Raspberry Pi Setup for ROS2 - EEET2610

Overview

The Raspberry Pi serves as the onboard computer running ROS2 for autonomous navigation. It handles high-level tasks like SLAM, path planning, and sensor processing, while the ESP32 handles low-level motor control.

Raspberry Pi: RPi 4 (4GB+) or RPi 5 recommended OS: Ubuntu Server 24.04 (no desktop GUI needed) ROS2: Jazzy Jalisco (ROS-Base, not Desktop)

Why Raspberry Pi?

Onboard Computing

Runs ROS2 navigation stack on the robot itself, enabling autonomous operation without tethered connection to laptop.

Sensor Integration

Connects to LiDAR (USB), Camera (CSI), and ESP32 (serial/USB), processing all sensor data locally.

WiFi Communication

Wireless connection to development computer for monitoring, debugging, and high-level commands.

Power Efficient

Lower power consumption (~2-3A @ 5V) compared to laptop, suitable for battery-powered robot.

Hardware Requirements

Component	Specification	Notes
Raspberry Pi	RPi 4 (4GB+) or RPi 5	8GB RAM recommended for Nav2
microSD Card	32GB+ Class 10/UHS-I	64GB recommended
Power Supply	5V 3A USB-C	Official RPi power supply recommended
Cooling	Heatsink + fan (optional)	Recommended for continuous operation

Optional:

Case with fan
External SSD for better performance (via USB 3.0)

Prepare SD Card

Step 1: Download Raspberry Pi Imager

Website: https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/
Available for Windows, Mac, Linux
Install and launch

Step 2: Choose OS

Click “Choose OS”
Navigate: Other general-purpose OS → Ubuntu → Ubuntu Server 24.04.2 LTS (64-bit)
Important: Select Server, not Desktop (no GUI needed)

Use Ubuntu Server 24.04 (64-bit) - Not Raspberry Pi OS! ROS2 Jazzy requires Ubuntu 24.04.

Step 3: Choose Storage

Click “Choose Storage”
Select your microSD card
Verify correct drive selected (all data will be erased!)

Step 4: Configure Settings

Click gear icon (⚙️) or “Edit Settings”: General Tab:

Hostname: alpha-pi.local (or beta-pi, gamma-pi, etc.)
Username: alpha-pi (match hostname for simplicity)
Password: Choose secure password (e.g., robotics2024)
Configure WiFi:
- SSID: Your WiFi network name
- Password: Your WiFi password
- WiFi country: Your country code

Services Tab:

Enable SSH: ✓ Use password authentication

Step 5: Write Image

Click “Write”
Confirm (all data on SD card will be erased)
Wait for write + verify (~10-15 minutes)
Remove SD card when complete

First Boot and SSH Connection

Insert SD Card and Power On

Insert microSD card into Raspberry Pi
Connect power (5V USB-C)
Wait 2-3 minutes for first boot
RPi will connect to WiFi automatically

Find IP Address

Method 1: Hostname (easiest)

ping alpha-pi.local

Method 2: Router admin panel

Log into your router
Look for device named “alpha-pi”

Method 3: Network scan

# Linux/Mac
sudo nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

# Windows (install nmap first)
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

SSH into Raspberry Pi

From your development computer:

ssh alpha-pi@alpha-pi.local
# Or use IP: ssh alpha-pi@192.168.1.XX

Type “yes” to accept fingerprint
Enter password
You should see Ubuntu prompt: alpha-pi@alpha-pi:~$

Success! You’re now controlling Raspberry Pi remotely from your computer.

Update System

Important: First boot takes time for background updates. Wait 5-10 minutes, then:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

This may take 15-30 minutes. Be patient!Note: RPi may reboot itself during updates. If disconnected, wait 2 min and reconnect via SSH.

