Quote:
Originally Posted by marccenter
I guess one really good way to test the hardware for potential issues is to beta test the hardware and software during the 2014 season. This is not directly related to the thread, sorry, but it would seem this would be the next logical step.
It would also seem if there are few perceived advantages given to a beta hardware/software test team over the existing cRIO2 system that this should be seriously considered. It also provides an excellent way for other teams to get a chance to see the system while at district and regional events.
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That would certainly be a good test for the new control system, but there are a few problems with doing so:
- The new control system provides some significant enhancements, like increased processing power and USB host/device ports
- To the best of my knowledge the new control system has not been tested with the old FMS - there may be compatibility issues running it at an event
- The new control system could introduce bugs/issues that other teams wouldn't encounter, leaving those teams running it at a disadvantage in competition
That said, FIRST is doing a lot to test it. We've been asked to implement the new control system on our 2013 robot, and all the Alpha Test teams will be getting together in NH this fall for a weekend "event-like" testing. I imagine this testing would be similar to what they did for the communications issues last year, except obviously with a different focus. Regardless, we'll be running the control system on the FMS it's meant to be run on in a competition scenario to try and find issues.
We're also expected to bring the new control system with us to events January-April to help expose other teams to it. Since it won't be on our 2014 robot, it will be available for other teams to look at and ask questions about the entire competition, instead of being unavailable when the robot is on the field.