Driver station problem

[team2491]

We're relatively new to FIRST, so maybe our problem is stupid, but here it is: a few days ago, us electrical/programming people left the robot after a good day. At that point, we had a simple program to pretty much match motor speeds to joystick position. Coming back the next day, we found it didn't work- the motors didn't turn when the joysticks were pressed. We pinged everything, and everything but the driver station itself responded; after a couple hours of deliberation, we have come for help. Our driver station appears to be working fine, but it's displaying Battery: No comms and isn't talking to either our driver station router or the computer itself. Haven't gotten a ping returned from it under any conditions since yesterday. Thanks!

[Russ Beavis]

Did you build and deploy an application to the cRIO and set it to "run at startup"? If not, you'll need to reconnect to the cRIO via laptop or PC (through the DS-side router is fine) and download a new application.

Without build/deploy/"run at startup", the cRIO will always lose its code during a power cycle (hence the DS display of "no code").

I'm guessing that this is your issue. You might want to check out the LabVIEW reference docs here -

http://www.usfirst.org/community/frc/content.aspx?id=10934

Russ

[Alan Anderson]

We pinged everything, and everything but the driver station itself responded; after a couple hours of deliberation, we have come for help. Our driver station appears to be working fine, but it's displaying Battery: No comms and isn't talking to either our driver station router or the computer itself. Haven't gotten a ping returned from it under any conditions since yesterday. Thanks!

Can you try connecting the ethernet cable from the computer to the other Driver Station ethernet port, and see if a ping succeeds? Maybe one (or both?) of the ports on the DS has fallen victim to a static electricity event.

Also, make sure the team number is set properly on the DS. I hate to suggest voodoo solutions, but it might be worth trying to set the team number again even if it shows correctly on the display.

[team2491]

Did you build and deploy an application to the cRIO and set it to "run at startup"? If not, you'll need to reconnect to the cRIO via laptop or PC (through the DS-side router is fine) and download a new application.

Without build/deploy/"run at startup", the cRIO will always lose its code during a power cycle (hence the DS display of "no code").

No, I'm pretty sure it has an application on it just fine, and the Driver Station displays "no comms" not "no code".

Can you try connecting the ethernet cable from the computer to the other Driver Station ethernet port, and see if a ping succeeds? Maybe one (or both?) of the ports on the DS has fallen victim to a static electricity event.

Also, make sure the team number is set properly on the DS. I hate to suggest voodoo solutions, but it might be worth trying to set the team number again even if it shows correctly on the display.

Both ethernet ports are experiencing the same problem. The team number was set properly, and we tried changing it to a different number and changing it back. Thanks for trying to help, though.
Does anyone else have any other possible suggestions?

[rjmah]

Did you already do the DS update using USB memory stick? I'd try redoing it.

[team2491]

Tried it and failed again. Thanks, though

[team2491]

We ordered a replacement driver station, and it was DOA. The logo appeared intermittently on a reboot, then nothing else. Now only the LCD backlight comes on, but nothing else.

Does anyone have any ideas on keeping a DS alive? Obviously the replacement will go back under warranty, but we need to keep going.

thanks

[rjmah]

Update 7 has a requirement to ground the board to the metal case. They are also static sensitive, so avoid being on carpet when you are using the driver station.