Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Bottiglieri
The wonderful thing about using a RTOS is you can effectively cut the programming down to writing a simple script. (Stored on an SD card, USB stick, SCP/SFTP'd in, etc.)
I think it will be a big step to get over the "that seems too hard" barrier. We are used to writing C code to run on an embedded controller in real time... not an easy task for a high school freshman! But, there are tools to help facilitate in this process (default code, EasyC). These tools make it possible for people with absolutely no knowledge of C to program a robot to do basic functions with a very shallow learning curve. There is no reason why using an OS on the robot should be any different. If anything, it makes it easier because we can interface standards that most people are familiar with, instead of trying to teach them something entirely foreign.
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I think Tom has nailed it. Running a RTOS doesn't necessarily make it harder to program your 'bot as you would be able to easilly abstract the complexity of the underlying hardware and software to whatever degree desired.
I ask this question because it's been announced that we'll be getting a new controller in 2009 and I'm just curious what teams will want running on that controller in the hope that FIRST and their corporate sponsors will listen to us, the FRC community when these decisions are made. With this in mind, I strongly urge folks to take the time to fill out the
RC survey.
-Kevin