Vision co-processor Location

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by cpapplefamily

I been testing some vision using a second laptop on the network wifi running Grip and has been the most successful experience. I tried on roborio and on the driverstation of runing GRIP with undesirable results. So tonight I ordered a Kangaroo mini PC. I wonder do we need to put a network switch on the robot with the Kangaroo or can we install the switch and Kangaroo on the driverstation table. I like the switch and kangaroo on the driverstation table is there reason not to do this? I figured that to be FRC event legal it can't be wifi.

As I haven't seen anyone else mention it, check out R93 in the 2016 rulebook:

3 Devices hosting the Driver Station software must only interface with the Field Management System (FMS) via the Ethernet cable provided at the PLAYER STATION (e.g. not through a switch). Teams may connect the FIELD Ethernet cable to their Driver Station device directly via an Ethernet pigtail, or with a single-port Ethernet converter (e.g. docking station, USB-Ethernet converter, Thunderbolt-Ethernet converter, etc.).The Ethernet port on the OPERATOR CONSOLE must be easily and quickly accessible.

That one rule makes putting something like this on the driver station much more difficult. The ethernet from the field has to go straight to the driver station laptop, and then you have to go from that laptop to the secondary vision processor - so you have to get the laptop to act as a pass-through for the data you want.

All in all, it's much easier/better to put it on-board the robot.