pic: Game hint

[Libby K]

GAAAAAAH! No, not now! The hint can't come out until AFTER I'm on winter break! I still have schoolwork to do! NO!

[bear24rw]

Do you think the white header is an in circuit programmer or something?

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by Tottanka

Also some sort of a black signature on the left top of it.
I think we need to see more pictures of boards, there might be a few versions of them.
What's on the other side of the board/ paper?

The black stamp is a standard inspection stamp, put on by the board manufacturer.

The other side of the board is empty except for traces.

The other side of the paper has the FIRST logo and says "Tis the FRC Season..."

[Leav]

<playing_along>That black thing on the top right of the board looks like an IR emitter (transceiver?) to me... could be a way to program the RC remotely....</playing_along>

in any case I'm gonna still go with the "thanks for keeping us occupied while there is no game hint - but this is probably not real" line of thought... just to keep myself sane....

-Leav

[fimmel]

Originally Posted by Leav

in any case I'm gonna still go with the "thanks for keeping us occupied while there is no game hint - but this is probably not real" line of thought...

-Leav

thats the road im taking at the moment. i couldn't handle 20 days, 15.5 hours of guessing lol

...forest

[Bongle]

Ugh... I always dislike these threads because past hints have always been so far from what the game ended being, or being hoaxes. It is so easy to think of theories that are fully justified but end up being completely off the mark.

But... I have my own theory:

The colors of the cable remind me of Dave's pre-finals speech at the 06 championship where he made like the vision targets were going to change colours from green->red->blue throughout the einstein matches. The various CMD[0..3] LCDs could indicate the current colour that it is driving. Since there appears to be nothing that appears to connect to the RC, I'd say this is a field element control piece. The IR receiver looks exactly like the ones we had on 2004, so perhaps we have to beam IR at a field element.

It will probably lie flat somewhere low (1-3 ft off the ground). I get this because the IR receiver points upwards at a slight angle if you lie it flat, which would allow it to receive IR from a robot-mounted source. I'm guessing it isn't upside down because it would have to be so high that you wouldn't easily be able to see what mode it is in.

Here's a complete theory, good and precise so I'll look kinda dumb when the truth comes out:
-Teams all received this piece early so that they can begin constructing the field element for their practice field, details of which will be put up on the frc_decgift site soon. The field element will respond to IR emissions to cycle through modes (possibly colour related, judging by the rainbow cable), which will be indicated on the front to judges or teams via the LEDs. These modes will change some form of action on the field, which will be revealed at the kickoff.

[JaneYoung]

Oh dear, Libby, you still have to study, no 2 ways about it.

FedEx, thank you! (I think )

[Libby K]

...but....but...Jaaaaaaaaane! I won't be able to concentrate!

[vivek16]

Gaa!!

Why couldn't it be a riddle like before sometimes?

Ill wait until our team gets one.

-vivek

[AndyB]

Originally Posted by Dean K.

Merry christmas boys and girls!

Is this a joke? lol. "Dean K" on CD? This looks like what will be inside the 2008 controllers.

Old Microchip: PIC18F8520
This One: PIC16LF87

I don't know if this is a game hint though. Give it some time.

[BuddyB309]

I think this year we can use monkeys, as long as they are somehow powered by the battery.

[Leav]

I'm sorry but there is just one thing keeping me sane at the moment:

there is no way this should be shipped outside the KOP. period.
well except of course as a game hint... but that is very costly compared to a simple post here at CD by lavery - so I deem it unlikely to be sent out early solely as a hint piece.

it is so costly to ship this out to all the teams, for a hint that's not really supposed to help you find out what the game is.

now that we have concluded it cannot be a hint (i hope ) we can also tackle other scnerios:

1)it is a field piece they added at the last minute: unlikely because they plan the game very well and wouldnt just forget something or add something in the last minute.

2)it is a piece for the robot they just developed: well there is still time to send it out to the various kickoff locations and distribute it in a very orderly way and make sure everyone gets one instead of just sending it off to every single mentor....

so sorry, but I can't rationalize this being what you say it is Joe

-Leav

[Tottanka]

Originally Posted by Dean K.

Merry christmas boys and girls!

What the heck?
ok st first i thought it might be Dean,now i know it isn't.
No way Dean would use JK/LOL/ put his AIM in public.

Antone considered it might just be a joke?
I mean, we haven't heard a single word from any official place yet... All those mentors might just be messing with us!

Either that, or Lavery has taken over CD...

[AndyB]

Originally Posted by Tottanka

What the heck?

No way thats Dean... he didn't give an hour long speech

jk

[Libby K]

It's not. Promise.

Note the "jk LOL" in the edit. Also, he's waaaaaaaay too busy for CD. Unlike me...