot.

Thank you

[pattacini]

PR opened up in robotology/yarp#2468.

cc @triccyx

[pattacini]

@xEnVrE the PR has been just merged!
If you use yarp@yarp-3.4 you should be fine.