Using Vex Sensors Line Tracking Kit instead of sensors provided

[Team 2524]

My mentor ordered the vex sensors line tracking kit because the sensors we had weren't working and is it possible to program these sensors in labview for FRC?
And is it possible to connect it to DSC?


Vex Sensor Encoder Kit #276-2156
Light Sensor Kit
Optical Shaft Encoder Kit
Ultra Range Finder kit
Potentiometer
Sensors Line TRacker Kit-Containing 3 sensors
1 mounting bar

[Joe Ross]

Did you read the information on the Vex wiki? http://www.vexforum.com/wiki/index.php/Line_Follower

Hint: They don't attach to the digital sidecar.

[Team 2524]

Okay, but is it possible to substitute the Allen Bradley sensors for the vex sensors and still be able to use labview?...

We still haven't opened up the package yet because we don't want to take that chance that it doesn't work and regret it.

Does anyone have any experience using vex parts?

[scienceguy22]

The vex line followers work on a different concept the the KOP sensors. The supplied sensors are your basic yes/no, is it, or is it not on the line. Vex sensors measure the intensity of infared light that reflects off of the surface being measured; the vex sensors return integer values based on the intensity, there's a data sheet that comes with them that explains it more in depth. The major difference in using them would be using the analog breakout rather than the digital sidecar along with using comparisons and then going to a true/false case structure, rather than going directly to a true/false case structure, in programming.

[Clayton Yocom]

Originally Posted by Team 2524

Okay, but is it possible to substitute the Allen Bradley sensors for the vex sensors and still be able to use labview?...?

Yes, you can. The better question is, "Will the vex sensors work with the default autonomous code?", to which the answer is no. You'll have to do some changing of the code to get it to work, as they work, as ScienceGuy22 said, on in integer vs. boolean t/f.

I haven't looked at the default code at all, but my guess is that with a little bit of tinkering you can get it working (maybe even better ).

[DavidGitz]

"The line tracker is an analog sensor, meaning that it can output many more values within its range of potential values (in this case, from 0-5V) than a digital sensor, which would output only a handful of discrete values in the range (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5V), as is the case for a digital sensor. This range of output from 0-5V is sent to the microcontroller, which translates it into a corresponding range of integer values from 0-255."

Wow, a digital sensor that outputs discrete values based on voltage. That is a WEIRD way to put it.