IFI Critique

[Hutch]

Better connectors on the RC would be my number one suggestion. It was a pain to get the serial connection for the camera to stay on the whole match, and it just sucks when the power connectors come unsoldered and I have to open up my RC to solder them back in. Same goes for the victors; sometimes the PWM's just don't fit in and I have to take a knife to the plastic to make room.

It's also silly they haven't switched to USB; my new laptop has no serial port at all and carrying around a dock is cubersome. USB is faster and definitely the way to go.

I think almost everyone would agree that they'd like a way to get more data back to the OI, as well as a less cumbersome method of getting to output (wiring around joystick ports is a pain).

On the software side, the fast loop should be called during the autonomous part of the default code. That's when you need your sensor data most, and the comments around the function indicate that it's always called (we had no rotary encoders in autonomous for a few rounds because of this).

Also in general less clutter in the default code would be nice. Something that follows more of the guidelines of Code Complete with less block comment function headers, a more consistent naming style, etc.

Overall, I like most of IFI's products, they just have some serious quality issues. It's gotten better (I've had a lot more problems with the connectors on old RC's), but still, just a general look at the quality of their products and where improvements could be made would be a good call for IFI.