Tips for first-year programmers

[F22Rapture]

Originally Posted by Ekcrbe

I don't have any experience running a drivetrain off a gamepad, or what is applicable to use, but I imagine the offset joysticks from the XBox 360 could make driving a little funky. Logitech sells the F310, which I think would work well for an FRC Driver Station if you love the 360 layout, with the aligned sticks.

P.S. We used a Dual Action gamepad for our manipulator control this year, and I really like it, but it doesn't have analog triggers.

I would suggest not using tank drive, but rather using a split-thumbstick arcade mode (with one thumbstick being forward movement and a separate one for turning) or one thumbstick for turning and the triggers for throttle. Tank drive is difficult to drive straight in the best of circumstances, but the implicit inaccuracy of the thumbsticks compared to joysticks makes it even more difficult.

Also keep in mind that the Xbox controller has a large deadzone in the middle of the stick that needs to be accounted for, otherwise it won't center properly. The logitech controllers and joysticks don't seem to have that issue so much.

We haven't tried an Xbox controller yet, due to money issues and lack of a workable testbed robot, but I have the code complete for one. Keep in mind I haven't tested it yet.
https://github.com/FRCTeam3737/2012-...aptors/OI.java