I predict many sleepless nights (not that anything will change, in that regard), lots of heads being banged on desks, datasheets and manuals scattered over the floor, and Mountain Dew / Jolt / [pick your poison] cases filling the garbage cans.

You know those Spark-Es... always SOMETHING to whine about.
;)

C Compilers?
 

Anyone know if the Edu kit includes the MPLAB-C18 C compiler? If anyone has experience with this or other compilers that will play nicely with MPLAB, would you share your recommendations? Looking at the Microchip recommended compilers, it looks like most are $450 or more per license, except the CCS one for $175 .

I believe each team will receive the Full MPLAB w/ C-18 and Innovation First's Programming Tool/Library for the RC with the pre-season kit. I already DL'd MPLAB... Tinkered around a little...
There's really not much to do until we get c18 and the Library file, or whatever addon innovation first supplies us with.

Also, Freeze!
I just noticed something...
The eduRC does not have team number dip switches on it!
Does this mean that the eduRC will respond to any control system in the area?
Or is IFI creating a new way of Identifying teams in the control system, Maybe through programming?
Perhaps the device has a small memory block set aside for holding the team number, and it must be defined in the header of the program?
Hmm...this is interesting.
I wonder if the full-size RC will be the same?

Also, the RC PWM-In looks like it is an input from the PWM outputs on the Main RC. I'm not entirely sure why.. but it seems like a cool idea. It really seems like they like the idea of interfacing the edubot with the main RC (TTL serial, Digital i/o, PWM in/out) I'm really beginning to think they may actually let us use the eduRC in collaboration w/ the full one this year...

How about the recycle bin? A little extra money for the team?

I seem to remember a certain Dr. trying to collect aluminum cans in New Hampshire to take back with him to Michigan to help fundraise for his team. Then again, I'm probably the only one who remembers that...

Matt

Heh, I like the guys optimism...

But illegal actions are kinda not-cool at the same time, and as much as I think that's awesome, it is also quite illegal because you rob 5 cents a can from the state... not that they shouldn't be supporting robotics, but maybe we should work on getting them to do it formally...

*Eyes glaze over with joy!*

one good reason to have a PWM input is you can design separate sensors or electronics that the RC uses as an input

and a PWM is a digital signal. Unlike the analog inputs, if its putting out zero, its putting out exactly zero, and the RC will read zero every time.

So the PWM input will lend itself to teams developing sensors (position, heading, yaw, speed, torque....) with a standard output.

That will allow the design to be used from one year to the next, and for teams to produce white papers on their designs that other teams can easily implement.

Also, I think there might be some sensors or gyro things on the market for radio controlled airplanes that have PWM outputs.

Good point. Or you could do like Dave Lavery, and forge your own prototyping material out of scrap aluminum and spare cans. Recycle, reduce, reuse, and close the loop!

Also, as an aside, I thought this was just funny, as the comic strip tends to be. But I thought it was very funny that it's written in C. :)

I saw that comic today in the papers because psychology deals with it (I dunno yet why/how).

Back on topic: I hope to God that they allow USB-port connection this year. Every laptop I've seen is only USB, and not RS-232 (or RS-232c).

USB ports?!

that means we cant buy our 'FIRST' laptops on ebay for $50 anymore!

give up my trusty ThinkPad with its screaming 133MHz processor, 40MB of ram and 1G hard disk?

NEVER!

[PS there is nothing in the spec for the new RC about USB ports]

If you think I'm saying "they are gonna let us use USB ports now!!! w00t!", then your wrong.

If not, then I know. I am just saying I hope that they do allow it. I discussed this w/ Brandon at Kettering and he feels the same way (I dunno if it really matters how anyone else feels, all well).

If you can afford a $1000 laptop then I'm sure you can afford a $40 USB-to-RS232 converter (here or here). Justify it as a general team expense.

There's no reason to increase IFI's cost and the complexity of a circuit to ditch a tried-and-true method of communication to implement USB. Microcontrollers don't understand USB signaling so an extra converter circuit/chip would be needed. Why would IFI do such a thing when it's pointless?

There are several microcontrollers available that support USB directly.

Also, those USB to serial converters aren't always that great. We tried using a few last year to program our custom circuit microcontroller and it was a no-go.