From 7d80ad1ab5a2d03a17677c7fd66538504f7956fb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: ryleu <69326171+ryleu@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:15:55 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] fix(anchor): /anchor/to_vic/relay_string crash fixed

---
 src/anchor_pkg/anchor_pkg/anchor_node.py | 14 +++++++++-----
 src/anchor_pkg/anchor_pkg/connector.py   | 17 ++++++++++-------
 2 files changed, 19 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/anchor_pkg/anchor_pkg/anchor_node.py b/src/anchor_pkg/anchor_pkg/anchor_node.py
index f23712a..1db4c97 100644
--- a/src/anchor_pkg/anchor_pkg/anchor_node.py
+++ b/src/anchor_pkg/anchor_pkg/anchor_node.py
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@ from .connector import (
     NoValidDeviceException,
     NoWorkingDeviceException,
 )
-from .convert import string_to_viccan
-import threading
+from .convert import string_to_viccan, viccan_to_string
 
 from astra_msgs.msg import VicCAN
 from std_msgs.msg import String
@@ -152,7 +151,7 @@ class Anchor(Node):
         )
         # Debug publisher
         self.tovic_debug_pub_ = self.create_publisher(
-            VicCAN,
+            String,
             "/anchor/to_vic/debug",
             20,
         )
@@ -171,7 +170,7 @@ class Anchor(Node):
             20,
         )
         self.mock_mcu_sub_ = self.create_subscription(
-            String,
+            VicCAN,
             "/anchor/from_vic/mock_mcu",
             self.relay_fromvic,
             20,
@@ -179,7 +178,7 @@ class Anchor(Node):
         self.tovic_string_sub_ = self.create_subscription(
             String,
             "/anchor/to_vic/relay_string",
-            self.connector.write_raw,
+            self.write_connector_raw,
             20,
         )
 
@@ -204,6 +203,11 @@ class Anchor(Node):
     def write_connector(self, msg: VicCAN):
         """Write to the connector and send a copy to /anchor/to_vic/debug"""
         self.connector.write(msg)
+        self.tovic_debug_pub_.publish(String(data=viccan_to_string(msg)))
+
+    def write_connector_raw(self, msg: String):
+        """Write raw string to the connector and send a copy to /anchor/to_vic/debug"""
+        self.connector.write_raw(msg)
         self.tovic_debug_pub_.publish(msg)
 
     @deprecated(
diff --git a/src/anchor_pkg/anchor_pkg/connector.py b/src/anchor_pkg/anchor_pkg/connector.py
index 0d4790b..ed51987 100644
--- a/src/anchor_pkg/anchor_pkg/connector.py
+++ b/src/anchor_pkg/anchor_pkg/connector.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from astra_msgs.msg import VicCAN
+from std_msgs.msg import String
 from rclpy.clock import Clock
 from rclpy.impl.rcutils_logger import RcutilsLogger
 from .convert import string_to_viccan as _string_to_viccan, viccan_to_string
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ class Connector(ABC):
         pass
 
     @abstractmethod
-    def write_raw(self, msg: str):
+    def write_raw(self, msg: String):
         pass
 
     def cleanup(self):
@@ -199,10 +200,10 @@ class SerialConnector(Connector):
             return (None, None)  # pretty much no other error matters
 
     def write(self, msg: VicCAN):
-        self.write_raw(viccan_to_string(msg))
+        self.write_raw(String(data=viccan_to_string(msg)))
 
-    def write_raw(self, msg: str):
-        self.serial_interface.write(bytes(msg, "utf8"))
+    def write_raw(self, msg: String):
+        self.serial_interface.write(bytes(msg.data, "utf8"))
 
     def cleanup(self):
         self.logger.info(f"closing serial port if open {self.port}")
@@ -411,8 +412,10 @@ class CANConnector(Connector):
             self.logger.error(f"CAN error while sending: {e}")
             raise DeviceClosedException("CAN bus closed unexpectedly")
 
-    def write_raw(self, msg: str):
-        self.logger.warn(f"write_raw is not supported for CANConnector. msg: {msg}")
+    def write_raw(self, msg: String):
+        self.logger.warn(
+            f"write_raw is not supported for CANConnector. msg: {msg.data}"
+        )
 
     def cleanup(self):
         try:
@@ -434,5 +437,5 @@ class MockConnector(Connector):
     def write(self, msg: VicCAN):
         pass
 
-    def write_raw(self, msg: str):
+    def write_raw(self, msg: String):
         pass