Beta test teams: Has base processor utilization decreased?

[apalrd]

The best metric we can get (in LabVIEW at least) is the RT Get CPU Loads block.

It identifies what proportion of processor time is used by what priority tasks. It includes a number for each priority, and the sum is 100.

All tasks are Normal or inherit from parent by default. If we sum everything except Idle, we can get our consumed CPU load. The default framework does not use any of the VxWorks RT tasks, so timing determinism goes out the window and is wildly variant on CPU load on both ends and link quality (since it's timed to DS packets).

For the past few years, the CPU load on our robot has been so high that we've had to use the 'No App' DIP switch to reprogram the robot, because the NI bootloader is running at lowest priority and is being starved. It pains me every time I must open the darn imaging tool, No App (Virtually), reboot, flash, un No-App in the imaging tool, and reboot again. It's a process far too long for a competition environment.

The Default code gets around this limitation by not running most of the code when disabled. I hate this method, as I can't debug without enabling the robot, and it's sometimes useful to probe an output without allowing it to move.