1 General information

1.1 Introduction

ForceSeatDI (Direct Interface) is a lower level interface than ForceSeatMI. It controls hardware directly and ForceSeatPM is not required at all. All error handling and status checking have to be performed by the application. This interface allows to control more than one motion platform from the same PC and allows to create complex but fully synchronized movements of multiple motion platforms.

1.2 ForceSeatMI vs ForceSeatDI

ForceSeatMI (Motion Interface) is a programming interface that allows to add a motion platform support to any application or a game. The ForceSeatMI does not control hardware directly - it sends all data to ForceSeatPM. This approach delegates the responsibility of transforming telemetry data to a real motion from the application to ForceSeatPM. It means that application developers do not have to worry about things like platform disconnections, transmission errors, thermal protection warnings or signal filtering.

Direct Interface is less complex than ForceSeatMI. It manages hardware directly, thus ForceSeatPM is not essential. Checking errors or status is a duty of the application. It allows to control multiple platforms from the same computer. Thanks to such a solution it is possible to build complex and fully synchronized movements of multiple motion platforms at once.

1.3 Features comparison

1.4 Documentation

Idea behind ForceSeatDI and its API structure is similar to ForceSeatMI and at this moment is it not described separately in any document. Please refer to ForceSeatMI documentation to get better understanding how the motion platform control works and examine examples delivered in ForceSeatDI SDK archive to see implementation details.

2 How to activate the license

ForceSeatDI license is kept in the motion controller so the activation process is different than for ForceSeatMI. Once you receive the activation code do following steps:

1. Install ForceSeatPM
2. Open ForceSeatPM main window
3. Click Tools and Diagnostic and then Devices
4. Click Quick Codes
5. Enter the activation code. The verification might take a while.
6. Once finish, close the Quick Codes window.
7. Turn off the device
8. Turn on the device
9. In Devices window you should see FSDI displayed in Features field

3 Cross compiling for Raspberry Pi

3.1 Introduction

This short tutorial shows the idea of using VisualGDB to build one of our examples for Raspberry Pi. This section does not describe the full tool chain and build system configuration, it only indicates a few important key points that should help you to configure your project:

• preprocessor directives
• copying.so file to destination board
• debugging the program as root.

For a more detailed description of how to use and configure VisualGDB, please refer to VisualGDB documentation.

3.2 New project

Start Visual Studio and create a new Linux Project. Make sure to create it in the directory without spaces in the name, e.g. C:\ForceSeatDIChoose Application as project type and MSBuild as tool chain.Choose building under Raspberry Pi over network. In order to do it, create new SSH connection, then fill IP address and credentials. Make sure that your Raspberry Pi has libusb and compiler installed (check ForceSeatDI readme.txt for details).After wizard creates project for you, rename RaspberryProject1.cpp to Main.cppCopy following files from ForceSeatDI archive code directory to your project directory:

1. ForceSeatDI.h
2. ForceSeatDI_Defines.h
3. ForceSeatDI_Functions.h
4. ForceSeatDI_Loader.c
5. ForceSeatDI_Structs.cs

Add ForceSeatDI_Loader.c to your project and copy Main.cpp from FastPos_CPP_Linux example (overwrite the Main.cpp in your project).

3.3 Project configuration

Open the project Properties.Go to Preprocessor configuration and add NO_IMPORT_FORCESEAT_DI to the list of definitions.Go to VisualGDB settings and open Debug configuration (Release configuration for release build).Go to Debug Settings and select run as root.Go to Custom build steps and add new After build step - Transfer a single file.Browse and select source file ForceSeatDI32.RSPi_3.so on your PC disk.

Type: $(TargetDir)/ForceSeatDI32.so into Target path.

3.4 Build and run

Rebuild the project.Run the application and check the Output console.