EBB Commands

Introduction

EBB Specific Commands

The "NI" Command (Node count Increment) - Added in v1.9.5

• Format: "NI<CR>"
• Example: "NI"
• This command increments the 32 bit Node Counter by 1.
  
• Returns: "OK<CR>"

The "ND" Command (Node count Decrement) - Added in v1.9.5

• Format: "ND<CR>"
• Example: "ND"
• This command decrements the 32 bit Node Counter by 1.
  
• Returns: "OK<CR>"

The "BL" Command (BootLoad) - Added in v1.9.5

• Format: "BL<CR>"
• Example: "BL"
• This command turns off interrupts and jumps into the bootloader. The EBB will enter bootloader mode without having to push any buttons. Note that this command will ONLY work if you have a EBB bootloader version later than 7/3/2010 (the version released on 7/3/2010 has a distinct LED blink mode - the USB LED stays on 3 times longer than the USR LED). With a previous version of the bootloader code, this command may cause the EBB to be come unresponsive.
  
• Returns: "OK<CR>"

The "SN" Command (Set Node count) - Brought back in v1.9.5

• Format: "SN,<value><CR>"
• Example: "SN,123456789"
• This command sets the Node Counter to <value>. <value> is a 32 bit unsigned int.
  
• Returns: "OK<CR>"

The "CN" Command (Clear Node count) - Added in v1.9.3, removed in 1.9.5 and above

• Format: "CN<CR>"
• Example: "CN"
• This command clears the value of the Node Counter (see QN command).
  
• Returns: "OK<CR>"

The "SL" Command (Set Layer) - Added in v1.9.2

• Format: "SL,<NewLayerValue><CR>"
• Example: "SL,4"
• This command set the value of the Layer variable (see QL command).
  
• Returns:"OK<CR>"

The "QL" Command (Query Layer) - Added in v1.9.2

• Format: "QL<CR>"
• Example: "QL"
• This command asks the EBB to report back the current value of the Layer variable. This variable is set with the SL command, as is a single unsigned byte.
  
• Returns: "<CurrentLayerValue><CR>" then "OK<CR>"
• Example: "4" then "OK"
  

• Format: "QN<CR>"
• Example: "QN"
• This command asks the EBB what the current value of the Node Counter is. The Node Counter is an unsigned long int (8 bytes) value that gets incremented each time an SM command is finished executing.
  
• Returns: "<NodeCount><CR>OK<CR>"
• Example: "1234567890" then "OK"
  

The "QB" Command (Query Button) - Added in v1.9.2

• Format: "QB<CR>"
• Example: "QB"
• This command simply asks the EBB if the PRG button has been pressed since the last QB command or not.
  
• Returns: "1" if the PRG button has been pressed since the last QB command, "0" if it has not, then "OK"

The "QP" Command (Query Pen) - Added in v1.9

• Format: "QP<CR>"
• Example: "QP"
• This command simply asks the EBB what state the pen is in. It will return 1 if the pen is up and 0 if the pen is down. If a pen up/down command is pending in the FIFO, it will only report the new state of the pen after the pen move has been started.
  
• Return Packet: "1" if the pen is  UP, "0" if the pen is DOWN, then "OK"

The "TP" Command (Toggle Pen) - Added in v1.9

• Format: "TP,<duration><CR>"
• <duration> (optional parameter - if no value then 500 is used internally) is a value from 1 to 65,535 and is in milliseconds. It represents the total length of time between when the pen move is started, and when the next command will be executed. Note that this does not have anything to do with how fast the pen moves (which is set with the SC command). The <duration> parameter is to force the EBB not to execute the next command (normally an SM) for some length of time, which gives the system time to allow the pen move to complete and then some extra time before moving the motors (if you set up the pen speed and this duration parameter properly).
  

• This command toggles the state of the pen (up->down and down->up).

