FIRST Choice Product Question
 

FIRST Choice shows the older 8 slot cRIO as being available, but not the newer 4 slot model. Does anyone know if it's possible to order the 4 slot cRIO through FIRST Choice, or do we have to go through NI?

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

The 4 slot Crio is not a FIRST Choice item at this point in time. I believe if you are in need of one you will need to go through NI as in the past.

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

The 4 slot cRIO was never available through FIRST Choice...just the 8 slot.

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

how many credits does it take to get one ?

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

The 8 slot was 9 credits.

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

Keep in mind that it doesn't come woth the modules. You'll have to order them from NI.

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

Yes, and unfortunately they are quite expensive :/

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

It's all relative.
That 9 credits has to be the most bang for the credits I saw on there. I kind of wish we did not buy a 2nd one the last two years.

I am not sure what happened to the NI module prices, I just checked my order and I paid $152 for the analog 9201 card in September, now it show up at $351, yikes!

https://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-19103

Still a 8 slot cRio for 9 credits, or a wire stripper for 10 credits... I think I'd take the cRio..

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

Exactly...the cRIO was easily one of the best deals, if not the best deal, on there. NI sure is asking a lot for the modules, I've been looking around to see if it's possible to get them cheaper anywhere else, but I'm coming up short.

I'm not sure if Chris Rake or anyone else from NI is around who might be able to clear the air on cRIO module pricing and how teams might be able to purchase them at a more reasonable cost to accompany these new 8-slot cRIOs.

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

It is worth noting that you should just be able to disconnect your sidecars/breakouts and swap modules between robots.

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

I have an email in with NI about the module prices. Does anyone have an idea as to why it is cheaper to but the complete package with a new cRIO ($525.00) than it is to buy the three modules ($782.00) separately?

At this point we'll probably just skip the 7 slot unless we have extra points.

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

This is highly puzzling to me as well. There's no way that makes economically. Hopefully with all of these teams purchasing new bare 8-slots they can put together an affordable package. Please post any response here on the forums.

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

Here is probably a clue. The whole cRIO system was graciously provided to FIRST at a significant discount. Somewhere along the way they probably determined that the package deal was going to a FRC team and they would allow that at a deep discount.

Discounting just the modules would not be smart on their part because most of the sales is not to FRC, but to their normal customer base. It isn't proper for there deep discount relationship to FIRST cause a negative impact on their normal business relationships.

While I'm typing this I just went back and looked at their price sheet and it does say "FIRST" pricing just for the modules. So my theory may be wrong.

What the heck do I know ?

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

The prices on modules appear to have tripled since this spring. I'm wondering why they have changed as well, even though we weren't fast enough to get a cRIO.

Re: FIRST Choice Product Question
 

I think this is probably what our team will do. It will save us a couple hundred at the very least. Although, it would be nice if we could have multiple robots to drive at the same time.