Add parameter to allow controllers with inactive hardware components

controller_manager/src/controller_manager.cpp

@@ -417,6 +417,8 @@ ControllerManager::ControllerManager(
   params.activate_all = activate_all_hw_components;
   params.update_rate = static_cast<unsigned int>(params_->update_rate);
   params.executor = executor_;
+  params.allow_control_with_inactive_hardware =
+    params_->defaults.allow_control_with_inactive_hardware;
   resource_manager_ = std::make_unique<hardware_interface::ResourceManager>(params, true);
   init_controller_manager();
 }

controller_manager/src/controller_manager_parameters.yaml

@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ controller_manager:
           ]],
         }
       }
+    allow_control_with_inactive_hardware: {
+      type: bool,
+      default_value: false,
+      read_only: true,
+      description: "If true, controllers are allowed to claim resources from inactive hardware components. If false, controllers can only claim resources from active hardware components. Moreover, when the hardware component returns DEACTIVATE on read/write cycle, the controllers using those interfaces will continue to run, when the parameter is set to false. If set to true, the controllers using those interfaces will be deactivated.",
+    }
 
   diagnostics:
     threshold:

hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/resource_manager.hpp

@@ -631,6 +631,7 @@ class ResourceManager
   rclcpp::Clock::SharedPtr get_clock() const;
 
   bool components_are_loaded_and_initialized_ = false;
+  bool allow_control_with_inactive_hardware_ = false;
 
   mutable std::recursive_mutex resource_interfaces_lock_;
   mutable std::recursive_mutex claimed_command_interfaces_lock_;

hardware_interface/include/hardware_interface/types/resource_manager_params.hpp

@@ -61,6 +61,19 @@ struct ResourceManagerParams
    */
   bool activate_all = false;
 
+  /**
+   * @brief If true, controllers are allowed to claim resources from inactive hardware components.
+   * If false, controllers can only claim resources from active hardware components.
+   * Moreover, when the hardware component returns DEACTIVATE on read/write cycle,
+   * the controllers using those interfaces will continue to run, when the parameter is set to
+   * false. If set to true, the controllers using those interfaces will be deactivated.
+   * @warning Allowing control with inactive hardware is not recommended for safety reasons.
+   * Use with caution only if you really know what you are doing.
+   * @note This parameter might be deprecated or removed in the future releases. Please use with
+   * caution.
+   */
+  bool allow_control_with_inactive_hardware = false;
+
   /**
    * @brief The update rate (in Hz) of the ControllerManager.
    * This can be used by ResourceManager to configure asynchronous hardware components

hardware_interface/src/resource_manager.cpp

@@ -1397,6 +1397,12 @@ ResourceManager::ResourceManager(
   const hardware_interface::ResourceManagerParams & params, bool load)
 : resource_storage_(std::make_unique<ResourceStorage>(params.clock, params.logger))
 {
+  RCLCPP_WARN_EXPRESSION(
+    params.logger, params.allow_control_with_inactive_hardware,
+    "The parameter 'allow_control_with_inactive_hardware' is set to true. It is recommended to use "
+    "the settings to false in order to avoid controllers to use inactive hardware components and "
+    "to avoid any unexpected behavior. This feature might be removed in future releases.");
+  allow_control_with_inactive_hardware_ = params.allow_control_with_inactive_hardware;
   if (load)
   {
     load_and_initialize_components(params);
@@ -1994,7 +2000,8 @@ bool ResourceManager::prepare_command_mode_switch(
 
   const auto & hardware_info_map = resource_storage_->hardware_info_map_;
   auto call_prepare_mode_switch =
-    [&start_interfaces, &stop_interfaces, &hardware_info_map, logger = get_logger()](
+    [&start_interfaces, &stop_interfaces, &hardware_info_map, logger = get_logger(),
+     allow_control_with_inactive_hardware = allow_control_with_inactive_hardware_](
       auto & components, auto & start_interfaces_buffer, auto & stop_interfaces_buffer)
   {
     bool ret = true;
@@ -2012,7 +2019,9 @@ bool ResourceManager::prepare_command_mode_switch(
       }
       if (
         !start_interfaces_buffer.empty() &&
-        component.get_lifecycle_state().id() == lifecycle_msgs::msg::State::PRIMARY_STATE_INACTIVE)
+        component.get_lifecycle_state().id() ==
+          lifecycle_msgs::msg::State::PRIMARY_STATE_INACTIVE &&
+        !allow_control_with_inactive_hardware)
       {
         RCLCPP_WARN(
           logger, "Component '%s' is in INACTIVE state, but has start interfaces to switch: \n%s",
@@ -2094,7 +2103,8 @@ bool ResourceManager::perform_command_mode_switch(
 
   const auto & hardware_info_map = resource_storage_->hardware_info_map_;
   auto call_perform_mode_switch =
-    [&start_interfaces, &stop_interfaces, &hardware_info_map, logger = get_logger()](
+    [&start_interfaces, &stop_interfaces, &hardware_info_map, logger = get_logger(),
+     allow_control_with_inactive_hardware = allow_control_with_inactive_hardware_](
       auto & components, auto & start_interfaces_buffer, auto & stop_interfaces_buffer)
   {
     bool ret = true;
@@ -2112,7 +2122,9 @@ bool ResourceManager::perform_command_mode_switch(
       }
       if (
         !start_interfaces_buffer.empty() &&
-        component.get_lifecycle_state().id() == lifecycle_msgs::msg::State::PRIMARY_STATE_INACTIVE)
+        component.get_lifecycle_state().id() ==
+          lifecycle_msgs::msg::State::PRIMARY_STATE_INACTIVE &&
+        !allow_control_with_inactive_hardware)
       {
         RCLCPP_WARN(
           logger, "Component '%s' is in INACTIVE state, but has start interfaces to switch: \n%s",
@@ -2495,7 +2507,10 @@ HardwareReadWriteStatus ResourceManager::write(
           lifecycle_msgs::msg::State::PRIMARY_STATE_INACTIVE, lifecycle_state_names::INACTIVE);
         set_component_state(component_name, inactive_state);
         read_write_status.result = ret_val;
-        read_write_status.failed_hardware_names.push_back(component_name);
+        if (!allow_control_with_inactive_hardware_)
+        {
+          read_write_status.failed_hardware_names.push_back(component_name);
+        }
       }
     }
   };