Install ROS2 Jazzy on Raspberry Pi

Once SSH connected and system updated:

Set Locale

sudo apt update && sudo apt install locales
sudo locale-gen en_US en_US.UTF-8
sudo update-locale LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
export LANG=en_US.UTF-8

Enable Required Repositories

sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository universe

sudo apt update && sudo apt install curl -y
sudo curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ros/rosdistro/master/ros.key -o /usr/share/keyrings/ros-archive-keyring.gpg

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/ros-archive-keyring.gpg] http://packages.ros.org/ros2/ubuntu $(. /etc/os-release && echo $UBUNTU_CODENAME) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ros2.list > /dev/null

Update Package Cache

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Install ROS2 ROS-Base

Important: Install ROS-Base (not Desktop - no GUI on RPi):

sudo apt install ros-jazzy-ros-base

ROS-Base includes:

Core ROS2 libraries
Command-line tools
No GUI tools (RViz, Gazebo)

Installation time: ~10-15 minutes

Install Development Tools

sudo apt install ros-dev-tools

Install Demo Packages

For testing:

sudo apt install ros-jazzy-demo-nodes-cpp ros-jazzy-demo-nodes-py

Source ROS2 Setup

Add to .bashrc:

echo "source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash" >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Verify:

printenv | grep ROS

Should show ROS_DISTRO=jazzy

Install Additional Packages

Essential for Robot

# Robot localization (sensor fusion)
sudo apt install ros-jazzy-robot-localization

# SLAM Toolbox (mapping)
sudo apt install ros-jazzy-slam-toolbox

# Navigation2 (autonomous navigation)
sudo apt install ros-jazzy-navigation2 ros-jazzy-nav2-bringup

# TF2 tools (coordinate transforms)
sudo apt install ros-jazzy-tf2-tools ros-jazzy-tf2-ros

# Teleop (keyboard control)
sudo apt install ros-jazzy-teleop-twist-keyboard

# Serial communication (ESP32)
sudo apt install ros-jazzy-serial-driver

LiDAR Support

# RPLIDAR A1M8
sudo apt install ros-jazzy-rplidar-ros

Camera Support (if using)

# Camera interface
sudo apt install ros-jazzy-camera-ros

Test ROS2 Installation

Test 1: Talker Node

In SSH terminal on RPi:

ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp talker

Expected: Messages printing “Hello World: X” Press Ctrl+C to stop.

Test 2: Node List

ros2 node list

While talker running, should show /talker

Test 3: Topic List

ros2 topic list

Should show /chatter, /parameter_events, /rosout

Configure Network for Multi-Machine

To communicate between PC and RPi:

On Raspberry Pi

Check IP address:

hostname -I

Note the IP (e.g., 192.168.1.50)

Test Communication

On PC: Run listener

ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp listener

On RPi via SSH: Run talker

ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp talker

Expected: Listener on PC should receive messages from RPi talker!

ROS2 Discovery: By default, ROS2 nodes on same network auto-discover each other. No configuration needed for simple setups!

Performance Optimization

Reduce Swap Usage

# Check current swappiness
cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness  # Default: 60

# Reduce to 10 (better for SD card)
sudo sysctl vm.swappiness=10

# Make permanent
echo "vm.swappiness=10" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf

Enable Fan Control (RPi 5)

If using active cooling:

# Check temperature
vcgencmd measure_temp

# Configure fan (edit config)
sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

# Add:
# dtparam=cooling_fan
# fan_temp=60000  # Start fan at 60°C

Disable Unnecessary Services

# Disable Bluetooth if not used
sudo systemctl disable bluetooth
sudo systemctl stop bluetooth

Remote Development Tips

VSCode Remote SSH

Install “Remote - SSH” extension in VSCode
Connect to RPi: F1 → “Remote-SSH: Connect to Host”
Enter: alpha-pi@alpha-pi.local
Edit code directly on RPi!

