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Multi-Process Drone System

Contributors

Overview

This project implements a multi-process drone navigation system in C. The system is managed by a master process and includes components such as keyboard input, drone dynamics, window display, watchdog, server, obstacles, and targets. Users can control the drone's movement using predefined keys, and the system displays the drone's movement on the screen. Additionally, the project features a scoring mechanism that increases with reached targets and decreases upon encountering obstacles.

Features

  • Multi-process architecture
  • User-controlled drone movement
  • Real-time display of drone position
  • Watchdog for process monitoring
  • Shared memory and inter-process communication

Components

  1. keyboardManager: Accepts user input to control the drone's direction and force.
  2. droneDynamics: Computes the drone's position based on user input and obstacle avoidance logic.
  3. Window: Displays the drone's movement on the screen.
  4. watchdog: Monitors all processes to ensure correct operation.
  5. server: Handles shared memory access and communication with the watchdog.
  6. obstacles: Generates obstacles that the drone must navigate around.
  7. targets: Defines targets for the drone to reach.

The processes communicate using shared memory and semaphores, pipes, and the system is designed to run in a Linux environment. The user can control the drone by pressing defined keys on the keyboard, and the drone moves accordingly on the screen. Two Konsoles are displayed; one shows the drone movement and the other for the watchdog, displaying the sent and received signals to ensure everything is working properly.

This is the first part of the complete project. Future enhancements will include targets and obstacles, which the user will need to navigate, grabbing targets and avoiding obstacles.

Tools Required

  • GCC compiler
  • A Linux environment (tested only on Linux)
  • Ncurses library
  • Konsole terminal

How to Run

Compile

To compile the code, navigate to the project directory in the terminal and type:

make

This will compile the source files and generate the executable.

Removing Old Bin Files

Before recompiling the code, it's recommended to remove old binary files. To do this, run the command:

make clean

The user can command the drone using the keyboard with the following directions:

  • w: Move up-left
  • e: Move up
  • r: Move up-right
  • s: Move left
  • d: Stop
  • f: Move right
  • x: Move down-left
  • c: Move down
  • v: Move down-right

Note: Pressing the same key increases the speed of the drone.

Components System and Architecture

System Architecture

Master Process (master.c)

The master.c module serves as the central command unit of our multi-process drone system, orchestrating the various components crucial to the system's functionality. It performs several key roles:

  • Process Creation and Management: Utilizing fundamental fork mechanisms, it initiates and oversees the child processes essential for the system: the drone, server, keyboard manager, watchdog, obstacles, and targets. This creation process includes assigning and tracking their Process Identifiers (PIDs) for effective management.

  • Inter-Process Communication: The master process is adept at facilitating communication between these child processes using pipes. This setup ensures a streamlined flow of information, allowing each process to function in concert with others.

  • Lifecycle Control: A significant aspect of its functionality is to monitor the lifecycle of these child processes. It efficiently manages their initiation, operational state, and termination.

  • Graceful Termination: In response to a user interrupt signal (such as SIGINT), the master process takes charge to orderly conclude the system's operation. It does this by terminating all child processes in a controlled manner, thereby ensuring a clean and stable end to the simulation.

The master.c's robust process management and inter-process communication establish it as the backbone of the drone system, ensuring a cohesive and synchronized operation across all components.

Window Process (window.c)

The window.c module is integral to the user interface of our multi-process drone system, primarily handling the system's visual output. Its responsibilities and workflow are as follows:

  • Initialization: It starts by initializing the ncurses library, which is pivotal for creating the system's text-based user interface. This step includes configuring color schemes and installing necessary signal handlers for SIGINT and SIGUSR1, ensuring responsive and controlled behavior under different system states.

  • Communication Setup: The process establishes a communication channel with the keyboardManager by reading from specified pipes. Additionally, it registers itself with the system's monitoring framework by sending its Process Identifier (PID) to the watchdog. This action integrates the window process into the overall process supervision.

  • Core Loop Operations:

    1. Reading Drone Position: Continuously fetches the drone's current coordinates from shared memory, ensuring that the visual representation is synchronized with the drone's actual location.
    2. Handling User Input: Captures and forwards user inputs to the keyboardManager. These inputs are crucial as they dictate the drone's movements.
    3. Display Update: Utilizes the ncurses library to dynamically update the drone's position on the screen, providing real-time visual feedback to the user.

