How to debug Republisher?

[slowrunner]

How are you connecting to your Create 3?

USB Ethernet (ROS 2)

Computer(s) Model(s) and Operating System(s)

Raspberry Pi 5 / Ubuntu 24.04

Which version of ROS 2 is installed on your computer?

Jazzy

Which firmware version is installed on your robot?

I.0.0.Fast_DDS

Which RMW is your robot running?

FastRTPS

Does your robot have an assigned namespace? If so, please share.

/_do_not_use

Is the robot connected to a network? If so, what is the network type?

Yes, Create3 to RPi5 via Ethernet over USB, RPi5 to WiFi

Are there multiple Create 3 robots connected to your network?

No

Is multicast enabled?

Yes

What is the Adapter Board's USB/BLE Toggle currently switched to?

USB

Describe your question.

I am running TurtleBot4 Lite Version 2.0.2 Jammy on the Raspberry Pi 5 and the Create3 Republisher was working well for the last eight months. I ran an update/upgrade on the Raspberry Pi (and turtlebot4-update) and now the Republisher is no longer republishing Create3 topics.

I don't remember how to debug the Republisher not working.

I ran a successful turtlebot4-update, and then performed a total shutdown-cold boot sequence recently. Now I am not seeing anything coming out of the republisher (no /battery_state, /dock_status, /odom, ...). I have forgotten how to diagnose this situation.

Here are the running procs:

ubuntu@TB5WaLI:~/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws$ ./procs.sh 
%CPU %MEM CMD
 2.6  0.3 /home/ubuntu/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws/install/sllidar_ros2/lib/sllidar_ros2/sllidar_node --ros-args -r __node:=rplidar_composition -r __ns:=/ --params-file /tmp/launch_params_999fmucx
 1.9  2.3 /opt/ros/jazzy/lib/rclcpp_components/component_container --ros-args -r __node:=oakd_container -r __ns:=/
 1.6  0.5 /home/ubuntu/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws/install/turtlebot4_node/lib/turtlebot4_node/turtlebot4_node --ros-args -r __ns:=/ --params-file /tmp/tmps53yuq4l --params-file /tmp/launch_params_9uybhn_2
 1.1  0.9 /usr/bin/python3 /opt/ros/jazzy/lib/joint_state_publisher/joint_state_publisher --ros-args -r __node:=joint_state_publisher -r __ns:=/ --params-file /tmp/launch_params_fmaq4ypj -r /tf:=tf -r /tf_static:=tf_static
 0.3  0.4 /opt/ros/jazzy/lib/robot_state_publisher/robot_state_publisher --ros-args -r __node:=robot_state_publisher -r __ns:=/ --params-file /tmp/launch_params_n53b3y7r --params-file /tmp/launch_params_9t8xl3fc -r /tf:=tf -r /tf_static:=tf_static
 0.0  0.9 /usr/bin/python3 /opt/ros/jazzy/bin/ros2 launch /tmp/turtlebot4.launch.py
 0.0  0.9 /usr/bin/python3 /home/ubuntu/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws/install/wali/lib/wali/wali_node
 0.0  0.9 /usr/bin/python3 /home/ubuntu/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws/install/wali/lib/wali/odometer
 0.0  0.8 /usr/bin/python3 /home/ubuntu/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws/install/wali/lib/wali/say_node
 0.0  0.5 /opt/ros/jazzy/lib/create3_republisher/create3_republisher --ros-args -r __ns:=/ --params-file /home/ubuntu/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws/install/turtlebot4_bringup/share/turtlebot4_bringup/config/republisher.yaml --params-file /tmp/launch_params_fofry6z_ -r cmd_vel:=cmd_vel_unstamped -r cmd_vel_stamped:=cmd_vel
 0.0  0.4 /usr/bin/python3 /opt/ros/jazzy/bin/ros2 run wali wali_node
 0.0  0.4 /usr/bin/python3 /opt/ros/jazzy/bin/ros2 run wali say_node
 0.0  0.4 /usr/bin/python3 /opt/ros/jazzy/bin/ros2 run wali odometer
 0.0  0.0 /bin/bash /usr/sbin/turtlebot4-start

The republisher is running.

