Go to Post Good Luck all - this one will hurt your brain, but it's all in a good way. - meaubry [more]
Home
Go Back   Chief Delphi > FIRST > General Forum > FIRST E-Mail Blast Archive
CD-Media   CD-Spy  
portal register members calendar search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read FAQ rules

 
 
 
Thread Tools Rating: Thread Rating: 6 votes, 4.33 average. Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
  #7   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 10-10-2008, 20:03
kmcclary's Avatar
kmcclary kmcclary is offline
Founder 830/1015;Mentor 66/470/1502
FRC #0470 (Alpha Omega Robotics)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Rookie Year: 1994
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 491
kmcclary has a reputation beyond reputekmcclary has a reputation beyond reputekmcclary has a reputation beyond reputekmcclary has a reputation beyond reputekmcclary has a reputation beyond reputekmcclary has a reputation beyond reputekmcclary has a reputation beyond reputekmcclary has a reputation beyond reputekmcclary has a reputation beyond reputekmcclary has a reputation beyond reputekmcclary has a reputation beyond repute
Re: **FIRST EMAIL**/ FRC 2009 Control System Early Release Update

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Freeman View Post
Is labview shipped with the control system if it is shipped early? I've done some searching and can't seem to find a list of what all is and is not included. I would assume that it is, but I want to be sure.
I can't speak for FIRST, but you can always download the LabVIEW 8.6 EVALUATION from the ni.com website, install it on everyone's laptops, and use it immediately. I would hope that the FIRST robotic subVI library would come with the new control system, but if it's not yet available you're probably still OK. The cRIO itself is standard, and the drivers for all of the standard NI plug-in modules are free downloads from the web.

You can definitely start with that. That's about 90% of the learning curve right there, and it can all be done now with free downloads, even BEFORE you receive any hardware! Once you get your cRIO, the only thing you'd then need for the contest would be an updated subVI library download for any FIRST custom boards or widgets.

BTW... Though only good for 30 days, your local NI office can easily extend your LabVIEW 8.6 Eval key for up to 90 days. Our local NI office is already doing that for our area's teams. As we're now less than 90 days from Kickoff, one round of key extensions at this point will easily keep all of your students in LabVIEW 8.6 software until you get your fresh kit copy. If LabVIEW is still Version 8.6.0 at Kickoff, simply use the new KoP key to reactivate your current installation, toss in the updated libraries, and you're done.

Either way, downloading the 8.6 Eval now would allow you to immediately start LabVIEW 8.6 training. You can also download everything you need to learn how to put programs into the cRIO and run them from ni.com, all without requiring anything else from FIRST.

For educational material: Get the Bishop book "Learning with LabVIEW - Student Edition" from Amazon.com, or use NI's online FREE downloadable lessons. I would also highly recommend the book "LabVIEW Graphical Programming", by Johnson and Jennings (black and purple cover - be sure it says "Completely revised for LabVIEW 8.0" in a yellow triangle on the cover!). In addition to helping with certification exams, the J&J book also covers the history of the language, teaches proper programming style, and shows how to optimize for execution speed and avoid common programming pitfalls (and other cool topics, like even how to write your own device drivers!), all in a readable "plain speaking" manner. (IMHO a great read.) FYI Borders Books also gives all Educators 20% off on educational books, which includes both the Bishop and the J&J books, so there are many ways to get a discount on the books.

BTW, note there are MULTIPLE versions of the Bishop book on Amazon, but only TWO are of interest: "LabVIEW 8 Student Edition (Book Only)" [$81 list], and "LabVIEW 8 Student Edition" [$106 list] which is WITH a CD. Note also that the CD is **8.2** software, NOT 8.5 [the FIRST 2008 KoP version], 8.5.1, or the latest, 8.6. But if you follow all of the New&Used links, you MAY find that getting a NEW copy of the Bishop book WITH the 8.2 CD is often CHEAPER than getting it WITHOUT !!! You can then turn around and sell the uninstalled CD on eBay or Craig's List, to further defray your costs! (After all, "8.x" is still considered "current", but the wrong version FOR US, and you won't need it anyway...)

If you can't find the NI link to the 8.6 eval download (or any of the other links), let me know and I'll post it.

I hope this helps! (If so, hey, positive rep is always appreciated... )

- Keith
__________________
Keith McClary - Organizer/Mentor/Sponsor - Ann Arbor MI area FIRST teams
ACTI - Automation Computer Technologies, Inc. (Sponsoring FIRST teams since 2001!)
MI Robot Club (Trainer) / GO-Tech Maker's Club / RepRap-Michigan) / SEMI CNC Club
"Certifiably Insane": Started FIVE FRC teams & many robot clubs (so far)!
2002: 830 "Rat Pack" | 2003-5;14: 1015;1076 "Pi Hi Samurai" | 2005-6: 1549 "Washtenuts"/"Fire Traxx"
2005-(on): 1502 "Technical Difficulties" | 2006-(on): FIRST Volunteer!
2009-(on): 470 "Alpha Omega" | WAFL | Sponsor & "Floating Engineer" for MI Dist 13 (Washtenaw Cnty)
2011: 3638 "Tigertrons" | 2013-(on): 4395 "ViBots" | 2014-(on) 66 "Grizzlies"
"Home" Teams: 66, 470, 1076, 1502, 4395
Local FIRST alumni at or coming to Ann Arbor (UM/EMU/WCC/Cleary)?
...We Want YOU as a Mentor! Please email me for info!
Support CDF Reputation - If a posting helped, thank 'em with rep points!
"It must be FRC build season when your spouse and children become 'Action Items 8 & 9'..."
Reply With Quote
 


Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
2009 FRC Control System Forums Open now BornaE FRC Control System 7 01-10-2008 19:02
**FIRST EMAIL**/FIRST Scholarship Early March Update Mark McLeod FIRST E-Mail Blast Archive 5 18-04-2008 02:40
**FIRST EMAIL**/Early Team Update #15 - Rule Intent Mark McLeod FIRST E-Mail Blast Archive 3 06-03-2008 15:27
**FIRST EMAIL**/FRC Robot Control System Survey Mark McLeod FIRST E-Mail Blast Archive 4 11-09-2007 00:45
**FIRST EMAIL**/Special Early Offers for 2007 FRC Teams Rich Wong FIRST E-Mail Blast Archive 0 02-11-2006 17:16


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:39.

The Chief Delphi Forums are sponsored by Innovation First International, Inc.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © Chief Delphi