Team update #6 posted

[Joe Ross]

http://www2.usfirst.org/2003comp/tmup6.pdf

Pinning is not longer a DQ but a disablement and they clarified under which circumstances a robot that is disabled in autonomous mode will be re-enabled in human controlled mode.

Note that the link on the docs page is wrong (points to team update 5), but the link from http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/ works.

[Rickertsen2]

do not follow the link one the FIRST website this links to team update 5 the correct address is http://www2.usfirst.org/2003comp/tmup6.pdf

[rbayer]

There's some new specs for the drills as well.

[Rickertsen2]

bot most important of all.... we can interface the serial port on the RC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

[PyroPhin]

just curious.. what does that enable us to do? still learning my advanced electronics.

~Pyro

[rbayer]

It would allow you to pass data to and from the Stamp more quickly/more easily than trying to do it via the digital inputs. There are some definate disadvantages, however, that need to be weighed carefully against the benefits.

[Jeff McCune]

Does anyone have any specs, or guesses as to how much overhead one would incur adding another SERIN / SEROUT command to the main loop?

26ms (standard execution time of one MainLoop: cycle I think) is bad enough... Stretch that much more and your robot response time might not be adequate. There are, of course ways around this, but I'm wondering if it would be better for our time to scrap the 16 pin parallel cable we made to go to the digital inputs in light of using a serial in command.

Does the fact that the Program Port has a true hardware serial port, rather than a software one help things?