[Andy A.]

I think the AndyMark unit has it right on the money. I built a much less attractive dongle a while back.

A long cable and a clearly labeled and easy to actuate 'STOP/DISABLE' button is a huge benefit to safety. We've all been testing the robot and scrambled to disable it before something/someone gets damaged. It's also useful and comforting to have when demoing the robot, since this is typically when new drivers and the public try their hand at the controls. It's like the dual brake pedals on a drivers ed. car. This lets you stop the 'bot before things get out of control and lets you avoid a embarrassing and potentially dangerous situations where the robot goes flying off a stage (been there, done that!).

I like a dongle with a long cord. Thats just me.

Speaking of which, should Andy or Mark read this, how about your dongle in kit form? I know some teams take issue with buying prefabricated items they could otherwise make, even if they never end up doing it. If we could buy the dongle as a kit of all it's constituent parts with the fabrication (holes getting cut etc.) part done, it might make it more palatable. It gives teams a professional and reliable product and the satisfaction of having had a role in it's construction.

-Andy A.