• Example: "TP"
• Return Packet: "OK"

The "SM" Command (stepper motor move)

• Format: "SM,<duration>,<axis1>,<axis2><CR>"
• <duration> is a value from 1 to 65,535 and is in milliseconds. It represents the total length of time you want this move to take.
• <axis1> and <axis2> are values from -32,767 to +32,767 and represent the number of steps for each motor to take in <duration> milliseconds.
• If both <axis1> and <axis2> are zero, then a delay of <duration> ms is executed. <axis2> is an optional value, and if it is not included in the command, zero steps are assumed for axis 2.
  

• Use this command to make the motors draw a straight line at constant velocity. The maximum speed that the EBB can generate is 25,000 steps/s. It is helpful to use this command with zeros for both <axis> parameters after moving the pen up or down to give it time to finish moving before starting the next motor move.

• Example: "SM,1000,250,-766"
• Return Packet: "OK"

The "SP" Command (set pen state)

• Format: "SP,<value>,<duration><CR>"
• <value> is 0 (for up) or 1 (for down)
• <duration> (optional parameter - if no value then 500 is used internally) is a value from 1 to 65,535 and is in milliseconds. It represents the total length of time between when the pen move is started, and when the next command will be executed. Note that this does not have anything to do with how fast the pen moves (which is set with the SC command). The <duration> parameter is to force the EBB not to execute the next command (normally an SM) for some length of time, which gives the system time to allow the pen move to complete and then some extra time before moving the motors (if you set up the pen speed and this duration parameter properly).

• This command will make the pen go up or down. On EBB versions 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 this will make the solenoid output turn on and off. On all EBB versions it will also make the RC servo output on RB1 move to the up or down position.
  

• Example: "SP,1"
• Return Packet: "OK"

The "EM" Command (enable motors) for EBB v1.1

• Format: "EM,<EnableAxis1>,<EnableAxis2><CR>"
• Everything after <EnableAxis1> is optional
  
• For each axis:
• 0 will disable that axis (the driver will stop sending current to the motor, so the motor will freewheel)
• 1 will enable that axis in 1/8th step mode (default)
• 2 will enable that axis in 1/4 step mode
• 3 will enable that axis in 1/2 step mode
• 4 will enable that axis in full step mode
  
• Example: "EM,1,0"
• Return Packet: "OK"

The "EM" Command (enable motors) for EBB v1.2 and above

• Format: "EM,<Enable><CR>"
• For the value <Enable>:
• 0 will disable both axis (the driver will stop sending current to the motor, so the motor will freewheel)
• 1 will enable both axis in 1/16th step mode (default)
• 2 will enable both axis in 1/8th step mode
  
• 3 will enable both axis in 1/4 step mode
• 4 will enable both axis in 1/2 step mode
• 5 will enable both axis in full step mode
  
• Example: "EM,1"
• Return Packet: "OK"

The "SC" Command (stepper mode configure)

• Format: "SC,<value1>,<value2><CR>"
• <value1> is a number from 0 to 255 - it's meaning is defined below
  
• <value2> is a number from 0 to 65535 - it's meaning depends upon <value1>
  

• This command allows you to set different parameters that effect the operation of the EBB.

• SC,1,0 - uses just the solenoid output for pen up/down
• SC,1,2 - uses solenoid and RB1 RC servo output for pen up/down, hardware RC output (default)
• SC,2,0 - use built in driver chips for motor control (default)
• SC,2,1 - use the following pins for stepper motor control - EBB v1.1 only:
• ENABLE1 = RA5
• ENABLE2 = RB5
• STEP1 = RD1
• DIR1 = RD0
• STEP2 = RC2
• DIR2 = RC0
• SC,4,<servo_min> - sets the minimum value for the servo (1 to 65535)
• SC,5,<servo_max> - sets the maximum value for the servo (1 to 65535)
• SC,10,<servo_rate> - sets the rate of change of the servo (when going up/down)
• SC,11,<servo_rate_up> - sets the rate of change of the servo when going up (new in v1.9.2)
  
• SC,12,<servo_rate_down> - sets the rate of change of the servo when going down (new in v1.9.2)
  
• Example: "SC,4,8000"
• Return Packet: "OK"

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EggBotBoard by Brian Schmalz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.schmalzhaus.com/EBB.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.schmalzhaus.com/EBB.