Do we have to program our robot in C++?

[IMDWalrus]

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

It should be possible to program the RC in a different language, like PIC assembler (because it's the job of the compiler to write a .hex file, which contains generic PIC instructions, rather than C code or some other language). However, there's absolutely no support for this, and it would be a miracle if someone got a re-coded version of the firmware to actually work with itself, much less the field controllers.

This sounds like a brilliant way to use last year's robot...

[Wetzel]

Originally Posted by Robot Dude 0101

Im new to this FIRST stuff and I was wondering why these robots have to use these processors? We could use more powerful processors like the HandyBoard, Motorolla processors, or K-Team processors. That would make everything more challenging.

It would make it more challenging for some teams, but some teams would eat this up and be even crazier then they were before.

The bigger issue I see is the headache at events for FIRST. Right now, there is the same controller/radio setup on every robot. Even with everyone using the same RC setup, teams still botch it in many creative ways. FIRST knows the current setup so they can help debug it when the match was suppost to start 2 minutes ago. If teams were allowed to use any controller, they wouldn't be able to help, and I think the number of teams having comms problems would increase with a decrease in the quality of help available.


Wetzel

[Testament-Doom]

Is there a rule saying we can't use any type of controller? What if someone can modify an N64 controller and use that? Would that be against the rules?

[Billfred]

I think you've got joysticks and controllers mixed up.

Innovation First makes the control system that tells the robot to do stuff. Yes, you have to use it.

Joysticks (and anything else that connects to the operator interface, for that matter) have been functionally wide open. Go wild on that, if you prefer. And if you get an N64 controller to work with it, we want pictures.

(note, however, that everything is subject to change without notice or reason)

[Wetzel]

Originally Posted by Billfred

I think you've got joysticks and controllers mixed up.

Innovation First makes the control system that tells the robot to do stuff. Yes, you have to use it.

Joysticks (and anything else that connects to the operator interface, for that matter) are functionally wide open. Go wild on that, if you prefer. And if you get an N64 controller to work with it, we want pictures.

The rules are subject to change.

Wetzel

[wun]

Originally Posted by Robot Dude 0101

Does anyone know of any good books that would teach you how to program C for robotics?

If you know C, you know C. The only differences between programming a computer with C and programming a robot are the functions you call and the libraries you include.
There are a whole load of great pages out there for learning C.
A couple good ones:
http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/cclass/
http://www.cprogramming.com/
And, of coarse, here!
If you are like me thou, and prefer a book (I actually posted a thread about this a while ago), a very good one is "The C Programming Language" by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie. If you are totally new to programming, you may find it goes a little fast, but it is still a very good read.

[Robot Dude 0101]

Originally Posted by wun

If you know C, you know C. The only differences between programming a computer with C and programming a robot are the functions you call and the libraries you include.
There are a whole load of great pages out there for learning C.
A couple good ones:
http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/cclass/
http://www.cprogramming.com/
And, of coarse, here!
If you are like me thou, and prefer a book (I actually posted a thread about this a while ago), a very good one is "The C Programming Language" by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie. If you are totally new to programming, you may find it goes a little fast, but it is still a very good read.

Thanks for the links, but once I skimmed over the material, I saw that I already knew it from C++.

I was just wondering what the difference was between ANSI C and C that is used for Microsoft Visual Studio?

[wun]

Originally Posted by Robot Dude 0101

Thanks for the links, but once I skimmed over the material, I saw that I already knew it from C++.

I was just wondering what the difference was between ANSI C and C that is used for Microsoft Visual Studio?

I have been using M$ VS for a about three days now (at the place I'm doing co-op at) and it looks to be pretty similar (there are small differences like wsprintf in M$ is sprintf in ANSI). Nothing a quick bit of googling cant fix.
If you already have some background in programming you shouldn't have much of a problem with the robot. The first time I ever touched C was a week before the competition, and I had no problem with the robot.