File Transfer

From PC to RPi:

scp myfile.txt alpha-pi@alpha-pi.local:~/

From RPi to PC:

scp alpha-pi@alpha-pi.local:~/myfile.txt ./

Entire directory:

scp -r my_ros2_ws/ alpha-pi@alpha-pi.local:~/

Troubleshooting

Cannot SSH to Raspberry Pi

Solutions:

Wait 5 minutes after first boot
Check WiFi credentials in imager settings
Verify RPi and PC on same network
Try IP address instead of hostname
Connect monitor + keyboard to RPi for direct access

apt update fails

Cause: Background auto-update runningSolution: Wait 10-15 minutes after first boot, then retry

ROS2 installation very slow

Expected: RPi is slower than PCTips:

Be patient (10-20 min for ROS2 install)
Use wired Ethernet if possible
Good microSD card improves speed

PC and RPi can't see each other's nodes

Solutions:

Ensure both on same WiFi network
Check firewall settings
Verify ROS_DOMAIN_ID matches (default: 0)
Try: ros2 daemon stop && ros2 daemon start

Raspberry Pi runs hot / throttles

Solutions:

Add heatsink
Enable fan
Ensure good airflow
Check: vcgencmd get_throttled (0x0 = good)

Power Considerations

Raspberry Pi Power:

RPi 4: ~2.5A @ 5V (12.5W)
RPi 5: ~3A @ 5V (15W)

Robot Power Budget:

Motors: 12V rail
RPi + ESP32 + sensors: 5V rail (buck converter from 12V)
Total 5V load: ~4-5A peak

Recommended: 12V to 5V buck converter, 5A rated

Backup SD Card

Once configured, create backup image: Linux/Mac:

sudo dd if=/dev/sdX of=rpi_backup.img bs=4M status=progress

Windows: Use Win32DiskImager to create image

Next Steps

ROS2 Basics

Learn ROS2 fundamental concepts

Communication Testing

Test PC ↔ RPi communication thoroughly

Robot Description

Create URDF model of your robot

Hardware Integration

Connect RPi to robot hardware

References

[1] Raspberry Pi Documentation: https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/ [2] Ubuntu on Raspberry Pi: https://ubuntu.com/raspberry-pi [3] ROS2 Multi-Machine: https://docs.ros.org/en/jazzy/Tutorials/Multi-Machine.html

WP1: MATLAB Simulation

WP2: Prototyping

WP3: Embedded Systems

WP4: ROS2 Setup

WP4: Robot Description

WP4: Control

WP4: Localization

WP4: Mapping

WP4: Navigation

WP4: Sensors

WP5: Integration & Presentation

​Overview

​Why Raspberry Pi?

Onboard Computing

Sensor Integration

WiFi Communication

Power Efficient

​Hardware Requirements

​Prepare SD Card

​Step 1: Download Raspberry Pi Imager

​Step 2: Choose OS

​Step 3: Choose Storage

​Step 4: Configure Settings

​Step 5: Write Image

​First Boot and SSH Connection

​Install ROS2 Jazzy on Raspberry Pi

​Install Additional Packages

​Essential for Robot

​LiDAR Support

​Camera Support (if using)

​Test ROS2 Installation

​Test 1: Talker Node

​Test 2: Node List

​Test 3: Topic List

​Configure Network for Multi-Machine

​On Raspberry Pi

​Test Communication

​Performance Optimization

​Reduce Swap Usage

​Enable Fan Control (RPi 5)

​Disable Unnecessary Services

​Remote Development Tips

​VSCode Remote SSH

​File Transfer

​Troubleshooting

​Power Considerations

​Backup SD Card

​Next Steps

ROS2 Basics

Communication Testing

Robot Description

Hardware Integration

​References

Overview

Why Raspberry Pi?

Hardware Requirements

Prepare SD Card

Step 1: Download Raspberry Pi Imager

Step 2: Choose OS

Step 3: Choose Storage

Step 4: Configure Settings

Step 5: Write Image

First Boot and SSH Connection

Install ROS2 Jazzy on Raspberry Pi

Install Additional Packages

Essential for Robot

LiDAR Support

Camera Support (if using)

Test ROS2 Installation

Test 1: Talker Node

Test 2: Node List

Test 3: Topic List

Configure Network for Multi-Machine

On Raspberry Pi

Test Communication

Performance Optimization

Reduce Swap Usage

Enable Fan Control (RPi 5)

Disable Unnecessary Services

Remote Development Tips

VSCode Remote SSH

File Transfer

Troubleshooting

Power Considerations

Backup SD Card

Next Steps

References