**FIRST EMAIL**/FRC Robot Control System Survey

[JesseK]

I agree that they're not asking the "right" questions, but it also seems as if they've already narrowed down their choices and are now trying to choose between them based upon our input

If they get alot of mentors saying (example) "interrupt-driven programming, analog inputs" whereas students want "easier-to-code programming language" I wonder which they'd pick if they had to decide between them.

[EricVanWyk]

What are the "right" questions to ask then?

[Phil Mack]

Originally Posted by EricVanWyk

What are the "right" questions to ask then?

Questions about the limiting factors of the current controller would be vital to the selection of the new controller.

I would have liked more detailed and more quantified analysis about usage of the current controller's features.

Questions about the development platform and tool chain would be of high impact in any decision about controller selection.

The section where we had to come up with 5 things we liked and 5 things we didn't like about the current controller was probably the most valuable source for what needs to be changed. I find it hard to believe that any truly useful information will be garnered from my opinions that were condensed into a few words to fit the format.

I would think that a more appropriate approach is to break down the features provided by the both current controller and the the alternative controllers being evaluated, then ask for our opinions on the features.

Asking questions about the difficulty of general processes without supplying more specific details or criteria is not only completely subjective, but also leads to widely varying interpretations of the questions.

The surveyors seem to be making underlying assumptions about what is easy and what is difficult.

I would hope we can keep this thread to what factors should be taken into consideration during a controller selection as opposed to debate over features, platforms, et cetera as is currently being discussed ad nauseam in several other threads.
~Phil