Software / API Bindings / Ruby / API Reference and Examples / Bricklets (Discontinued) / Distance US Bricklet

Ruby - Distance US Bricklet¶

This is the description of the Ruby API bindings for the Distance US Bricklet. General information and technical specifications for the Distance US Bricklet are summarized in its hardware description.

An installation guide for the Ruby API bindings is part of their general description.

Examples¶

The example code below is Public Domain (CC0 1.0).

Simple¶

Download (example_simple.rb)

#!/usr/bin/env ruby
# -*- ruby encoding: utf-8 -*-

require 'tinkerforge/ip_connection'
require 'tinkerforge/bricklet_distance_us'

include Tinkerforge

HOST = 'localhost'
PORT = 4223
UID = 'XYZ' # Change XYZ to the UID of your Distance US Bricklet

ipcon = IPConnection.new # Create IP connection
dus = BrickletDistanceUS.new UID, ipcon # Create device object

ipcon.connect HOST, PORT # Connect to brickd
# Don't use device before ipcon is connected

# Get current distance value
distance = dus.get_distance_value
puts "Distance Value: #{distance}"

puts 'Press key to exit'
$stdin.gets
ipcon.disconnect

Callback¶

Download (example_callback.rb)

#!/usr/bin/env ruby
# -*- ruby encoding: utf-8 -*-

require 'tinkerforge/ip_connection'
require 'tinkerforge/bricklet_distance_us'

include Tinkerforge

HOST = 'localhost'
PORT = 4223
UID = 'XYZ' # Change XYZ to the UID of your Distance US Bricklet

ipcon = IPConnection.new # Create IP connection
dus = BrickletDistanceUS.new UID, ipcon # Create device object

ipcon.connect HOST, PORT # Connect to brickd
# Don't use device before ipcon is connected

# Register distance value callback
dus.register_callback(BrickletDistanceUS::CALLBACK_DISTANCE) do |distance|
  puts "Distance Value: #{distance}"
end

# Set period for distance value callback to 0.2s (200ms)
# Note: The distance value callback is only called every 0.2 seconds
#       if the distance value has changed since the last call!
dus.set_distance_callback_period 200

puts 'Press key to exit'
$stdin.gets
ipcon.disconnect

Threshold¶

Download (example_threshold.rb)

#!/usr/bin/env ruby
# -*- ruby encoding: utf-8 -*-

require 'tinkerforge/ip_connection'
require 'tinkerforge/bricklet_distance_us'

include Tinkerforge

HOST = 'localhost'
PORT = 4223
UID = 'XYZ' # Change XYZ to the UID of your Distance US Bricklet

ipcon = IPConnection.new # Create IP connection
dus = BrickletDistanceUS.new UID, ipcon # Create device object

ipcon.connect HOST, PORT # Connect to brickd
# Don't use device before ipcon is connected

# Get threshold callbacks with a debounce time of 10 seconds (10000ms)
dus.set_debounce_period 10000

# Register distance value reached callback
dus.register_callback(BrickletDistanceUS::CALLBACK_DISTANCE_REACHED) do |distance|
  puts "Distance Value: #{distance}"
end

# Configure threshold for distance value "smaller than 200"
dus.set_distance_callback_threshold '<', 200, 0

puts 'Press key to exit'
$stdin.gets
ipcon.disconnect

API¶

All functions listed below are thread-safe.

Basic Functions¶

BrickletDistanceUS::new(uid, ipcon) → distance_us¶

Parameters:	uid – Type: str ipcon – Type: IPConnection
Returns:	distance_us – Type: BrickletDistanceUS

Creates an object with the unique device ID uid:

distance_us = BrickletDistanceUS.new 'YOUR_DEVICE_UID', ipcon

This object can then be used after the IP Connection is connected.

BrickletDistanceUS#get_distance_value → int¶

Returns:	distance – Type: int, Range: [0 to 2¹² - 1]

Returns the current distance value measured by the sensor. A small value corresponds to a small distance, a big value corresponds to a big distance. The relation between the measured distance value and the actual distance is affected by the 5V supply voltage (deviations in the supply voltage result in deviations in the distance values) and is non-linear (resolution is bigger at close range).

If you want to get the distance value periodically, it is recommended to use the ::CALLBACK_DISTANCE callback and set the period with #set_distance_callback_period.

Advanced Functions¶

BrickletDistanceUS#set_moving_average(average) → nil¶

Parameters:	average – Type: int, Range: [0 to 100], Default: 20

Sets the length of a moving averaging for the distance value.

Setting the length to 0 will turn the averaging completely off. With less averaging, there is more noise on the data.

