FMS triggered Minibot launch?

[JesseK]

We're trying to put this into our system. Instead of a simple "DEPLOY MINIBOT" button, it will be a "ARM/DEPLOY" button. If the timer is at the endgame point, then hitting the button deploys immediately; else it sits in place 'armed' to deploy at the right time.

Of course, there will be an override as well.

[Kevin Sevcik]

In answer to the original question, the only info coming from the FMS is Auton/Teleop Mode and Enabled/Disabled. There isn't anything in the data structure concerning additional match timing events. So, as everyone here is suggesting, your only option for doing this is to start a timer at the beginning of teleop + enabled, and then wait an appropriate amount of time before deploying.

And as yet others have noted, the timing of FMS match events may not be in perfect agreement with your timing on the robot.

[Mark McLeod]

The other point I'd like to throw in is that no matter how accurate to the millisecond our deployment is, we will all be dealing with human ref speeds.
If human psychology thinks we're deploying too soon, then we'll get a penality.

[j.cole]

True there may be a delay. For all those that want to implement this I would recommend you not do it because a penalty outweighs just teaching your co-pilot to press a button when a sound goes off. In the end its your call.

Originally Posted by billbo911

This is exactly why I asked the question the way I did.


I just feel that triggering off the FMS signal that generates the visual indication will be the most accurate and reliable trigger.

Yes you could have the camera sense when the base of the tower changes color but it would waste your camera and it might be inaccurate

[Greg McKaskle]

Just to pile on, the elapsed time value in the framework is a local cRIO timer because there are no official timestamps or time values in the protocol.

For a short duration like an FRC match, the independent clocks are obviously close enough, but if the FMS does something like start the timer after the sound finishes, that may explain the difference. Does the match time issues exist in the FMS Lite? Can you use that to determine if the time is consistent, but long by x seconds?

Greg McKaskle

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by Greg McKaskle

For a short duration like an FRC match, the independent clocks are obviously close enough, but if the FMS does something like start the timer after the sound finishes, that may explain the difference. Does the match time issues exist in the FMS Lite? Can you use that to determine if the time is consistent, but long by x seconds?

Here is the original thread about the issue: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=84584

[Alan Anderson]

Trigger deployment when the base changes back to the alliance color.

[edit]I mean use the camera to see the actual visual indication. You don't need to tap into the FMS signal that generates that indication.[/edit]