DDS-ROS Docker

DDS-ROS communication

This repository allows you to make Fast DDS and ROS X (1 or 2) communicate to each other.
This communication is possible thanks to the eProsima Integration Service bridge, a YAML configuration file and the Fast DDS and ROS X System Handles.

The Docker images used to test the communication among these protocols are:

• DLS2
  Fast DDS protocol
• Focal Noetic / Jammy Humble
  ROS 1 / 2 protocol, respectively.
  These are built with the Dockerfiles of the dds_ros1 / dds_ros2 folders and the images are already available on Server Harbor (ip: 10.240.104.9).

The Focal Noetic Docker image contains:

• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa
• ROS 1 Noetic Ninjemys
• Fast DDS
• Integration Service (with both Fast DDS and ROS 1 System Handles).

The Jammy Humble Docker image contains:

• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish
• ROS 2 Humble Hawksbill
• Fast DDS
• Integration Service (with both Fast DDS and ROS 2 System Handles).

The main components needed to allow this communication are:

DLS2

• dds_ros_communication
  This folder od DLS2 contains a Fast DDS publisher and subscriber. These publish/listen a DDSROSMsg message through the DDSROSTopic topic.
  The message structure in DLS2 is defined with the dds_ros.idl file.

Focal Noetic / Jammy Humble

• dds_rosX_communication
  This folder is mounted in the Docker image and can be built to run a ROS X publisher and subscriber. These publish/listen a DDSROSMsg message through the DDSROSTopic topic.

• fastdds_rosX__communication.yaml
  This configuration file is mounted in the Docker image and is used by Integration Service to provide the conversion between the Fast DDS and ROS X protocols, using their System Handles.

Pull the Docker images

The Docker images are on Server Harbor and can be pulled with:

• docker pull server-harbor:80/dls2/focal_noetic
• docker pull server-harbor:80/dls2/jammy_humble

Run the Docker images

You can run the Docker images with:

• cd $HOME/dls_ws_home/dds_ros_docker (check your path)
• ./run_image.sh <DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME> <FLAG_VOLUMES>

where:

• DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME:
  • focal_noetic
  • jammy_humble
• FLAG_VOLUMES (optional):
  • -v
    If used, the image is opened with the content of the volumes folder.
    The folder mounts the fastdds_rosX__communication.yaml file in the integration_service_ws and the dds_rosX_communication folder in the rosX_ws (either ros1 or ros2, according to the image launched).
    If not specified, it runs the image without mounting any volumes.

Attach the Docker images

You can execute a new shell session in the running container, with:

• cd $HOME/dls_ws_home/dds_ros_docker (check your path)
• ./attach_image.sh <DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME>

where:

• DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME:
  • focal_noetic
  • jammy_humble

Build the Docker images

If you want to build the Dockerfiles of this repository instead of using the Docker images on the server, you can do:

• cd $HOME/dls_ws_home/dds_ros_docker (check your path)
• ./build_image.sh <DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME> <FLAG_NO_CACHE>

where:

• DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME:
  • focal_noetic
  • jammy_humble
• FLAG_NO_CACHE (optional):
  • -nc
    If used, the image is built without considering the cache. If not specified, it automatically builds the image considering the cache.

The image will be built and tagged as server-harbor:80/dls2/<DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME>:latest.

Push the Docker images

To push a Docker image on Server Harbor, you can run:

• cd $HOME/dls_ws_home/dds_ros_docker (check your path)
• ./push_image.sh <DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME>

where:

• DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME:
  • focal_noetic
  • jammy_humble

You will be asked to confirm by pressing [y/n] before pushing the image online.

IMPORTANT: This step is not required and you should push a new image only if really needed. This will automatically overwrite the image online.

Test DDS - ROS1 communication

To test the communication among DDS and ROS1 using the Integration Service bridge, you can open a Terminator window, split in four different terminals.

DLS2 image

In the first terminal, you can run:

• dls2
• cd dls2_deploy/build
• ccmake ..
  Select the packages that you want to compile, press c twice and then g
• make && sudo make install
• cd ../dls2/bin/Release
• ./dds_ros_communication -m <EXECUTABLE>

where:

• EXECUTABLE:
  • publisher
  • subscriber

Focal Noetic image

In the second terminal, you can run:

• ./run_image.sh focal_noetic -v
• roscore

In the third terminal, run:

• ./attach_image.sh focal_noetic
• cd ros1_ws
• catkin_make
• source devel/setup.bash
• rosrun run dds_ros2_communication <EXECUTABLE>

where:

• EXECUTABLE:
  • ros1_dds_publisher
  • ros1_dds_subscriber

Now you have a publisher and a subscriber running, but these can not communicate yet. You miss a last step, that is running the Integration Service bridge.

In the fourth terminal, run:

• ./attach_image.sh focal_noetic
• integration-service integration_service_ws/src/Integration-Service/examples/basic/fastdds_ros1__communication.yaml

You will see now the publisher and subscriber communicating to each other.

Obviously, if you have run the publisher / subscriber in DLS2, you have to run the ros1_dds_subscriber / ros1_dds_publisher in Focal Noetic and viceversa to test the communication in both the directions.

Test DDS - ROS2 communication

To test the communication among DDS and ROS2 using the Integration Service bridge, you can open a Terminator window, split in three different terminals.

DLS2 image

In the first terminal, you can run:

• dls2
• cd dls2_deploy/build
• ccmake ..
  Select the packages that you want to compile, press c twice and then g
• make && sudo make install
• cd ../dls2/bin/Release
• ./dds_ros_communication -m <EXECUTABLE>

where:

• EXECUTABLE:
  • publisher
  • subscriber

Jummy Humble image

In the second terminal, you can run:

• ./run_image.sh jammy_humble -v
• cd ros2_ws
• colcon build
• source install/setup.bash
• ros2 run dds_ros2_communication <EXECUTABLE>

where:

• EXECUTABLE:
  • ros2_dds_publisher
  • ros2_dds_subscriber

Now you have a publisher and a subscriber running, but these can not communicate yet. You miss a last step, that is running the Integration Service bridge.

In the third terminal, run:

• ./attach_image.sh jammy_humble
• integration-service integration_service_ws/src/Integration-Service/examples/basic/fastdds_ros2__communication.yaml

You will see now the publisher and subscriber communicating to each other.

Obviously, if you have run the publisher / subscriber in DLS2, you have to run the ros2_dds_subscriber / ros2_dds_publisher in Jammy Humble and viceversa to test the communication in both the directions.