BrickletDistanceUS#get_moving_average → int¶

Returns:	average – Type: int, Range: [0 to 100], Default: 20

Returns the length moving average as set by #set_moving_average.

BrickletDistanceUS#get_identity → [str, str, chr, [int, ...], [int, ...], int]¶

Return Array:

Return Array:	0: uid – Type: str, Length: up to 8 1: connected_uid – Type: str, Length: up to 8 2: position – Type: chr, Range: ['a' to 'h', 'z'] 3: hardware_version – Type: [int, ...], Length: 3 0: major – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255] 1: minor – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255] 2: revision – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255] 4: firmware_version – Type: [int, ...], Length: 3 0: major – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255] 1: minor – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255] 2: revision – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255] 5: device_identifier – Type: int, Range: [0 to 2¹⁶ - 1]

0: uid – Type: str, Length: up to 8
1: connected_uid – Type: str, Length: up to 8
2: position – Type: chr, Range: ['a' to 'h', 'z']
3: hardware_version – Type: [int, ...], Length: 3

0: major – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255]
1: minor – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255]
2: revision – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255]

4: firmware_version – Type: [int, ...], Length: 3

0: major – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255]
1: minor – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255]
2: revision – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255]

5: device_identifier – Type: int, Range: [0 to 2¹⁶ - 1]

Returns the UID, the UID where the Bricklet is connected to, the position, the hardware and firmware version as well as the device identifier.

The position can be 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g' or 'h' (Bricklet Port). A Bricklet connected to an Isolator Bricklet is always at position 'z'.

The device identifier numbers can be found here. There is also a constant for the device identifier of this Bricklet.

Callback Configuration Functions¶

BrickletDistanceUS#register_callback(callback_id) { |param [, ...]| block } → nil¶

Parameters:	callback_id – Type: int

Registers the given block with the given callback_id.

The available callback IDs with corresponding function signatures are listed below.

BrickletDistanceUS#set_distance_callback_period(period) → nil¶

Parameters:	period – Type: int, Unit: 1 ms, Range: [0 to 2³² - 1], Default: 0

Sets the period with which the ::CALLBACK_DISTANCE callback is triggered periodically. A value of 0 turns the callback off.

Der ::CALLBACK_DISTANCE callback is only triggered if the distance value has changed since the last triggering.

BrickletDistanceUS#get_distance_callback_period → int¶

Returns:	period – Type: int, Unit: 1 ms, Range: [0 to 2³² - 1], Default: 0

Returns the period as set by #set_distance_callback_period.

BrickletDistanceUS#set_distance_callback_threshold(option, min, max) → nil¶

Parameters:	option – Type: chr, Range: See constants, Default: 'x' min – Type: int, Range: [0 to 2¹² - 1] max – Type: int, Range: [0 to 2¹² - 1]

Sets the thresholds for the ::CALLBACK_DISTANCE_REACHED callback.

The following options are possible:

Option	Description
'x'	Callback is turned off
'o'	Callback is triggered when the distance value is outside the min and max values
'i'	Callback is triggered when the distance value is inside the min and max values
'<'	Callback is triggered when the distance value is smaller than the min value (max is ignored)
'>'	Callback is triggered when the distance value is greater than the min value (max is ignored)

The following constants are available for this function:

For option:

BrickletDistanceUS::THRESHOLD_OPTION_OFF = 'x'
BrickletDistanceUS::THRESHOLD_OPTION_OUTSIDE = 'o'
BrickletDistanceUS::THRESHOLD_OPTION_INSIDE = 'i'
BrickletDistanceUS::THRESHOLD_OPTION_SMALLER = '<'
BrickletDistanceUS::THRESHOLD_OPTION_GREATER = '>'

BrickletDistanceUS#get_distance_callback_threshold → [chr, int, int]¶

Return Array:	0: option – Type: chr, Range: See constants, Default: 'x' 1: min – Type: int, Range: [0 to 2¹² - 1] 2: max – Type: int, Range: [0 to 2¹² - 1]

Returns the threshold as set by #set_distance_callback_threshold.

The following constants are available for this function:

For option:

BrickletDistanceUS::THRESHOLD_OPTION_OFF = 'x'
BrickletDistanceUS::THRESHOLD_OPTION_OUTSIDE = 'o'
BrickletDistanceUS::THRESHOLD_OPTION_INSIDE = 'i'
BrickletDistanceUS::THRESHOLD_OPTION_SMALLER = '<'
BrickletDistanceUS::THRESHOLD_OPTION_GREATER = '>'

BrickletDistanceUS#set_debounce_period(debounce) → nil¶

Parameters:	debounce – Type: int, Unit: 1 ms, Range: [0 to 2³² - 1], Default: 100

Sets the period with which the threshold callbacks

::CALLBACK_DISTANCE_REACHED,

are triggered, if the thresholds

#set_distance_callback_threshold,

keep being reached.

