Simulink ROS node with catkin build

Hi,

my Simulink ROS node does not work with a catkin workspace created with "catkin build".

But I have to use "catkin build" in this project.

Are there any settings for Simulink to solve this problem?

Answer 1

[Jakobus Louw]

My workaround is to first use catkin_make in catkin_ws_simulink, then copy the package produced in the src folder into my ~/catkin_ws (which was made with catkin build). Then run catkin build in ~/catkin_ws.

Step by step:

Follow the instructions on: Generate Code to Manually Deploy a ROS Node from Simulink, but INSTEAD of creating a catkin workspace with the catkin_init_workspace command like they say here (do not do this, this is just to show you what they say on the webstie):

mkdir -p ~/catkin_ws_simulink/src
cd ~/catkin_ws_simulink/src
catkin_init_workspace

Rather use catkin_make:

mkdir -p ~/catkin_ws_simulink/src
cd ~/catkin_ws_simulink
catkin_make

Then run the provided bash script to build the node:

cd ~
./build_ros_model.sh RobotController.tgz ~/catkin_ws_simulink

Copy the desired package folder inside ~/catkin_ws_simulink/src

Paste it in ~/catkin_ws/src (which was build with catkin build)

Now run:

cd ~/catkin_ws
catkin build

[Jakobus Louw]

You might be able to edit the build_ros_model.sh file they provide to rather use catkin build but I have not been able to make that work.

Answer 2

[Tohru Kikawada]

I was able to compile a generated ROS node from a Simulink model with "catkin build". Could you explain more about your problem?

$ catkin build
---------------------------------------------------------------
Profile:                     default
Extending:             [env] /opt/ros/melodic
Workspace:                   /home/user/catkin_ws_build
---------------------------------------------------------------
Build Space:        [exists] /home/user/catkin_ws_build/build
Devel Space:        [exists] /home/user/catkin_ws_build/devel
Install Space:      [unused] /home/user/catkin_ws_build/install
Log Space:         [missing] /home/user/catkin_ws_build/logs
Source Space:       [exists] /home/user/catkin_ws_build/src
DESTDIR:            [unused] None
---------------------------------------------------------------
Devel Space Layout:          linked
Install Space Layout:        None
---------------------------------------------------------------
Additional CMake Args:       None
Additional Make Args:        None
Additional catkin Make Args: None
Internal Make Job Server:    True
Cache Job Environments:      False
---------------------------------------------------------------
Whitelisted Packages:        None
Blacklisted Packages:        None
---------------------------------------------------------------
Workspace configuration appears valid.

NOTE: Forcing CMake to run for each package.
---------------------------------------------------------------
[build] Found '1' packages in 0.0 seconds.                                     
[build] Updating package table.                                                
Starting  >>> catkin_tools_prebuild                                            
Finished  <<< catkin_tools_prebuild                [ 2.5 seconds ]             
Starting  >>> robotcontroller                                                  
Finished  <<< robotcontroller                      [ 13.0 seconds ]            
[build] Summary: All 2 packages succeeded!                                     
[build]   Ignored:   None.                                                     
[build]   Warnings:  None.                                                     
[build]   Abandoned: None.                                                     
[build]   Failed:    None.                                                     
[build] Runtime: 15.5 seconds total.                                           
[build] Note: Workspace packages have changed, please re-source setup files to use them.

[Markus Krovinovitsch]

Hi,

i want to generate the ros node (button in simulink: build and run) on a linux target hardware whose workspace was created with catkin build.

But this does not work, because Simulink expects an workspace created with catkin_make.