Here is the node list:

ubuntu@TB5WaLI:~/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws$ ros2 node list
/create3_repub
/joint_state_publisher
/joy_linux_node
/launch_ros_10179
/oakd
/oakd_container
/odometer
/robot_state_publisher
/rplidar_composition
/say
/teleop_twist_joy_node
/turtlebot4_node
/wali_node

Here is the topic list:

ubuntu@TB5WaLI:~/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws$ ros2 topic list
/battery_state
/cmd_audio
/cmd_lightring
/cmd_vel
/cmd_vel_unstamped
/diagnostics
/dock_status
/function_calls
/imu
/interface_buttons
/ip
/joint_states
/joy
/joy/set_feedback
/oakd/rgb/preview/camera_info
/oakd/rgb/preview/image_raw
/oakd/rgb/preview/image_raw/compressed
/oakd/rgb/preview/image_raw/compressedDepth
/oakd/rgb/preview/image_raw/theora
/oakd/rgb/preview/image_raw/zstd
/odom
/parameter_events
/robot_description
/rosout
/scan
/stop_status
/tf
/tf_static
/wheel_status

BUT create3 topics are not being republished:

ubuntu@TB5WaLI:~/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws$ ros2 topic hz /battery_state
WARNING: topic [/battery_state] does not appear to be published yet
^Cubuntu@TB5WaLI:~/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws$ cmds/echo_battery_state.sh 

*** ECHO BATTERY STATE
Wed Sep 17 09:43:11 EDT 2025
ros2 topic echo --once --flow-style -l 1 --qos-reliability best_effort --qos-durability volatile /battery_state
^C

Repub info:

ubuntu@TB5WaLI:~/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws$ ros2 node info /create3_repub
/create3_repub
  Subscribers:
    /cmd_audio: irobot_create_msgs/msg/AudioNoteVector
    /cmd_lightring: irobot_create_msgs/msg/LightringLeds
    /cmd_vel: geometry_msgs/msg/TwistStamped
    /cmd_vel_unstamped: geometry_msgs/msg/Twist
    /parameter_events: rcl_interfaces/msg/ParameterEvent
  Publishers:
    /battery_state: sensor_msgs/msg/BatteryState
    /dock_status: irobot_create_msgs/msg/DockStatus
    /imu: sensor_msgs/msg/Imu
    /interface_buttons: irobot_create_msgs/msg/InterfaceButtons
    /odom: nav_msgs/msg/Odometry
    /parameter_events: rcl_interfaces/msg/ParameterEvent
    /rosout: rcl_interfaces/msg/Log
    /stop_status: irobot_create_msgs/msg/StopStatus
    /tf: tf2_msgs/msg/TFMessage
    /tf_static: tf2_msgs/msg/TFMessage
    /wheel_status: irobot_create_msgs/msg/WheelStatus
  Service Servers:
    /create3_repub/describe_parameters: rcl_interfaces/srv/DescribeParameters
    /create3_repub/get_parameter_types: rcl_interfaces/srv/GetParameterTypes
    /create3_repub/get_parameters: rcl_interfaces/srv/GetParameters
    /create3_repub/get_type_description: type_description_interfaces/srv/GetTypeDescription
    /create3_repub/list_parameters: rcl_interfaces/srv/ListParameters
    /create3_repub/set_parameters: rcl_interfaces/srv/SetParameters
    /create3_repub/set_parameters_atomically: rcl_interfaces/srv/SetParametersAtomically
    /e_stop: irobot_create_msgs/srv/EStop
    /reset_pose: irobot_create_msgs/srv/ResetPose
    /robot_power: irobot_create_msgs/srv/RobotPower
  Service Clients:

  Action Servers:
    /audio_note_sequence: irobot_create_msgs/action/AudioNoteSequence
    /dock: irobot_create_msgs/action/Dock
    /drive_arc: irobot_create_msgs/action/DriveArc
    /drive_distance: irobot_create_msgs/action/DriveDistance
    /led_animation: irobot_create_msgs/action/LedAnimation
    /navigate_to_position: irobot_create_msgs/action/NavigateToPosition
    /rotate_angle: irobot_create_msgs/action/RotateAngle
    /undock: irobot_create_msgs/action/Undock
    /wall_follow: irobot_create_msgs/action/WallFollow
  Action Clients:

This is the create3 about info:

