Another problem that I see with the netbook solution is that there is no easy way to plug in digital and analog inputs. (My team, for example, is using no USB ports and has everything wired through the input pins)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Anderson
I have a completely different suggestion: standardize the operator console. Have a pair of joysticks and a pair of gamepads permanently installed at each station. Maybe include an IIC connection or something for specialized switches/knobs/display devices if teams really want to get fancy.
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On the standardization of Driver Consoles, i am extremely against this, as I believe that teams should be able to choose the joysticks, buttons, knobs, etc. that they like to use. For example, I hate driving using the KOP joysticks, however some people love them.
Also, if the driver console was standardized, teams would have to work with a certain number of joysticks, buttons, knobs, etc. Would the system have all the possible input devices and joysticks that each team would need? What if a team needs to use 8 joysticks (4 USB, 4 analog input pins), would it be ready for that? I know that rather than having two gamepads and two standardized joysticks at each station, my team would prefer to have flexibility in operator console design, with the ability to package all of our controls into a lightweight and rugged module.