[Greg McKaskle]

The log file viewer can be launched from the Start menu or the Charts tab, lower right button. Scroll the listbox to the appropriate date, typically the bottom line or near the bottom. The graph will show CPU, battery, comms latency, and comms loss on the majority of the graph. Gaps in the battery with an orange vertical marker on the left and a green vertical marker on the right are a disconnect from the field. It is often useful to change the filter ring above the graph from Default to one of the All settings. Then zoom to the orange/green band and you should see additional yellow markers for the ping results. You can hover your mouse over any marker symbol and the Message box in the lower left will give the text of that message.

There are three common occurrences -- loss of radio and cRIO, loss of only cRIO, and loss of only radio. If there is a yellow vertical marker in-between the orange and green, the hover will likely say that the Radio was lost. This message is the cRIO tattling on the radio. When the cRIO loses its communications protocol during a match, it tries to ping backwards up the chain while the DS pings down the chain. This can help pinpoint where the drop happened. When the cRIO comes back in communications, it gives a post-dated message explaining that it was powered and saw the robot radio go away.

If you do not see that marker, look at the first yellow dot near the orange vertical marker. Hover and it should give the ping status of each comms element. It will tell you whether the robot radio was good or bad.

What this information can help with is to identify which element rebooted during the match. This tells you which connectors, cables, and wire routes to focus on. Please keep in mind that if both elements rebooted, the problem could be a short or open at the battery terminals, the breaker, or the PD.

If you are losing the radio, please verify that it is connected to the 12/5 regulator powered from the 12V boosted circuit on the front of the PD next to the cRIO power port. If you power it from an unboosted 12V along the sides of the PD, they will droop and you will lose the radio during a match. Also do not power the radio from the 5V camera port on the front of the PD. I do not believe it is as protected as the 12V.

I know this is a long post, but one more topic. If the robot stops moving, but the Communications and Robot Code LEDs remain lit, the issue is likely at the digital breakout board. Inspect the three LEDs near the RSL connection. If the 5V LED is out, look for debris that is shorting pins or possibly replace. This 5V is for the PWM signals. If the LEDs are good, look at the ribbon cable connectors. Also verify that the digital module is firmly snapped into the cRIO.

Greg McKaskle