Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark McLeod
- Several issues with the Classmate driver station. All-in-all it worked well. The obvious problems: - depending on battery power on the playing field
- random failed USB power re-negotiations (game controllers, Cypress)
- failed services upon waking from Sleep mode (Cypress)
- failing to connect to FMS (rare cases)
- easily broken Ethernet cable retention
-cRIO module connections came loose on robot impacts (50g clips are not enough sometimes). |
Thank you to Joe and Greg for asking for this feedback.
After working with the FTA's (Mark Koors and Rob Jenkins) at IRI, I would like to add this to the critique of the Classmate:
1. Failure for the Classmate to connect to FMS is a bigger deal than Mark McLeod eludes to above. I will try to explain.
If the Classmate fails to connect to FMS (and it is only in Driver Mode), then the FTA has two options: a) run the match without that team participating, b) swap out the Classmate. The first option frustrates the team, of course (and causes a 1-2 minute delay* while making this decision). The second option creates at least a 4 minute delay*.
2. Driver and Developer mode:
If a team shows up to the field while logged on to Driver and Developer mode at the same time, the Classmate again does not connect to the field. In this case, a 1-2 minute delay* occurs (and that is only if it is diagnosed correctly).
* - We ran 104 qualification matches at IRI this past weekend, with a top notch field staff. Due mostly to these delays, we ran about 45 minutes behind schedule after running 104 matches.
Sincerely,
Andy Baker