Technology / Technical details
RFR normalizes available evidence into Semantic Events and reconstructs First Observed Deviation, Evidence Chain, uncertainty, and Missing Evidence in a Failure Timeline.
Product path / Vision and current scope
The home page explains the product vision. This page shows the implementation sequence.
Current capability and future architecture stay separate so safety and customer value can be validated at every stage.
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
| RFR Ingest Agent | Read-only ingestion of ROS 2, application, Linux, network, modem, cloud communication, and ring-buffer events. |
| RFR Tap / Bridge Node | Observe and normalize UART and RS-485 outside Linux. Operate as an active Bridge only when explicitly validated. |
| RFR Edge Gateway | Manage BLE Mesh, Direct BLE retrieval, clock coordination, and Failure Clip collection. Add Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or LTE only when required. |
| RFR Reconstruction Core | Normalize Semantic Events, map clocks, detect anomalies, construct Failure Timelines and Evidence Chains, and register patterns. |
BLE architecture / Control plane and data plane
RFR does not stream raw logs continuously over BLE Mesh. The authoritative raw record stays on each Node, and only the required Failure Clip is retrieved over Direct BLE.
Wi-Fi and LTE are optional Edge Gateway capabilities. When LTE is present, it is also an observed target from modem state through cloud response.
Keep UART / RS-485 capture, ring buffers, timestamps, and drop counters locally. No Wi-Fi or LTE.
Node discovery, health, anomaly notification, configuration, time mapping, and clip-retrieval requests.
The Gateway connects directly to the target Node and retrieves only the event-index window, with retry and integrity checks.
Handle Direct BLE retrieval and local analysis. Add Wi-Fi or LTE only when cloud connectivity becomes necessary.
Failure Clip retrieval: Node detects an anomaly → raw stays local → BLE Mesh sends an anomaly notification → Gateway connects by Direct BLE → selected window is retrieved → RFR Core reconstructs the failure.
Common Connectivity Model
AI proposes Adapter candidates from data sheets and AT-command manuals.
After a human validates meaning and transformation quality, the Adapter runs deterministically without AI.
MVP scope / What comes first
The entry point is three to five existing data sources: ROS 2 or application logs, Linux, modem AT, LTE state, transport, cloud, or power.
Dedicated Taps, BLE Nodes, and Gateways come later, after existing logs reveal which observation points and Adapters are repeatedly missing.
Phase 0.5 / RX-only capture
The goal is not production-grade capture. It is same-day validation of whether low-level logs shorten failure isolation.
Adapter TX stays disconnected. Host-arrival time is never presented as a precision hardware timestamp.
UART tap / RX-only
RS-485 tap / Receive-only
| Capture option | Role and limit |
|---|---|
| Commodity tap | Fast and inexpensive, but weak in timestamp quality, isolation, ring buffering, and drop detection. |
| RFR Wired Tap | A later option for enforced read-only capture, hardware timestamps, isolation, ring buffers, and drop detection. |
System architecture
Raw events may receive clip_id, episode_id, and derived_trace_id after reconstruction.
RFR Ingest Agent remains read-only and never blocks the robot control loop.
MCAP, CSV, UART dump, application, Linux, modem, and cloud logs.
Manual Anchor, lane offset, drift, and explicit timestamp quality.
Range selection, operator marker, or deterministic anomaly creates the Failure Clip.
Review raw, decoded events, AI summary, evidence jumps, and uncertain order.
Local spool, dropped_event_count, and asynchronous transmission are assumed. Import is read-only, and the ROS mirror only subscribes. An active RFR Bridge is a separate component whose safety conditions and BYPASS behavior must be validated per device.
AI Debugger / Read-only analyst
CRC errors, timeouts, framing errors, and response delays are first detected deterministically.
AI organizes candidate causes, evidence, and recommended checks. It does not replace human review of raw logs.
Design principles