ARC 2025.02.20.00 (Pro And Runtime)

Hold onto your servos, folks! This release is packed with optimizations, performance boosts, and enough stability improvements to make even the wobbliest robots stand tall. This update is focused on stability and performance improvements. We have been working hard to lower CPU consumption as ARC is often used on SBC (Single-board computers). Lowering CPU consumption means optimizing every bit, byte, variable, loop, and function. Particularly in that order! Here’s what we’ve been up to:

Performance Enhancements & Speed Boosts

• The Add Control form now loads faster than ever. No more twiddling your thumbs waiting for it to render!

• Project History Manager got a memory diet - leaner, meaner, and less memory-hungry.

• Auto Position Service now reacts with lightning speed, thanks to the new Task Scheduler V2. Your robot’s moves have never been this snappy.

• EZB v4 Camera Video Stream is now sipping CPU and RAM instead of chugging it. Expect 1-2% less CPU usage and buttery smooth computer vision tracking without dropping frames.

• Single Color Tracking is now up to 10x faster! We moved some code from managed to unmanaged - because sometimes, you just have to go rogue. This means we access memory directly compared to letting Windows gatekeep the bits.

Stability Improvements & Bug Fixes

• Remote Access Service Server now shuts down faster and performs better. If only all servers could be this polite when leaving.

• ARC Movement Manager now plays nice with multiple robot skills fighting over movement control. No more robot tug-of-war!

• Com Port Manager and Log Manager got some TLC for better stability.

• Speech Synthesis & Recognition got a minor but noticeable stability boost - because robots should understand you the first time.

• RGB Animator for LED Eyes now preallocates memory, caches hardware reads, and recovers gracefully from EZ-B disconnects.

EZ-B & Peripheral Enhancements

• Digital Port EZ-B Driver bug fix + a caching model update = better performance.

• Servo EZ-B Driver now handles acceleration better and communicates like a pro.

• RGB 8x8 LED Animator & Driver improved memory handling, state buffering, and overall stability - your LED animations will thank you.

• RGB Eye LED Driver for JD Humanoid now has a new caching model, better buffering, and improved LED state management.

New & Upgraded Systems

• The EZ Task Scheduler V2 saves the day! Script (JavaScript, Python, and EZ-Script) engines now share cancellation tokens so parent scripts can control their children - because structure matters. This also works hand-in-hand with the new ControlCommand mechanism from a previous release of ARC. This allows other robot skill processes to use cancellation tokens from the scripts to stop when the script is stopped.

• RoboScratch is now powered by the new Task Scheduler V2, making block-based programming smoother than ever.

• The Camera Processing System has been completely re-engineered! Instead of launching a new thread for every frame, it now runs on a single background thread - saving massive resources and boosting performance. This release should not understate the performance improvement of camera robot skills. This release boasts CPU savings between 2% to 5%!

Audio & Communication Overhaul

• EZBv4 Sound Manager is now smarter and more efficient. The new optimized task scheduler balances threads better, and a lookup table reduces real-time calculations. That means crisper audio, faster response times, and a happier robot Disc Jockey.

• EZ-B Communication System has been significantly improved. Data transfer speeds are magnitudes faster, disconnect handling is greatly improved, and serial communication (including with Arduinos and USB EZ-Bs) is now smoother than a freshly waxed bot.

TL;DR

This update makes ARC run faster, smoother, and more stable across the board. Less lag, fewer crashes, smarter movement, and better performance - what more could a robot ask for?

Go forth and update! Your bots will thank you.