Test

This file contains information about the test nodes and a correct procedure to test the communication.

Test Nodes

The nodes are split into two types, server and client nodes.

The server nodes generate an artificial image and distribute it via their specific way of communication. The client nodes use their specific way of communication to receive an image and show it on a gui. The server and client nodes with matching names should always communicate with each other.

Server nodes:

• rgbd_test_server_ros: Publishes an image via default ROS image message with the use of the ServerROS class.
• rgbd_test_server_rgbd: Publishes an image via the custom RGBD message on a ROS topic with the use of the ServerRGBD class. This also provides the RGBD service.
• rgbd_test_server_shm: Publishes an image via shared memory communication with the use of the ServerSHM class.
• rgbd_test_server: Provides the interfaces of the Server class. This includes the interface of ServerRGBD and ServrSHM combined with a hostname topic.

Client nodes:

• rgbd_test_client_ros: Subsribes to the default ROS image topics to receive an image with the use of the ClientROS class.
• rgbd_test_client_rgbd: Subsribes to the custom RGBD topic with the use of the ClientRGBD class.
• rgbd_test_client_shm: Receives an image via shared memory communication with the use of the ClientSHM class. Note: This node has an initialization timeout. The shared memory needs needs to be created before this timeout ends. So start the server node providing the shared memory either before or directly after starting this node.
• rgbd_test_client: Receives images via either the RGBD topic or shared memory communication with the use of the Client class. It switched between these two based on a hostname topic to determine the availability of shared memory communication, but uses RGBD as a fallback.

Test procedure

As mentioned earlier, the server and client nodes with matching names should always communicate with each other.

The nodes communicating via ROS topics, *_ros and *_rgbd, can be started, closed and restarted in any order. The nodes should always reconnect automatically and the client node should show new images. Test this by opening the server before the client and vice-versa. Test the reconnection by closing the first node and restart it again. Try mutltiple time intervals.

The bare shared memory nodes, rgbd_test_server_shm and rgbd_test_client_shm, are not that robust by themselves. These don't reconnect and the shared memory needs to be opened before the timoeut of the client nodes has ended. Otherwise no communication will be established. Test this by opening the server before the client or just directly after.

The robust rgbd_test_server and rgbd_test_client should always reconnect. Apply the same test procedure as the nodes using ROS topics. When both are running on the same machine, communication should be happening via the shared memory. This can be checked by either rostopic info or rosnode info.

Cross testing

To verify the robust behaviour of the classes perform the following tests:

1. Combine the rgbd_test_client with rgbd_test_server_rgbd. This should always reconnect.
2. Extend the first test by starting a rgbd_to_shm node. (Note: This node should be run on the same machine as the client node. This might require some remapping of the RGBD topic.) The client node should switch from RGBD communication to shared memory communication. By closing the rgbd_to_shm node, the client node should switch back to the RGBD topic. After both opening and closing of the rgbd_to_shm node, check the way of communication again via either rostopic info or rosnode info.
3. Start the rgbd_test_server followed by the rgbd_test_client_shm. Apply the same test as used by the rgbd_test_server_shm. As rgbd_test_server provides the same shared memory communication and extra RGBD topic and service.
4. In any test, the rgbd_test_server can be replaced by the combination of the rgbd_test_server_ros with the ros_to_rgbd nodes.
5. In any test, the rgbd_test_client can be replaced by the combination of the rgbd_to_ros and the rgbd_test_client_ros nodes.