AL CORE Technical Notes

How many times have you had to recompile and reload your robot control software because you want your robot to perform another task or mission. For example, your robot is programmed to act a a waiter now but you need it to perform roaming guard duty. While the code is similar, it is not the same. The mission is different. MaxBasic is an interpreted scripting language designed to feel like old-school basic. It is designed for people the grew up in the 80s and miss the command line. This is a very very early version - release just for fun!

Max Robot Basic Mission Commands
4/3/2009

MaxBasic <robot object>
AL100 - Sets target robot to Zagros Robotics MAX/REX/AL100 running CORE software
create - Set target robot to iRobot Create (default)

load(command line only)
Prompts for a mission file to load

run(command line only)
Executes current mission file

connect
Opens serial connection to robot

baud
sets current robot comm port BAUD rate

comm
sets current robot comm serial port

disconnect
Closes serial connection to robot

robot (command line only)
Displays current robot type selected

gosub <:sub>
Jumps to a subroutine marked with a label.

return
Returns from current subroutine.

if
Allows program to make a decision
Example - if $morecrap = 13 then gosub :crap

goto <:label>
Jumps to label in program

print
Displays information, strings or variable values
Example - print "$crap + $morecrap"
Example - print $crap * ($morecrap + 5) + 1 + 10

input <"string prompt">, <$var>
Prompts user to enter a value and store it in a variable

rem
Remark line - everything on the line after rem is ignored by the interpreter

forward
sends FORWARD command to the robot

backward
sends BACKWARD command to the robot

left
sends rotate LEFT command to the robot

right
sends rotate RIGHT command to the robot

stop
sends STOP command to the robot

advance <DIRECTION> <DISTANCE>
sends the advance command to the robot.
example - advance backward 100

Labels:
Labels must have a colon (:) as the first character and cannot contain spaces
Example - :mainloop

Variables:
Variables must have a dollar sign ($) as the first character and cannot contain spaces
Example - $range

end
Marks the end of a program - interpreter will stop running the mission

exit (command line only)
exits program

create
:start
rem this is a create test program
connect
input "press a key to init", $next
stop
input "press a key to go forward", $next
forward
input "press a key to go left", $next
left
input "press a key to go right", $next
right
input "press a key to go backward", $next
backward
input "press a key to stop", $next
stop
advance forward 500
disconnect
end

:start
rem this is a test program
forward
print "hello world"
input "Enter $value:",$value
print "$value="+$value
print "sensor test"
$direction = sensor("compass")
print "direction :"+$direction
gosub :gosubtest
print "return"
goto :NextMessage
:PrintVars
$crap = 10
$morecrap = 12
print "variables..."
print $crap
print $morecrap
print "$crap+$morecrap"
print $crap+$morecrap
goto :Third
:NextMessage
print "Next Message"
goto :PrintVars
:Third
print "second jump point"
end
:gosubtest
print "running subroutine"
return

Copyright 2009 - Zagros Robotics, All Rights Reserved - Please send webpage comments or corrections to webmaster@zagrosrobotics.com - Zagros Robotics, PO Box 460342, St. Louis, MO 63146-7342, (314)341-1836 info@zagrosrobotics.com for answers to any questions.