How early in the season did you get to test your programming?

[EHaskins]

I was curious how many teams don't let their programmers touch the robot until one or two day before the robot gets shipped.

I know last year the first time I got to test the tracking code for our turret was Saturday before shipping.

This year I think I've had a total of ~30min. to test anything.

Is anyone else doing this bad?

[purduephotog]

Actually, we've been 'testing' modules - how to use a Gyro, how to use a GTS, how to read from the pressure transducer... all small, non-integrated pieces.

We drove a test chassis for 20 minutes, then had it ripped apart again.

In all, last night at 730pm, was the first time the electrical had been integrated with the rest of the chassis, and I'm going to have to ask them to take it apart tonight to remove a spacer that can destroy our encoder.

So, I guess a better answer is: We STILL haven't tested our programming.

[MrForbes]

I didnt see the "yesterday" choice?

(actually they first got to test the day before yesterday, and got it working yesterday)

[Alan Anderson]

We have the luxury of more than a decade of old robots and parts to use for prototyping software. Our basic code framework was written and tested on last year's robot weeks before this year's drive base was in any condition to be powered up. As soon as the wires were in place, we turned it on and drove it around. We built the necessary feedback (pots, encoders, etc.) in to the design from the beginning, so we didn't have to try to kludge anything in after the fact. The code for fancy features was also written and ready before the hardware to use it was assembled.

We also built specific times into our schedule this year for software debug on the "robot in progress". Mechanical and electrical groups were supposed to leave the 'bot alone a couple of evenings a week so the software group could have unrestricted access. That worked out okay, mostly, and I am sure we'll try the same thing next year.

There are only two things left to do to the programming. First is to reconfigure the presets after I accidentally misaligned a feedback pot when we locked it in place. Second is...autonomous mode.

[kaszeta]

We didn't do anything particularly new this year, so we had most of the code tested in week 2 or 3.

Mind you, that last 10% of code takes 90% of the effort...

We program up bits and pieces using EDUbot, Vex an/or last Years robots.

But integration and testing on the new robot will be done the last day before ship and fine tuned at the regional.

see you at the WI regional, maybe the Hamilton Sussex mini regional

Brian
K9WIS
FRC Team 1675

[paulcd2000]

for us it's more of a question of when we have a mostly complicated robot. We have a 7-man team, so i have enough influence as the only programmer to get them to let me test code.

[chris31]

Hopefully today Ill get to try out my code. Just a few more hours of build and we will be done. Then ill through some quick code on the bot for drive testing and then get the rest done late Sunday and on Monday.

[dcbrown]

We've been promised the robot the last two weeks for programming/testing. However the mechanical team is still working on getting all the pieces on and are now in weight reduction mode. We should get some time on it tomorrow night before it goes into the crate... hopefully.

[benhulett]

We had driving code down pretty early, but then mechanical took over and finished the robot during this week (waited till after scrimmage to fix our major flaws), and worked alot on code today. We are doing our extensive testing with code tommorow before it gets shipped. Guess we're pulling an all nighter

[GuitarManiac511]

I've only had 7 hourse to program (including testing). I will have another 7 tomorrow (hopefully) to finish it, as it gets shipped out the next day.

lol. I came to robotics, and there like, "Ok... We've got the box ready for tuesday." I just kinda sat there confused. I said, "Tuesday.... ?!? What box for what tuesday?" And of course they told me it was leaving in 2 days and I had NO programming done... So naturally, I went and got some pizza and procrastinated for another hour...


Yeah, we don't have enough time. We need to redo our end-affector, or we wont stand a chance...

[dfreeman]

Yeah... We're still trying to finish assembling the majority of our bot. The drivetrain and corresponding code have been tested -- everything else probably won't get a trial run until regionals. Somehow, of course, it'll all be the programmers' fault anyway.
Such is life

[GaryVoshol]

We have programming? It has to be tested?

[Michael Hill]

test?

[Astronouth7303]

Robot shipped tonight. 95% of the code is known good. (Including all the hardware routines used in autonomous.) Haven't actually tested autonomous, but the major blockers that could appear can be fixed on other robots.

EDIT: And we started testing last ... Thursday?