The 3 Switch Competition dongle we made was the most demanded tool we had this year. It was small (about the size of a Post It note) and would just sit on top of the competition port. It was often on loan to another team working on their autonomous code. I think every team can and should carefully try to make one or two of these very useful dongles. Be sure to double check your work and test for shorts before you plug it in.
We had to scavenge through scrap piles to find an appropriate box for the dongle, so we only made one. This presented a problem when we needed to run several bots at once for a practice round. In a pinch, you can obviously just strip a wire and short pins 8 and 12. Do not do this unless you satisfy all of the following criteria:
1) You know exactly what you are doing.
2) You have good eyesight or good corrective lenses.
3) You have a steady hand.
After the wire is in place, do not let anyone touch the OI. Stand near it with a hammer and threaten anyone who comes close
. You don't need a broken OI for a simple multi-bot practice round.
We also have a couple of disable dongles (with only one switch to disable the bot) from the 2002 year. A disable switch is a safety necessity for all exhibitions for the public. You can even let the kids drive the bot, just keep your finger on the kill switch.