  • Termination: Upon receiving a SIGINT signal, the window process gracefully exits, closing the ncurses interface and ensuring a smooth and orderly shutdown of the visual component of the system.

This module not only presents the real-time position of the drone but also plays a crucial role in facilitating user interaction, making it a cornerstone of the system's user experience.

Keyboard Manager Process (keyboardManager.c)

The keyboardManager.c module is a critical component for user interaction in our multi-process drone system. It has several key functions:

  • Establishing Communication: The module initiates its operation by setting up a communication link with the window process. This connection is vital for the real-time reception of user inputs, which are the primary drivers of the drone's movement.

  • Input Interpretation: Each user input, specifying direction and force, is read continuously from the window process. The keyboardManager processes these inputs, translating them into precise commands that dictate the drone's trajectory and speed.

  • Command Transmission: These navigational directives are then relayed to the droneDynamics.c module via a dedicated pipe. This design ensures uninterrupted and fluid command flow from the user to the drone's control system.

  • Operational Loop and Termination: The process maintains an ongoing loop of reading inputs and updating drone motion parameters. This loop persists until the keyboardManager receives a SIGINT signal, at which point it gracefully ceases operations. This controlled termination not only halts command transmission but also ensures an orderly conclusion of the user input handling function within the system.

The keyboardManager.c's adept handling of user inputs and seamless command relay underscores its pivotal role in facilitating an engaging and responsive user experience in the drone simulation.

Drone Dynamics Process (droneDynamics.c)

The droneDynamics.c component is crucial for the operational aspect of the drone within our multi-process system. Its initialization and ongoing functions include:

  • Initialization and Configuration: Upon startup, droneDynamics.c secures its Process Identifier (PID) and sets up shared memory segments and semaphores. This configuration is key to establishing a synchronized communication channel with both the server and window processes.

  • Acquiring Initial Coordinates: The process begins its operational cycle by fetching the drone's initial position from the window.c interface, laying the foundation for its navigational computations.

  • Responsive Command Processing: In a continuous loop, droneDynamics.c listens attentively for directional commands from the keyboardManager. These inputs are integral to determining the drone's subsequent movements.

  • Position Recalculation and Update: After assimilating the commands, the process recalculates the drone's position. The newly computed coordinates are then promptly written back to the shared memory. This allows the window process to access and display the drone's current location, providing real-time feedback in the simulation environment.

  • Graceful Termination: The lifecycle of droneDynamics.c is designed to be responsive and adaptable. It remains in its operational loop until it receives a SIGINT signal. Upon this signal, the process terminates gracefully, ensuring an orderly and clean cessation of its activities within the broader context of the multi-process system.

Through these functionalities, the droneDynamics.c process plays a pivotal role in the dynamic simulation of the drone's movements, directly impacting the system's interactivity and user engagement.

Server Process (server.c)

The server.c module is a key component in maintaining the integrity and smooth operation of our multi-process drone system. Its initiation and operational procedures are outlined as follows:

  • Initiation and Monitoring Integration: At the start, server.c announces its presence to the watchdog by sending its Process Identifier (PID). This step is crucial for integrating the server process into the system's overall health monitoring, ensuring any issues are promptly detected for maintaining system reliability.

  • Active Data Retrieval: A primary function of this module is to actively access the drone's positional data stored in shared memory. This task is vital for various system operations that depend on the drone's current location.

  • Concurrent Access Management: To handle access to shared memory effectively, especially considering the simultaneous read-write operations by different processes, server.c employs semaphores. These semaphores are instrumental in orchestrating orderly access to the shared memory, preventing data conflicts and ensuring data integrity.

  • Synchronized Operations: The server process not only retrieves data but also plays a pivotal role in maintaining a synchronized state within the system. It ensures that the drone's positional data is consistently current and accurately reflects the ongoing read-write dynamics between the server's read operations and the drone's write operations.

This meticulous approach adopted by the server.c process underscores its significance in the system, particularly in terms of data synchronization and operational harmony between various components of the drone system.

