Chief Delphi - Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

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Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henry_222

Time you are connecting your controls in the match is time you aren't driving. Your coach cannot connect it for you.

Yes, but this device would be for the benefit of the secondary driver who controls the shooter, so it's unlikely that he would have any pressing issues to address in the first 2 seconds of competition. Overall, I think this might be the best method of lock-on notification.

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chriszuma

As for the HULED (Heads-Up-LED as i've just now dubbed it) you could take care of it pretty easily by just putting a standard headphone jack on the controller.

Or, if you wanted to use more than 2 LED's (on a stereo headphone jack), an RJ-45 connector just might do the trick. It'll disconnect quickly but it'll also stay put (unless you've broken the tab off of the modular plug :( ).

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

I wanted to stick a lexan game status panel to the lexan of the arena with suction cups so that the driver would have a status panel at "HUD" level. Once again, I was outvoted by conservative teen-agers... Where are the rebels of the 60s and 70s? The kids today just want to drive SUVs and build things that look just like everyone else's. :)

Oh, yes, by the way, our drive team this year consists of a Pilot, a RIO, a Crew Chief, and an Air Boss. Drive the theme...

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

I thought they said we weren't allowed to attach anything to the lexan...

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chriszuma

I thought they said we weren't allowed to attach anything to the lexan...

Well, our students certainly didn't know that...

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

Is this legal?

Several years ago, I looked into it and decided that is was not (using an IO LED output to drive something other than an LED).

I have not looked at the rules this year, but I suppose that it is still illegal.

Quote:

<R78> All equipment connected to the Joystick Ports of the IFI Operator Interface must be powered solely
through the power available through the port. External power sources of any type are not permitted on any
equipment connected to the Joystick Ports. Portable computing devices may not be connected to Joystick
input ports on the Operator Interface. Power-passive devices (e.g. joysticks that draw their power solely
through the IFI Operator Interface joystick port) are permitted.

From IFI OI Reference Manual:

Quote:

PORT 1 and PORT 3 each provide four LED output drivers. These LED drivers allow the connection of
external LEDs that duplicate the function of the top eight Robot Feedback LEDs on the Operator
Interface. The LED drivers provide 5V that is current limited to 10mA. Connect the LED’s anode to
the desired LED drive pin. Connect the LED’s cathode to any ground pins.

and again:

Quote:

[3] The current limit of the +5V Aux from all 4 ports is about 100mA. The Aux Fault Led will start
illumination when the current draw from the +5V Aux Outputs total about 120 mA and the +5V
Aux voltage will have dropped to about 4.5 volts. Worse case, short condition: after about 30
seconds, the voltage will be at about 300 mV with a current of about 250 mA.

The above rules & reference seem to imply that it would be legal as long as it use power from the Joystick Port and it is not a Portable computing device.

Even it there is some rule that makes it illegal, the work around we came up with (but never implemented) was to connect a PC or a stand alone device to the dashboard port and have the PC or the stand alone device generate the tone.

Thoughts?

Joe J.

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

I don't know the ruling last year, but in the past we've been told it's illegal to put things on the driver's station lexan.

Would this sound device on the control board violate the rule at competitions about no noise makers?

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chriszuma

I thought they said we weren't allowed to attach anything to the lexan...

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread...ighlight=lexan

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

I like the tone idea.
I wanted to have a light up arcade button that said fire. (Like the big ones on the arcade coin-op basketball games) When it lit, the driver would hit it to fire.

Instead, we bought high intensity LEDs, and mounted them next to the joystick. I hope the drivers will be able to see them.

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

If my memory serves me, you are not allowed to use ear buds or headphones in the drivers station. One of the reasons is safety and the other is that there could be communications from the stands or pit area.

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

One other low complexity option is to use the code to set one of the lights on the OI to tell you when you have a lock. Unfortunately this is not quite as convenient as a bright light or electric shock, but it is much simpler to set up, as you don't need any extra parts.

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

Er, why even worry about the OI? Stick a LED (not red, green, or blue) or other light on the robot and control it with a spike that triggers on lock-on conditions.

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

One of the things I like about sound is that it takes another data path into the Operators' brains.

They may have all their bandwidth used up on the Visual Databus while the Audio Databus may have some extra bandwidth available.

Joe J.

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Johnson

We are hooking up a photodetector to "watch" an LED hooked to a port on the OI. When the photodetector senses that the LED is on, a high-gain circuit triggers a relay which delivers the output of a Model T Ford spark coil into the calf muscles of the game operator. This lets him know that the target is in range, and has been acquired. :)

Re: Has anyone tried a "missile lock" tone?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

Yes, you are correct. Even when all other databuses are totally out of bandwith, the PainInTheCalf Bus gets top priority.

Good thinking ;-)

Joe J.