Quote:
Originally posted by Marc P.
From what I saw of the setup at Nationals, all radio channels are predefined on a per-station basis, and are tested regularly for proper communication. All that remains is the activation of the Robot Controller, which scans all frequencies for it's team number, and auto-switches itself to the proper channel it receives.
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As we stated before, there was evidence at regionals that a team setting up for the next match and had plugged in their controller were likely to interfere with the teams currently playing on the field. Since this was more apt to happen during practice sessions, the interference was observed more during those matches. We had evidence on several occasions where robots stopped functioning due to corrupt data packets. We concluded that should enough bad data packets be received, the controller would default to a shutdown condition. A power cycle or reset would restore the original program loop and the controller would then search, acquire, and function normally if the offending interference were no longer present.
This is why it is so important for teams to only use tether in the pits. In confined areas during regionals, teams using radio links in the pits can have an effect on robots in competition.
Now, my two cents on the abbreviation issue. As a ham radio operator using Morse code, abbreviations are able to get your message through in a shorter time. The transfer rate, though, is in the 5-13
words per minute range. In a medium where the transfer is faster than the spoken word, please make full use of the language and make yourself heard and understood.
P.S. Spell check is a blessing too.