custom dashboard questions
 

So, I've been tinkering around with customizing the dashboard but I've hit a dead-end. I was wondering if anyone knows an easy way to send data back to the robot. Now when I say I want to send data back to the bot, I mean I want to send variables to controls PWM outputs to motors and other actuators.

Is this possible? Or am I missing something simple? Any input is helpful!
Thanks!

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

The dashboard data is a one way pipe from the robot to the computer, no data goes from the dashboard to the robot.

What are you trying to do on the dashboard that you can't implement directly on the cRio?

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

We were going to try to get some slider values on the dashboard to directly change things like motor speeds, instead of writing or changing one vi to try to fine tune things.

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

If you use joysticks with throttle's on them you can use them to alter motor speeds. You can have a slider to show the position of the throttle if you need to.

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

my ZomB dashboard is nice if you are using Java or C++ (You can use LabVIEW too, its just a little more complex because I don't have bindings yet)
http://firstforge.wpi.edu/sf/sfmain/....zombdashboard
go to file releases, Nightly Unstable, 0.6b1 to download
(partial) documentation available under documents, complete guide to the ZomB Dashboard (not complete yet, but enough that you should be able to get it working)

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

Thanks, I have been looking at a thread about this and looks like it'd be something to look at. so we'll try it.

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

Put a control on the VI and run it. Whenever you hit the RUN button in Robot Main, you can adjust the params. in real time (and use the cool graphs and such) with almost no work at all. Just place the control, and connect it on the block diagram. LabVIEW will take care of the rest. When you get it where you want it, right-click and select Data Operations -> Set Data as Default to keep it there. When you build and flash the robot, all of your params. will still be accessible from the code, so you can leave them there and use them for PID tuning and whatnot.

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

To expand on what bot190 said, in order for the throttle value to be in the proper range, you'd have to do (throttle+1)/2, as the throttle is from -1 to 1

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

thanks for all the great tips guys! and does anyone know how to change the background color of the decorations, like the ones on the dashboard?

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

View -> Tools Palette

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

Thanks

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

I have gotten a custom dashboard made and it opens with the FRC driver station too. Though i haven't gotten to test it with the robot yet, I do have a question, and that is how can i get it to automatically adjust to fit the screen like the default one did?

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

From the front panel choose File -> VI Properties
then Category -> Window Run-Time Position
and maybe Window Size depending on what you want to do.

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

Thanks Mark, your a great help!

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

How easy would it be to hack a python version of the zomb protocol?

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

I don't know python, but it should be fairly easy, just write something that can parse the Dashboard packets
protocol documentation here: http://firstforge.wpi.edu/sf/wiki/do...i/ZomBProtocol under Native Source - DBPkt

basically (there are a few escape characters), listen on UDP port 1165, extract the ZomB Data from it (ex. @@ZomB:|name=value|name2=value2|:ZomB@@), and make it give a control its associated value (ex. give control 'name' the value 'value' and control 'name2' the value 'value2')

If you find any typos, please tell me

EDIT: and it wouldn't be a hack, it would be an alternate implementation

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

I call the first revision a hack,
the second is a good start,
with the third, eh, ship it

Re: custom dashboard questions
 

You manage to get to a third revision? Lucky you.