New DGT driver and updated eBoard drivers (Windows/Linux)

[GONeill]

I have made some changes to my Certabo, Millennium and Novag (Citrine and UCB) drivers. They now provide more information during the process of connecting to the board and there have been a few small bug fixes. However the main change is that they also now run on Linux. The only GUI that currently supports this is LucasChess since Arena for Linux has its DGT support hard coded into the program and Shredder for Linux currently has no eBoard support.

The new drivers are already included in LucasChess from version 1.27 or they can be downloaded from my web page:

https://goneill.co.nz/chess.php

Unfortunately DGT never released the Rabbit Plugin for Linux, which meant that LucasChess could support the other boards but not DGT. So I decided to write my own DGT driver. Of course it also works on Windows, so it can be used as an alternative to the Rabbit program if desired. Differences you might notice:

• In LucasChess take back moves are handled automatically while in Rabbit you need to coordinate the take backs on the board with clicking the "Takeback" button on the screen.

• In LucasChess special starting positions are sent to my driver using FEN so castling, en passant rules etc are obeyed. Rabbit only uses the piece positions.

• In Shredder the DGT clock can be used to rewind the times to the start of your move when making a computer move on the board so you don't lose time moving the computers pieces.

• Once in take back mode my screen shows the next take back move on the screen.

• My program can show moves on the DGT3000 clock using SAN but always shows the piece character in upper case. Rabbit shows black pieces in lower case. (For some reason, that really annoys me!)

Like the other drivers it works in LucasChess, Arena and Shredder on Windows and LucasChess on Linux. I have tested it with a Smart Board and DGT3000 clock, and I'm told it also works with USB and Bluetooth. I think it will work with DGTXL clocks and Revelation boards but haven't been able to test these. Again, this driver is included in LucasChess 1.27


There are some notes about these new drivers as there are some things I haven't worked out yet and some things I couldn't test:

All drivers (Linux). On some PCs these seem to run OK, on others they don't start at all. If you find they don't start try running:

Code: Select all

sudo apt install libqt5pas1

I have been told that on some systems the font is very small. I will look into this and try to fix it in the next release.

DGT Bluetooth (Windows/Linux). I have been told that it works with these boards but I have also been told that you need the DGT Live programming running at the same time in order to see the COM port (ttyACM0). Try it and see!

Certabo Bluetooth (Linux). This uses the BlueZ library which may, or may not, already be installed on your PC. To avoid causing any issues to other parts of LucasChess at the moment I have kept it separate so to use BT you need to:
Rename LucasChessR/bin/OS/linux/DigitalBoards/libcer.so to something else
Rename LucasChessR/bin/OS/linux/DigitalBoards/libcerBT.so to libcer.so
If it doesn't work try running

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install libbluetooth-dev

[AdminX]

Thank you for this, I look forward to trying with my DGT Board when I have some time available.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

Many thanks to Graham O'Neill. I have such a request and you can write some application to conduct the tournament live over the internet using the board DGT USB e-Board.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

Unfortunately, there are serious bugs with the chess clock when playing with Arena 3.5.1 and Schredder 5. I noticed that the time on the clock is not the same as the program.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

Here I have to apologize - Arena 3.5.1 along with DGT 3000 clock works fine. Unfortunately, Schredder Classic 4 and Schredder Classic 5 show errors with the DGT 3000 clock.In the beginning, everything is nicely detected by the programs. And I have this message:



After a short game (just a few moves) a message appears:



I bought my DGT board a few days ago - it has a USB-C.

[GONeill]

Hi Krzysztof,

Your first request, running games over the internet is probably beyond my programming ability! Is there something about the official DGT software you don't like?

In your second post you say Arena 3.5.1 shows the clocks OK. I wish mine did! Nothing I can do in my Arena will persuade it to output the clock data to my program. If possible could you send me a copy of the ArenaGUI.cfg file from your Arena directory? Maybe I can see what is different to mine, although it's made harder for me by having the config file all in German! My mail has my name (graham) which is AT my domain name (goneill.co.nz). Thanks!