System Info
>>>>>>> system IP address
unknown

>>>>>>> system version
I.0.0.FastDDS

>>>>>>> system sku
RCi3099

>>>>>>> system battery
Percentage:100
Capacity(mAh):1145

>>>>>>> system properties
   PRODUCT         : create3
   SERIAL          : e17628
   CLEAN MODE      : normal
   CONNS SVC MODE  : normal
   AP RADIO        : wlan1/g/6/[SHORT-GI-20][GF]/Create-883C/US
   AP IP ADDR      : 192.168.10.1
   CL IP           : dhcp/#/#/#
   CL DNS          : #/#/#
   CL DHCPCD T/O   : 3
   CL REG DOMAIN   : #
   ETH0 IP         : static/192.168.186.2/192.168.186.3
   USB0 IP         : 192.168.186.2/192.168.187.2/192.168.186.3
   SYSTEM_ACCESS   : locked
   DEVELOPMENT MODE: disabled
   RADIO_LIST      : wlan0 wlan1
   HOSTNAME        : iRobot-883C456BE1E840DC89E64B28B4F75B53
   ROBOT ID        : 883C456BE1E840DC89E64B28B4F75B53
   BOOT COUNT      : 59
   LANGUAGE PACK   : unknown
   EXTRA LANGUAGE  : not_installed


>>>>>>> system date
Wed Sep 17 13:46:40 UTC 2025

>>>>>>> system uptime
 13:46:40 up 2 days, 20:50,  load average: 1.05, 0.94, 0.94

>>>>>>> system memory
              total        used        free      shared  buff/cache   available
Mem:          59088       32820        1504         456       24764       24116
Swap:             0           0           0

>>>>>>> system ifconfig
lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:65536  Metric:1
          RX packets:12502 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:12502 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:678397 (662.4 KiB)  TX bytes:678397 (662.4 KiB)

usb0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 46:D4:78:62:A4:7F  
          inet addr:192.168.186.2  Bcast:192.168.186.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:8014 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:1298973 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:262908 (256.7 KiB)  TX bytes:499007083 (475.8 MiB)


>>>>>>> system hciconfig

My environment variables:

ubuntu@TB5WaLI:~/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws$ printenv | grep ROS
ROS_VERSION=2
ROS_PYTHON_VERSION=3
ROS_SUPER_CLIENT=True
ROS_DOMAIN_ID=5
ROS_AUTOMATIC_DISCOVERY_RANGE=SUBNET
ROS_DISTRO=jazzy
ROS_DISCOVERY_SERVER=127.0.0.1:11811;

ubuntu@TB5WaLI:~/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws$ printenv | grep TURTLE
TURTLEBOT4_DIAGNOSTICS=0

Bottom of the .bashrc:

export ROBOT_SETUP=/etc/turtlebot4/setup.bash
source $ROBOT_SETUP
source /etc/turtlebot4/aliases.bash
/etc/turtlebot4/setup.bash:

ubuntu@TB5WaLI:~/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws$ more /etc/turtlebot4/setup.bash

[ -t 0 ] && export ROS_SUPER_CLIENT=True || export ROS_SUPER_CLIENT=False
export CYCLONEDDS_URI="/etc/turtlebot4/cyclonedds_rpi.xml"
export FASTRTPS_DEFAULT_PROFILES_FILE="/etc/turtlebot4/fastdds_rpi.xml"
export ROBOT_NAMESPACE=""
export ROS_DOMAIN_ID="5"
export ROS_DISCOVERY_SERVER="127.0.0.1:11811;"
export RMW_IMPLEMENTATION="rmw_fastrtps_cpp"
export TURTLEBOT4_DIAGNOSTICS="0"
export WORKSPACE_SETUP="/home/ubuntu/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws/install/setup.bash"
[ -t 0 ] && export ROS_SUPER_CLIENT=True || export ROS_SUPER_CLIENT=False
export ROBOT_SETUP=/etc/turtlebot4/setup.bash

source $WORKSPACE_SETUP

If I send an undock action request, it is accepted but not executed:

ubuntu@TB5WaLI:~/TB5-WaLI/wali_ws$ cmds/undock.sh 

** UNDOCK **
** ros2 action send_goal /undock irobot_create_msgs/action/Undock "{}"
Waiting for an action server to become available...
Sending goal:
     {}

Goal accepted with ID: 9361289f73f54a43a5243ce32c117370
(no further responses)
^CCanceling goal...
Goal canceled.
Result:
    is_docked: false

Goal finished with status: CANCELED

2025-09-17_Create3_Logs.txt

[slowrunner]

Decided to try off-dock shutdown and dock restart again - Repub is working again!