Laptop Usage

[Goya]

Is it legal to use a laptop as a dashboard viewer during autonomous mode?

What about using the laptop with the "Wireless Programming Kit" from Innovation First? Is it legal to use that during the autonomous mode?

Finally, is it legal to have a dashboard program that sends values back to the RC?

I answered my own question. In case your wondering, http://www.innovationfirst.com/FIRSTRobotics/radio_Pbasic.htm states that the Wireless Programming Kits are not legal for use during competition. Oh well.


Thanks,

[Jnadke]

Originally posted by Goya
Is it legal to use a laptop as a dashboard viewer during autonomous mode?

Yes, this is perfectly legal.

You can also use it during human-controlled section too.

What about using the laptop with the "Wireless Programming Kit" from Innovation First? Is it legal to use that during the autonomous mode?

No, because the radios operate at 900Mhz. They would interfier with the OI radios.

Finally, is it legal to have a dashboard program that sends values back to the RC?

In autonomous mode you cannot send data to the robot controller.

This would be illegal in regular mode because it is illegal to hook a computer into the input(s) of the operator interface.

[D.J. Fluck]

There are some nice dashboard programs for your laptop that you can use.

Matt Leese created one a few years ago:

http://www.bcpl.net/~mleese/dashboard.html


Nate Smith made one also:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=1310


See this thread for info about dashboards (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=159&highlight=Dashboard)

[Al Skierkiewicz]

In the past it was legal to use a dashboard program to receive data but not to send data. All robot control must come from on board software or human input.