Roomba/Eclipse

Notes on how to set up to use Eclipse IDE to develop for iRobot Roomba.

Background

Instead of using the pseudo-Java development tools provided by Processing. Here's a shortcut method to set up Eclipse IDE to use instead of Processing.

The basic idea is to:

• Get Processing to work with Roomba. (i.e. follow procedures from Processing
• Copy the roombacomm libraries into a new Eclipse workspace
• Configure the classpaths
• Configure run paths through Eclipse

Configuration

There's probably more detail required here...

Install Processing

• Install Processing.
  • This may require configuring the speed of the serial data communications link via an application like Zterm. for configuring Bluetooth

Create Eclipse Project

1. Create a new Eclipse project using the "New Project Wizard"
2. Copy /Applications/Processing 0123/libraries/roombacomm/library/* into the newly created Eclipse Project
3. Add RXTXcomm.jar to buildpath
4. Add roombacomm classes to buildpath
   • roombacomm.jar to buildpath. OR
   • rename "roombacomm.jar Folder" to "classes" and add as a src folder

Configure Execution within Eclipse

Any main class that will run Roomba code must add a VM argument to use the RXTX JNI libraries correctly.

Notes

Tested with a Macbook C2D, Bluetooth, Mac OS 10.4, Sun Java 1.5. If you have gotten your computer to connect to a Roomba and used the Processing dev environment, then there is no reason why you would not be able to get Eclipse IDE to work too.

References

• Eclipse.org
• Todd E Kurt. connecting via bluetooth. roombacomm/processing
• Processing
• Rxtx
• JNI