[frcguy]

On the day before stop build, our RoboRio started acting up at a scrimmage. We had an intermittent loss of our USB camera, but the rest of the robot worked fine. We reflashed the RoboRio, and that appeared to solve the issue, and we bagged the robot the next day. Flash forward to SVR. We've just been selected for the playoffs, and the camera starts acting up again. We try frantically to reflash the RoboRio but to no avail. We keep getting errors. Somehow, right before we are set to queue before our first playoff match, the issue resolves itself. We didn't think much of it and were just happy the camera was working, and the robot went back in the bag for Champs. At Champs, the same issue started again, although this time we were too nervous to attempt flashing the RoboRio. Some matches the camera worked, some matches it didn't. We finally have two CSAs come over during lunch on Friday. They take a look, and confirm our worst fear: there is an intermittent short in the 5V rail on the RoboRio, causing the camera to work sometimes and then mysteriously fail. Cue us staying through lunch and taking the rear of the robot completely apart to replace the RoboRio. Luckily once the new one was in there was no further problems. The cause of the short turned out to be metal shavings from the build season finding their way into the USB port.

Lesson learned: Either use a vacuum or be REALLY careful when drilling near electronics.