Based on the screen message you show and the comment that you bought the DGT board a few days ago I'm really hoping the problem is a simple set up issue. It took me a long time to get my program working with the clocks - far longer than the actual movement of the pieces! The DGT clocks have a special mode that is intended for use when a program is controlling it. My routine is:

• Attach the clock to the board with its cable

• Attached the board to the computer with the USB cable

• Turn on the power to the clock

• When the clock is first turned on it will show the "Option" item flashing. Use the + and - buttons to select item 25 (I think for the XL clock this should be 23, so maybe some in between models use 24 instead). You should see '-:--.-- -:--.--' as the time. Then press the right Play [>*] button (not the middle [>||] one) and the Option will stop flashing.

After this it should work properly. Please let me know how you get on!

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

Hi Krzysztof,

Your first request, running games over the internet is probably beyond my programming ability! Is there something about the official DGT software you don't like?

In your second post you say Arena 3.5.1 shows the clocks OK. I wish mine did! Nothing I can do in my Arena will persuade it to output the clock data to my program. If possible could you send me a copy of the ArenaGUI.cfg file from your Arena directory? Maybe I can see what is different to mine, although it's made harder for me by having the config file all in German! My mail has my name (graham) which is AT my domain name (goneill.co.nz). Thanks!

Based on the screen message you show and the comment that you bought the DGT board a few days ago I'm really hoping the problem is a simple set up issue. It took me a long time to get my program working with the clocks - far longer than the actual movement of the pieces! The DGT clocks have a special mode that is intended for use when a program is controlling it. My routine is:

• Attach the clock to the board with its cable

• Attached the board to the computer with the USB cable

• Turn on the power to the clock

• When the clock is first turned on it will show the "Option" item flashing. Use the + and - buttons to select item 25 (I think for the XL clock this should be 23, so maybe some in between models use 24 instead). You should see '-:--.-- -:--.--' as the time. Then press the right Play [>*] button (not the middle [>||] one) and the Option will stop flashing.

After this it should work properly. Please let me know how you get on!

Thank you very much and sincerely Graham.

Shredder Classic 4 Windows

I did a test on Shredder Classic 4 Windows (I think it will work on Shredder Classic 5 Windows too). I followed your directions, Graham.
There was no problem - the clock showed time and movements.

Arena 3.5.1 Windows - I followed your directions, Graham.

Here, the Arena showed only movements during the game. Unfortunately, the time does not appear on the clock.

Here I have to apologize for misleading You. I wrote that the Arena worked properly during the tests. I mean, it shows the movements and never shows the time on the clock. Of course, I tested it completely different from you. Here I have a big request to you.

Is it possible to do minimilizacji button to the top rights next to the close button board. The idea is to enlarge the running program with the game on the entire screen of the monitor.

Thanks again Graham.

Krzysztof.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

Another request came to my mind, Graham, that you describe the board as if you had turned it over.

Krzysztof.

[AdminX]

I just got around to testing your driver. No problems over here with the board or clock. GUI tested was Shredder Classic 5 /Deep Shredder 13, using a older version of the USB Chessboard with DGT 3000 Clock. Thanks for this, I am hoping maybe BanksiaGUI will add support for you driver. I will ask him, since I am willing to test it for him.

[GONeill]

Is it possible to do minimilizacji button to the top rights next to the close button board. The idea is to enlarge the running program with the game on the entire screen of the monitor.

I think I can do something. I had to change how the driver for DGT worked compared to the other boards as they all have LEDs, so I left the screen visible all the time so that my program could show any move errors, take backs etc there instead. But maybe the option to minimize the screen if you don't want that information is a good option. At the moment you can drag my window to the side or corner of the screen so that only a small part of it is visible. You will have to remember to drag it back if you start a new game though so that you can press OK when the board is ready!

Another request came to my mind, Graham, that you describe the board as if you had turned it over.

If the board is set up with the pieces turned over (i.e. with black nearest you) when you press OK on the new game/new position screen then it will automatically flip the board. If during the game you want to display it flipped then you can press the "rotate" button at the bottom left of the board.

I am hoping maybe BanksiaGUI will add support for you driver. I will ask him, since I am willing to test it for him.

Hi Ted, thanks for testing my program and I'm glad it worked OK for you. I have contacted Pham before and he wasn't interested unless I had Linux and Mac versions of my drivers too. I've now done the Linux ones and from what I know (very little so far!) the Mac ones should be relatively close to the Linux so it might be possible for me to do those too. But I'm not a big fan of Apple and I'm likely to give up as soon as I run into the first stupid obstacle they put in my way (having to buy a support library or register my program on their app store or ....)!!

All the best.