2009 Control System Possibility?

[Tristan Lall]

As it seems to be open season on speculation, let me add what my secret agents are telling me: National Instruments (of LabView fame) has a platform called CompactRIO, which is used for industrial controls. It's modular, durable, and quite expensive. Controller units consist of a smart backplane and a stack of interchangeable modules. When my agents were down in Texas, interviewing for NI, they were openly describing this system as the new FRC platform. Whether that means they've submitted a bid, and expect to win, or they've already been chosen, I don't know. But I doubt a potential employer would be feeding my agents disinformation....

Also, recall there was a bit of a slip-up a few months ago, regarding these very same units, where an NI representative announced, then retracted an unofficial statement about these systems, when he was talking to an FRC audience.

Anyway, my money is on cRIO, for next year. Hopefully it's ready in time, if that's what FIRST wants to use.