FRC FCS

[2605cm]

Does anybody know anything about setting up a field control system for the FRC robots? We are trying to setup a practice field. Any information or resources would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[Zuelu562]

You are very likely not going to be able to replicate the exact behavior of the FMS in a practice setting. Connecting directly to your router via wireless connection and setting the Driver Station to Practice mode is the most similar to match conditions that you'll likely get.

On the field, the FMS facilitates connection between robot and driver station, as well as operating scoring, lighting and display functions. It runs your specific connection through a VLAN to protect the connection and assure only you are connecting to your robot. In a practice setting, wireless is the best way to get very close to what FMS does.

Welcome to Chief!

[Alan Anderson]

The "FMS Light" program used to be available in 2009, but it wasn't updated and has been removed from the FIRST web site. There is no official way to put the Driver Stations in FMS mode and have a central wireless access point for the robots to connect to.

You're probably going to have to run the practice field with the robots' routers in AP mode and have the Driver Station computers wirelessly connect directly to the robots. Have everyone do it just like they're at home.

[Mark McLeod]

If you are running a single robot, then using the built-in Practice mode supplied on the Driver Station is the easiest way to go.

If you need to synchronize field control for multiple robots on a practice field here's one way to use an older FMS Light version to accomplish this.

http://www.team358.org/files/programming/ControlSystem2009-/med_Off-season%20FMS-Lite%20setup.jpg (http://www.team358.org/files/programming/ControlSystem2009-/Off-season%20FMS-Lite%20setup.jpg)

FMS Light User's Guide - RevC (http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Community/FRC/FRC_Documents_and_Updates/FMS%20Light%20User%20Guide_RevC.pdf)

FMS Light Software (earliest 2009 version) (http://team358.org//files/programming/ControlSystem2009-/FMS/FMSlight-358XP.zip)

[2605cm]

thanks for clearing that up for me.