BrickletDistanceUS#get_debounce_period → int¶

Returns:	debounce – Type: int, Unit: 1 ms, Range: [0 to 2³² - 1], Default: 100

Returns the debounce period as set by #set_debounce_period.

Callbacks¶

Callbacks can be registered to receive time critical or recurring data from the device. The registration is done with the #register_callback function of the device object. The first parameter is the callback ID and the second parameter is a block:

distance_us.register_callback BrickletDistanceUS::CALLBACK_EXAMPLE, do |param|
  puts "#{param}"
end

The available constants with inherent number and type of parameters are described below.

Note

Using callbacks for recurring events is always preferred compared to using getters. It will use less USB bandwidth and the latency will be a lot better, since there is no round trip time.

BrickletDistanceUS::CALLBACK_DISTANCE¶

Callback Parameters:	distance – Type: int, Range: [0 to 2¹² - 1]

This callback is triggered periodically with the period that is set by #set_distance_callback_period. The parameter is the distance value of the sensor.

The ::CALLBACK_DISTANCE callback is only triggered if the distance value has changed since the last triggering.

BrickletDistanceUS::CALLBACK_DISTANCE_REACHED¶

Callback Parameters:	distance – Type: int, Range: [0 to 2¹² - 1]

This callback is triggered when the threshold as set by #set_distance_callback_threshold is reached. The parameter is the distance value of the sensor.

If the threshold keeps being reached, the callback is triggered periodically with the period as set by #set_debounce_period.

Virtual Functions¶

Virtual functions don't communicate with the device itself, but operate only on the API bindings device object. They can be called without the corresponding IP Connection object being connected.

BrickletDistanceUS#get_api_version → [int, ...]¶

Return Array:	0: api_version – Type: [int, ...], Length: 3 0: major – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255] 1: minor – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255] 2: revision – Type: int, Range: [0 to 255]

Returns the version of the API definition implemented by this API bindings. This is neither the release version of this API bindings nor does it tell you anything about the represented Brick or Bricklet.

BrickletDistanceUS#get_response_expected(function_id) → bool¶

Parameters:	function_id – Type: int, Range: See constants
Returns:	response_expected – Type: bool

Returns the response expected flag for the function specified by the function ID parameter. It is true if the function is expected to send a response, false otherwise.

For getter functions this is enabled by default and cannot be disabled, because those functions will always send a response. For callback configuration functions it is enabled by default too, but can be disabled by #set_response_expected. For setter functions it is disabled by default and can be enabled.

Enabling the response expected flag for a setter function allows to detect timeouts and other error conditions calls of this setter as well. The device will then send a response for this purpose. If this flag is disabled for a setter function then no response is sent and errors are silently ignored, because they cannot be detected.

The following constants are available for this function:

For function_id:

BrickletDistanceUS::FUNCTION_SET_DISTANCE_CALLBACK_PERIOD = 2
BrickletDistanceUS::FUNCTION_SET_DISTANCE_CALLBACK_THRESHOLD = 4
BrickletDistanceUS::FUNCTION_SET_DEBOUNCE_PERIOD = 6
BrickletDistanceUS::FUNCTION_SET_MOVING_AVERAGE = 10

BrickletDistanceUS#set_response_expected(function_id, response_expected) → nil¶

Parameters:	function_id – Type: int, Range: See constants response_expected – Type: bool

Changes the response expected flag of the function specified by the function ID parameter. This flag can only be changed for setter (default value: false) and callback configuration functions (default value: true). For getter functions it is always enabled.

The following constants are available for this function:

For function_id:

BrickletDistanceUS::FUNCTION_SET_DISTANCE_CALLBACK_PERIOD = 2
BrickletDistanceUS::FUNCTION_SET_DISTANCE_CALLBACK_THRESHOLD = 4
BrickletDistanceUS::FUNCTION_SET_DEBOUNCE_PERIOD = 6
BrickletDistanceUS::FUNCTION_SET_MOVING_AVERAGE = 10

BrickletDistanceUS#set_response_expected_all(response_expected) → nil¶

Parameters:	response_expected – Type: bool

Changes the response expected flag for all setter and callback configuration functions of this device at once.

Constants¶

BrickletDistanceUS::DEVICE_IDENTIFIER¶

This constant is used to identify a Distance US Bricklet.

The #get_identity() function and the IPConnection::CALLBACK_ENUMERATE callback of the IP Connection have a device_identifier parameter to specify the Brick's or Bricklet's type.

BrickletDistanceUS::DEVICE_DISPLAY_NAME¶: This constant represents the human readable name of a Distance US Bricklet.