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Originally Posted by Alan Anderson
The rules do let us connect externally-powered portable computing devices to the OI. The method is officially documented, and tools for doing it are officially available from IFI. I think it's a perfect way to implement force feedback, or just about any other kind of feedback you want.
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Not quite:
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Originally Posted by R66
Teams are permitted to connect a portable computing device (Laptop computer, PDAs, etc.) to the RS232 Output of the Dashboard Port of the Operator Interface for the purpose of displaying feedback from the robot while competing in Competition matches. Please note that AC power will not be available at the playing field so these devices will have to run on internal batteries.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by R69
All equipment connected to the Joystick Ports of the Operator Interface must be powered solely through the power available through the port. External power sources of any type are not permitted on any equipment connected to the Joystick Ports. Portable computing devices may not be connected to Joystick input ports on the Operator Interface.
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You may only connect externally-powered devices to the
dashboard port. Any device which is connected to the joystick ports may not use external power.
Now I suppose you could try to pull something off where you took a normal joystick and wired in some feedback motors that were controlled by signals coming from the dashboard, such that the feedback circuits were totally isolated from the joystick port circuits, but in my opinion this would really be bending the rules. I would consider such a contraption to be a single "device" and therefore it would not be allowed to be connected to the joystick port(s).