Obstacles Process (obstacles.c)

The obstacles.c module introduces dynamic obstacles into our multi-process drone system, enhancing its realism and complexity. Its functionalities and contributions are detailed as follows:

  • Obstacle Generation: obstacles.c periodically generates new obstacle positions within the operational area of the drone. These obstacles serve as dynamic elements that the drone must navigate around, adding an element of challenge and strategy to the system.

  • Repulsive Forces Calculation: The module calculates repulsive forces exerted by obstacles on the drone based on its position relative to them. It utilizes Latombe / Kathib’s model to determine the magnitude and direction of these forces, influencing the drone's movement dynamics.

  • Inter-Process Communication: Similar to other components, obstacles.c communicates with relevant processes, such as the drone dynamics module, to relay obstacle positions and influence drone movement accordingly. This seamless integration ensures coordinated interaction among system components.

  • Logging and Monitoring: The module logs obstacle positions and relevant data for monitoring and analysis purposes. This logging mechanism provides valuable insights into the system's behavior and aids in performance evaluation and debugging.

The inclusion of obstacles.c enriches the drone system by introducing dynamic challenges that require adaptive navigation strategies, fostering a more engaging and immersive user experience.

Targets Process (targets.c)

The targets.c module introduces targets into our multi-process drone system, adding a layer of objectives and objectives completion mechanics. Its functionalities and contributions are outlined below:

  • Target Generation: targets.c periodically generates new target positions within the operational area of the drone. These targets serve as objectives for the drone to reach and interact with, enhancing the system's gameplay and user engagement.

  • Scoring Mechanism: Upon reaching a target, the drone's score is incremented, providing a tangible measure of progress and accomplishment within the system. Conversely, collision with obstacles deducts from the score, introducing risk-reward dynamics and strategic decision-making elements.

  • Inter-Process Communication: Similar to other components, targets.c communicates with relevant processes, such as the drone dynamics module, to relay target positions and influence drone movement accordingly. This communication ensures coherent interaction among system components.

  • Logging and Monitoring: The module logs target positions and relevant data for monitoring and analysis purposes. This logging capability facilitates performance evaluation, user feedback analysis, and system debugging.

The addition of targets.c enriches the drone system by introducing interactive objectives and scoring mechanisms, transforming it into a dynamic and engaging simulation environment.

Watchdog Process (watchdog.c)

The watchdog.c module serves as the vigilant guardian of our multi-process drone system, ensuring its stability and responsiveness at all times. Its core functionalities and contributions are detailed below:

  • Initialization and Signal Handling: Upon startup, watchdog.c retrieves the Process Identifiers (PIDs) of all other processes, enabling it to monitor and manage their activity. It establishes signal handlers for critical signals like SIGINT and SIGUSR2, preparing for graceful shutdowns and communication with other processes.

  • Continuous Monitoring: The watchdog conducts regular checks by sending SIGUSR1 signals to all processes. This ongoing surveillance ensures that each process remains responsive and operational. Concurrently, the watchdog maintains individual counters for each process, monitoring their responsiveness over time.

  • Responsiveness Assessment: In the event of a process failing to respond within a predefined threshold, the watchdog interprets this as a potential anomaly. It takes proactive measures by initiating a graceful shutdown sequence, sending a SIGINT signal to terminate all processes. This decisive action mitigates the risk of system malfunctions or unresponsive states.

  • Self-Termination: The watchdog is programmed to gracefully terminate itself upon receiving a SIGINT signal. This ensures a systematic shutdown of the monitoring component when the system is intentionally halted, contributing to the overall coherence of the shutdown process.

Through its vigilant oversight and swift intervention capabilities, watchdog.c safeguards the operational integrity of the drone system, instilling confidence in its reliability and robustness.

Conclusion

We have expanded our sophisticated multi-process drone simulation system to include obstacles and targets, enhancing its functionality and realism. Leveraging shared memory and inter-process communication via pipes, the system orchestrates the collaborative operation of multiple processes. The keyboardManager captures user commands to direct the drone's trajectory, while the droneDynamics module dynamically computes its flight position. The window process renders the drone's real-time location, and the watchdog ensures overall system integrity. Additionally, the server process facilitates shared memory access, acting as a conduit between the drone's logic and the supervisory watchdog. With the integration of obstacles and targets, conveyed through pipes, the system achieves greater complexity, offering a platform for future enhancements and the implementation of advanced functionalities.