ANNOUNCING: navX MXP Robotics Navigation Sensor

[slibert]

Originally Posted by Conor Ryan

This is the coolest Control System Add On ever. You can do so much with it, all without the danger of overloading the main CPU.

Looking in the Wiki here are the list of examples:

• Field-oriented Drive

• Automatic Balancing

• Rotating to a given Angle

• Motion/No-Motion Detection

That is pretty impressive, I can't wait to see what some teams can do with this.


Any videos of it in action?

Here's a video recently posted by the lead technical mentor of team 246, showing how they used the nav6 to implement field oriented drive. The navX is based on the same technology:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...highlight=nav6

It's mentioned at about 5:30 and 10:30 into the video referenced in this post.

[Mr. Lim]

Just put in our order for one.

Team is excited to have a proper IMU on our robot this year!

Thanks, and good luck with the product!

[SpeedFreed]

I spent the large portion of my summer working with the Nav6 by Kauai Labs, and it was, by far, the easiest (and most accurate) gyro I had ever worked with. Ever. I never got around to using the other degrees (pitch, roll, linear acceleration), but it was worth it alone for just the yaw measurement, and it's easy integration into FOD. But that was just an offseason project, who knows what else tomorrow's challenge might allow us to do with it?

Needless to say, I already ordered one of the navXs, and you can be sure it will be on our robot next year.

[craigboez]

Because this is an "active" roboRIO expansion module, my understanding is that it needs explicit FRC approval before you can use it on your robot. Does the navX have this approval?

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by craigboez

Because this is an "active" roboRIO expansion module, my understanding is that it needs explicit FRC approval before you can use it on your robot.

It only needs approval if you plug in a motor controller or servo to it.

[craigboez]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

It only needs approval if you plug in a motor controller or servo to it.

Thanks Joe. That would explain the lack of PWM outputs.

[slibert]

Originally Posted by craigboez

Thanks Joe. That would explain the lack of PWM outputs.

The navX does support PWM/Quad Encoders as well as standard GPIO. These pins are direct pass-throughs from the MXP Connector, so whatever RoboRIO drives out those pins is routed to the navx MXP Digital I/O connectors.

Any announcement regarding legality as an active device can only come from FIRST, who has indicated that all approved devices will be listed in this year's game manual, to be released tomorrow.

[craigboez]

Are there any restrictions or recommendations on how to mount the roboRIO? Is vertical ok?

[Greg Needel]

Originally Posted by craigboez

Are there any restrictions or recommendations on how to mount the roboRIO? Is vertical ok?

I can't speak for the orientation requirements of this board, but you could always use a cable to relocated it off of the roborio.

http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-2997.htm

[Ben Wolsieffer]

Originally Posted by Greg Needel

I can't speak for the orientation requirements of this board, but you could always use a cable to relocated it off of the roborio.

http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-2997.htm

It also looks like it can be connected over USB, which would make it even easier to mount it away from the roboRIO.

[slibert]

Originally Posted by lopsided98

It also looks like it can be connected over USB, which would make it even easier to mount it away from the roboRIO.

Connection over USB is definitely doable; but do note that the navX MXP RoboRIO I/O expansion capability is only accessible when navX MXP is connected via the MXP connector.

One interesting side note is that navX MXP can be connected *simultaneously* by both MXP connector AND USB. So you can access the navX MXP over the MXP Connector from your robot software and simultaneously monitor the navX MXP over the USB connector. There's a PC-based application called the navXMXPUI, more info on the Wiki (https://code.google.com/p/navx-mxp/wiki/navXMXPUI).

The navXMXPUI is really helpful to understand the full breadth of what the navX MXP can do, and should also help debug as you integrate the navX MXP into your robot.

[JB987]

Our alpha and beta testing of the rRIO included vertical mounting and we had no problems with it's orientation.

[Ben Wolsieffer]

Originally Posted by JB987

Our alpha and beta testing of the rRIO included vertical mounting and we had no problems with it's orientation.

Are you talking about the navX, or simply the roboRIO by itself.

[slibert]

Originally Posted by craigboez

Are there any restrictions or recommendations on how to mount the roboRIO? Is vertical ok?

I'd definitely recommend horizontal alignment with the chassis.

We've put a decent bit of thought, though, into alternate mounting strategies.

Please take a look at the following wiki page and hopefully it provides enough detail regarding these alternate solutions:

https://code.google.com/p/navx-mxp/w...InstallOptions

You might want to consider the "One-wire connect via Floppy-disk Extension Cable" option and the "One-wire connect via USB Cable" options.

We were able to order some of the "Floppy-disk Extension Cables" on Ebay, and another poster just indicated that AndyMark is carrying them, as well.

[JesseK]

2 questions:
How much testing has this board undergone with the RoboRIO, outside of a Great like Joe Johnson?
The website shows 11 available. Is that true? Seems a bit low.