Using the cRio in 2015 and beyond

[Cornell2012]

Hi everyone,

I was hoping someone would be able to point me to a resource explaining how we will be able to continue using (as in programming) the cRio for prototyping or summer projects now that we have moved to the RR.

Our cRio is imaged for C++ but we no longer have access to Windriver. We would like to be able to use the now-depreciated cRio but don't really know how. I was really hoping that FIRST would officially support the cRio with Eclipse plugins, but that does not seem to be the case.

What I'm looking for is a step-by-step guide on how I can put new working code on the cRio using the current tools. (Or at least a way that doesn't require the Windriver software.)

A brief list of things that I think I will need to know but currently do not.
-Necessary software/plugins/toolchains (currently have C/C++ capabilities for RR)
-Project settings for cRio
-Build settings for cRio
-What to do with the compiled code

Thanks everyone!

[Alan Anderson]

LabVIEW for FRC 2015 is supported on the 4-slot cRIO.

LabVIEW for FRC 2014 can be used indefinitely to program the 8-slot cRIO.

Work is underway to support the cRIO for other languages, but it's not an official FIRST project.

[virtuald]

There is a GCC 4.8 toolchain that you can use to compile cRio code on Linux, using the frcmake/cmake tools.

I've created a Vagrant VM definition that you can use to install the correct toolchain in a Linux VM at https://github.com/virtuald/frc-gcc-vm

[MamaSpoldi]

Originally Posted by Cornell2012

Hi everyone,

I was hoping someone would be able to point me to a resource explaining how we will be able to continue using (as in programming) the cRio for prototyping or summer projects now that we have moved to the RR.

Our cRio is imaged for C++ but we no longer have access to Windriver. We would like to be able to use the now-depreciated cRio but don't really know how. I was really hoping that FIRST would officially support the cRio with Eclipse plugins, but that does not seem to be the case.

What I'm looking for is a step-by-step guide on how I can put new working code on the cRio using the current tools. (Or at least a way that doesn't require the Windriver software.)

A brief list of things that I think I will need to know but currently do not.
-Necessary software/plugins/toolchains (currently have C/C++ capabilities for RR)
-Project settings for cRio
-Build settings for cRio
-What to do with the compiled code

Thanks everyone!

We have also been waiting for this.

I recall it being mentioned a few times during the Beta test presentations that there would be a path for backward compatibility to the cRIO but it has not come to pass.

Moving to LabView for teams that have been doing C++ is not really a viable option. Re-writing all your existing code for an old robot is a lot of work for very little return. And not everyone has easy access to a Linux platform to play with. Hoping this will be answered soon... although at this point I think it is unlikely until after the build season.

[virtuald]

Originally Posted by MamaSpoldi

And not everyone has easy access to a Linux platform to play with. Hoping this will be answered soon... although at this point I think it is unlikely until after the build season.

The VM that I mentioned above works well on OSX and Windows.

[BradAMiller]

Jeff Downs from Team 1511 has created a plugin for eclipse that will build C++ cRIO programs. He's going to be releasing that soon. At the same time, Greg McKaskle from NI is adding support to the 2015 driver station to allow you to select the 2014 robot protocol. We're hoping to get the eclipse project out soon, especially considering the imminent expiration of the WindRiver licenses and the Driver Station changes will follow. Until the new DS comes out, you can use the 2014 tools on a separate computer. We're also working on a procedure to get both the 2014 and 2015 DS installed on the same computer as a temporary measure.

[viggy96]

You should use the imaging tool and re-image the cRIO for Java, then use NetBeans, which is free, and the plugins are still available. This way, you will still be able put your cRIO to good use.

[heydowns]

I just posted about our plug-in for Eclipse for C++ development for cRIO here:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh....php?p=1438037

Hopefully this will be of help to the OP.