Communicating with Feeder

[Jogo]

Any ideas for helping the feeder pick a shape? I imagine communication with the analyst across the field would be quite difficult.

How about an indicator on the robot that lights up Red, White, or Blue? Anyone have any experience with some sort of LED indicator (specifically in LabVIEW?)

[nighterfighter]

I had this idea while eating "inspirationBell" (Seriously, whenever I eat Taco Bell I get into philosophical/inventive convos or thoughts...)

2 ideas I got-

3 seperate LED clusters, (in shape of triangle,square,circle) controlled by 3 seperate spikes.

2 LEDs, allowing for 4 different "commands".
(Both off, one on one off, one off one on, both on)

Not sure if they make these, but a LED, where if given regular polarity (Set the Spike forward) one color, and if given reverse polarity, it is a different color. (Set relay reverse.) No color = off, or circle, for example.

[Trent B]

Originally Posted by nighterfighter

Not sure if they make these, but a LED, where if given regular polarity (Set the Spike forward) one color, and if given reverse polarity, it is a different color. (Set relay reverse.) No color = off, or circle, for example.

Two options, run the circuits off of the digital sidecar if you have low milliamp requirements for your LEDs

Other option (I am not entirely sure if custom circuits on spikes are legal) but they are LEDs aka Light Emitting Diodes with Diodes being the key word

If you run - to anode and + to cathode it doesn't light up, so you have one wire come off the positive side of the spike, branch into two wires, one is connected to an anode of an LED the other to a cathode of another LED, continue connecting LEDs in the same direction (+-anode cathode-anode cathode-anode cathode-) and the opposite direction. Run the spike one way it turns on one set, the other way it turns on the other set.

While you generally have to apply high voltage reverse polarity to damage an LED, some are damaged more easily than others, in which case buy an actual diode that can handle the higher voltage reverse polarity and stuff that in there to avoid burning out your LEDs

[nighterfighter]

Originally Posted by Trent B

(I cannot remember if LEDs can be damaged by reverse current)

I believe they can.

EDIT: After looking it up, it seems they can only be hurt if passed with a large enough voltage...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_circuit#Polarity

And dShad- A good human player MIGHT know what it looks like you need, but they won't be up to date with the coaches needs/other human player.

[Bryan Herbst]

Originally Posted by nighterfighter

I believe they can.

EDIT: After looking it up, it seems they can only be hurt if passed with a large enough voltage...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_circuit#Polarity

And dShad- A good human player MIGHT know what it looks like you need, but they won't be up to date with the coaches needs/other human player.

Not easily. LEDs are diodes, which are designed to control the direction of the flow of electricity. More specifically, they only allow current to flow in one direction.

EDIT: Oops, double post. My apologies.

[Trent B]

Originally Posted by nighterfighter

I believe they can.

EDIT: After looking it up, it seems they can only be hurt if passed with a large enough voltage...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_circuit#Polarity

And dShad- A good human player MIGHT know what it looks like you need, but they won't be up to date with the coaches needs/other human player.

A little more looking into it it appears as long as you don't exceed the breakdown voltage (which is the voltage you have to reach before you can start to conduct in reverse), it shouldn't get damaged. Something to dig out the spec sheets for.

Originally Posted by Tanis

Not easily. LEDs are diodes, which are designed to control the direction of the flow of electricity. More specifically, they only allow current to flow in one direction.

There is a point called the breakdown voltage where you can conduct backwards. It will vary from LED to LED

[nighterfighter]

Originally Posted by Trent B

A little more looking into it it appears as long as you don't exceed the breakdown voltage (which is the voltage you have to reach before you can start to conduct in reverse, it shouldn't get damaged. Something to dig out the spec sheets for.

Yup.

This website has some useful info...

Of particular interest might be the "Tri-Color" LED section...

http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/led.htm

[Trent B]

The bi-color ones intrigued me however they are a few bucks a piece on digikey compared to tri-color being about a buck a piece.

A consideration with the tri-colour is how the fact you have the common cathode that would somehow have to switch sides if you wanted to run it off a spike switching direction.

Additionally blue and red LEDs run at different voltages so you have to factor in resistors and how to potentially run it off a single spike. The nice part about two sets using the diode breakdown voltage is you can use a single spike and a little breadboard rather than potentially two spikes.

I suppose you could hook up one color to the positive on the spike, one to the negative and the cathode to the negative on the power distribution board.(provided there isn't a rule against this, because it wouldn't be protected by a circuit breaker as those are only on the red blocks) You could also have it merge in with the spikes negative which may violate rule R43) below.

Originally Posted by R43

Custom circuits shall NOT directly alter the power pathways between the battery, PD Board, speed controllers, relays, motors, or other elements of the robot control system (including the power pathways to other sensors or circuits). Custom high impedance voltage monitoring or low impedance current monitoring connected to the ROBOT'S electrical system is acceptable, because the effect on the ROBOT outputs should be inconsequential.

[davidthefat]

Use a laptop to flash the color fullscreen

[nighterfighter]

Originally Posted by davidthefat

Use a laptop to flash the color fullscreen

Yes. This seems to be the most effective way.

...And when it isn't flashing full-screen color, it shows random pictures of funny kittens to distract the other team!

[smistthegreat]

Another idea for a low tech system, just a simple poster that the analyst would hold up signaling which shape and which side to load on, similar to the play calling cards that Oregon uses in NCAA football like this: http://media.spokesman.com/photos/20...52 f96b62dbc7

[MagiChau]

I would say using LEDs are the best option. Seems like a lower chance of getting the desired game piece wrong.

[HumblePie]

Holy cannoli, keep it simple folks! The analyst has 2 free hands, 2 simple sets of red/white/blue cards or a 3-sided color-coded signalling post will allow communication with both Feeders. Don't we have TWO robots to build?

[Duke461]

Originally Posted by nighterfighter

I had this idea while eating "inspirationBell" (Seriously, whenever I eat Taco Bell I get into philosophical/inventive convos or thoughts...)

roughly 20 members of 461 went to Taco Bell to discuss the game tonight. I know what you mean, dude

Also I'm not too familiar with driver station rules, but would a drive coach be able to hold up a sign signifying red white or blue to the human player across the field?

[davidthefat]

Originally Posted by Jogo

Any ideas for helping the feeder pick a shape? I imagine communication with the analyst across the field would be quite difficult.

How about an indicator on the robot that lights up Red, White, or Blue? Anyone have any experience with some sort of LED indicator (specifically in LabVIEW?)

I would assume just the driver communicating with the feeder. Seems the lowest tech way to do it.