Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt Krass
I think the architecture of the IFI system is pretty close to this. It was much more self contained. I think a similar structure with more horsepower (but not so much more that we need all the support systems the cRio has) and a simpler development environment would be ideal. Especially if we did away with the silly licensing issues we always seem to have every January.
While I am somewhat critical of the system we have now, I'd like to make it clear I don't think it's a failure or oversight of anyone working on the system. Engineering constraints are a bear, and I think everyone involved has done a great job, I just think they may have been starting at a serious disadvantage with the wrong platform for the job. So I also thank the suppliers and engineers for their help.
Matt
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The one shortcoming of the IFI system I've seen recently was the documentation for the cables to connect them to the radios.
Surely that would not seem to me to be a design issue, but rather a process issue in that once it was designed and it worked the information should have been distributed.
This only became more critical after FIRST shifted to the cRIO because teams like ours have a rather sizable pile of these and of course the cables have been lost.
I was able to figure this out because I fix electronics all the time, but a search for this pinout didn't seem to produce results. I certainly don't blame anyone for that sort of thing. It's just one of those things that after you figure it out, you really should have a place to distribute that information.
(Unless someone has this information somewhere, I'm willing to provide what I discovered provided it doesn't violate IFI's intellectual property and anyone wants it.)
I to would like to clarify that I have nothing against the work of the vendors involved. I work with them beyond FIRST all the time, I just would like to find a pathway to clear communications and a good fitting solution.