Check joysticks and I/O module before each match

[Joe Ross]

I've seen a few reports of joystick and cypress I/O module problems.

Originally Posted by Adam Freeman

2054 had some type of computer issue, where it would not recognize their joysticks... so they set still during the entire first match.

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

We see a lot of this type of behavior (lack of controls) when a bunch of stuff is plugged into a single USB hub and it isn't getting the power it needs to run everything.

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

Here's a list of issues that caused teams to not work on the field at San Diego:
There were at least 3 cases where joysticks did not work on the field.

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

With sleep mode there is a possibility that the USB joysticks/Cypress can get resorted and is something to check/verify when you wake it up.

While statistically, the chances of a problem are very low, it's really easy to check that your joysticks / I/O module are working before a match (takes 10 seconds) and can save your match.

Change to the diagnostics tab on the driver station software. Verify that there is a green light next to each joystick that is connected, and to the I/O module (if connected). Press a button on each joystick and verify that the green light changes to blue on the appropriate joystick. If you have the I/O module, press a button and make sure that the I/O light changes to blue.

If the joysticks aren't in the right order, go to the setup tab and drag them to the correct order. If the joysticks don't light up, press F1 to re-enumerate them, or unplug your USB hub and plug it back in. If the I/O module isn't detected or isn't working, unplug it and plug it back in.

Problems can be worse if your classmate has very low battery (make sure it's plugged in in the pits), or if you have a lot of USB devices that are overloading the power requirements. The Cypress board should be plugged in to the classmate directly, since it uses a lot of power. I've also seen one case each of a bad hub or a bad joystick.