Configure a Fake Generic Component

Configure a fake generic component to test implementing a generic component on your machine without any physical hardware:

Navigate to the CONFIGURE tab of your machine’s page in the Viam app. Click the + icon next to your machine part in the left-hand menu and select Component. Select the generic type, then select the fake model. Enter a name or use the suggested name for your generic component and click Create.

An example configuration for a fake generic component in the Viam app Config Builder.

{
  "name": "<your-fake-generic-component-name>",
  "model": "fake",
  "type": "generic",
  "namespace": "rdk",
  "attributes": {}
}

No attributes are available for the fake generic component. See GitHub for API call return specifications.

Test the generic component

After you configure your generic component, open the generic’s TEST panel on the CONFIGURE or CONTROL tabs. Use the card to send arbitrary commands to the resource with DoCommand().

The generic component in the test panel.

Troubleshooting

If your generic component is not working as expected, follow these steps:

  1. Check your machine logs on the LOGS tab to check for errors.
  2. Review this generic component model’s documentation to ensure you have configured all required attributes.
  3. Click on the TEST panel on the CONFIGURE or CONTROL tab and test if you can use the generic component there.

If none of these steps work, reach out to us on the Community Discord and we will be happy to help.

Next steps

For more configuration and usage info, see:

Generic API

Give commands for running custom model-specific commands using DoCommand on your generic components.

Configure a machine

Create a machine in a few steps using Viam's modular system of components and services without writing much or any code.

Write control code for your machine

Write code to control machines and run it on the machine or remotely.

Have questions, or want to meet other people working on robots? Join our Community Discord.

If you notice any issues with the documentation, feel free to file an issue or edit this file.