Compatibility of 2004 and 2005 Controllers

[Orborde]

The 2004 and 2005 controllers are exactly the same, right? Meaning that we can throw code onto whichever of the two we want and it will work? It appears so, but I'd like to check before I frag my controller in exciting fashion.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Orborde

The 2004 and 2005 controllers are exactly the same, right? Meaning that we can throw code onto whichever of the two we want and it will work? It appears so, but I'd like to check before I frag my controller in exciting fashion.

They're not identical. I noticed two differences immediately: the power connections are now blade connectors, and there is a new three-pin header for extending the Prog and Reset buttons.

According to the documentation, you can use a 2004 RC on a 2005 robot, but you must load updated firmware first. It looks like you can not use a 2004 OI, however. (I suspect the communication protocol has changed between last year and this year.)

[Orborde]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

It looks like you can not use a 2004 OI, however. (I suspect the communication protocol has changed between last year and this year.)

What documentation are you looking at? Most of the stuff on InnovationFirst seems to be 2004 controller stuff. And, according to this,

The new FRC Robot Controller is not compatible with pre-2004 Operator Interfaces. The Operator Interfaces is also not compatible with pre-2004 Robot Controllers

Thanks.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Orborde

What documentation are you looking at?

The 2005 manual.

Originally Posted by The 2005 FRC Manual, Section 5.3.8

<R67> Teams may not use Innovation First Operator Interfaces from previous years' competitions.

[jakk]

--->our team took a break in the 2004 competition. i just remember the old black controllers. the new ones seem to be alot looser than the the black ones.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by jakk

--->our team took a break in the 2004 competition. i just remember the old black controllers. the new ones seem to be alot looser than the the black ones.

We were discussing the Robot Controller -- the computer from IFI. It's still black. I suspect you're talking about joysticks. Yes, the ivory-colored right-hand-only joysticks aren't as "tight" as the older black ones. They don't return to center quite as strongly.

[Stillen]

Is it possible to load this years software into last years controllers? I want to test our camera out with last years robot ......



Thanks

[Tom Bottiglieri]

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...troller+c ode