That FIRST answer addresses the question of legality under the 2015 rules which of course cannot be commented on before January 3, 2015.
We don't know what will be REQUIRED by the 2015 rules until January 3 when the rules are released for the first time to everyone at once.
There are no previews for individual teams via questions or otherwise.
So while neither I nor anyone else KNOWS the 2015 rules, I deduce that FIRST giving everyone a new control system in the Kit-of-Parts means that we will all be using it.
This is the
8th control system that FIRST has introduced. Every control system changeover in the past has completely replaced the previous system. I imagine this is because the old systems do not support the new capabilities and methods used for competition play. The systems only work together if the new system is degraded to operate under the limitations of the old system.
We're a Beta team.
One of our tests is that the new software still supports the old cRIO system.
P.S.
The Beta 2015 control system is actually being tested in some off-season events and it works fine alongside the old cRIO systems. However, setting up the communications means the mDNS system used by the new control system has to be disabled and the IP addresses hardcoded like the old system, and the new system has to be switched to use the old communication protocol.