Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

Whats the concern as long as it doesn't happen during a match? If you can set the LED's during the placement of the robot, wouldn't the IR be inconsequential? It's a receiver, not a transmitter, right? Why cover a receiver when you can just keep the transmitter in your pocket?

Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

Question for you: You set the receiver, and put the transmitter in your pocket. How am I as a referee to know that you aren't triggering something if your hands wander near your pocket?


Here's the result if I do think you're triggering something: I've got my choice of G21 (if during auto), G32 (if the coach sticks it in his pocket), R84 triggering T8 (potential), T21. Almost all of which are cardable (T21 being the unknown factor, but probably a yellow for egregious behavior). That's anything from a disable to a foul+yellow to an alliance red to a yellow. Not a fun combination, should a referee decide that those lights changed because your hand brushed your pocket.

Please don't put the referees in that position. Cover it, or use something else. Use the remote stuff at demos.

Is there a good way to quickly remove the. Receiver on and off like. Some sort of quick release connection.It's close to a pwm like cable by the looks. But honestly I don't know what it really is. I got the strip with the receiver off amazon.

Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

I guess the first question would be: Do the LEDs work without the receiver? The second question (because I don't want to keep you guys from using the LEDs, just find another option that's not likely to get you a penalty or other similar items if it's at all possible) would be: Can you figure out ground, signal, and the other pins?

If the LEDs will work without the receiver, I'm willing to bet that you can get some help to hook them up to another coprocessor, or the roboRIO itself. If not, my suggestion is this: You could either fasten the remote into the robot (securely), but that runs the risk of breaking a few robot rules about wireless transmission and batteries, OR put the remote on the robot cart and one or more of its batteries into your pocket (or elsewhere on the cart--this part is ideal and depends on the type of battery in question). If that latter method doesn't disable the transmitter effectively, I don't know what will--and it removes the chance of the refs thinking that you're changing the lights and thus possibly violating a bunch of rules.

Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

I can answer that question by asking another. You have a six week build time, but the robot is in a bag in your shop. How are the inspectors to know that you didn't work for 7,8, or 9 weeks? This whole system is based on a lot of trust and honesty, are we really worried about a strip of LED's in the grand scheme of things.

The other easy thing would be, if the lights change color during a match then the ref would take action. That's seems pretty open and shut to me.

I was planning on changing the color in the pits to the color of alliance. Leaving the remote in my pit and bringing the robot to the field with electric tape over the receiver. The remote would stay far away from the bot at all times unless in the pit. I don't know whether it will work connected to the robo Rio as its a mere consumer product that I just wired up to the pdb.

Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

Guys,
What I am worried about with an uncontrolled cylinder is the fact that most teams (perhaps all that use pneumatics) pressurize their robot in the pits or in queue prior to going on the field. As always, we are concerned for the safety of the teams and robots near your robot when in these areas. As I stated, on it's own there doesn't seem to be a violation of any rules. It will be inspected at any events you attend just like any other robot parts. Any regulator you use must be a relieving regulator which is intended to vent any excess pressure on the working side of the regulator.

R71 “Working” air pressure on the ROBOT must be no greater than 60 psi and must be provided through one primary adjustable, relieving, pressure regulator.

And if you ask "Have you seen any accidents or near misses with pneumatics in the pits or queue?". The answer is an emphatic "YES!!!"

I do not sit on the GDC. I make inspection decisions based on an understanding of what the GDC intent is for a particular rule. I will have an answer soon on bumpers. Please keep this in mind. If you look at the field and the number and complexity of the field objects, this will be one of those years where timing between matches is going to be dominated by field reset. I expect that G10 & G11 will be fully in force at events as I stated above.

Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

I fail to see how this is any different from any other pneumatic cylinder connected to a solenoid valve. With or without the solenoid the cylinder will either default open or closed. The difference is that it will be a passive mechanism during operation rather than active. Obviously care must be taken when energizing the system regardless.

Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

There is no difference, it will still be inspected for pneumatic rules and safety.

Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

Al,

Thank you for looking into this, we appreciate the extra effort you put in to inform the CD community every year.

Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

Q&A got back to my question here.

Sounds like we'll be set to go, assuming all pneumatic system rules are met.

Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

I would cut the receiver cable in half and crimp on quick disconnect connectors on each end. This way once the lights are set you can remove the receiver and so no commutation can happen mid game.

Now quick question, if you power down the LEDs do they remember their color? If not, I wouldn't recommend this method as you will burn battery while in line just for your lights.

Also if the goal is just alliance colors, you can just hard wire the black(power) wire of the LEDs to the PDB and then wire the blue and red wires (grounds) to a switch and then the switch to PDB. So the lights would be red or blue based on the switch.

Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

Come on, This is pretty ridiculous. Every robot that uses vision would be capable of receiving communication from drivers in this manner. Surely you would not be suspicious of every team that has a camera. Unless you have specific reason to believe that a team is actively controlling their robot illegally during autonomous then I would hope you would not be considering penalties or cards. You are grasping at straws. If a team wanted to communicate in autonomous there are many more reliable, and more discrete ways than a remote control in autonomous. Unless you are equally suspicious of every team that has a camera that even instantaneously looks at the drivers station area, then you are being extremely unnecessarily judgmental here.

Re: Al's Annual Inspection Thread 2015
 

There is actually nothing illegal about sending signals to the robot during autonomous. As long as there is no device on the driver station itself doing it. There was actually a QA about it.

Edit: THIS IS NOT TRUE.