[FTC]: Progress report on using encoders

[PhilBot]

I finally got back to FTC programing.

I'm now using the latest FTC update, which has a bugfix for the "FTC MOVE MOTORS.VI" which was apparently having trouble with reading the encoder.

So I took Team 288's template and switched the drive logic for a single stick drive, ensuring that I clip the motor drive signals to +/- 100.

Yay... the program works with no huge delays and no weird "dead times".
It seems like "move motors" is pretty robust at this time.

So, I then had to try what I really wanted to do, and that was to replace "Move Motors" with "FTC Constant Speed.vi"

Constant speed should use the encoders to provide a more consitent driving experience, with better low-speed control and less degredation as the battery voltage drops.

I replaced the VI's and made sure the controls were compatible.

When I initially started running the new program it was great. It could crawl along with good torque, and turning was very nice. Then, the old 2.5 second drive lock started happening, followed by long periods of no control at all. Then everything starts working just fine for a while.

Anticipating this problem I has tied one of the controller buttons to a tone output, so I could verify that even though the drive wasn't responding, the code was correctly seeing the button press., so Comms was good.

I switched back and forth between "move motors" and "constant speed" several times and each time I used Constant Speed, I would get the random drive failures.

It looks to me that there are still issued with the encoders. This is a new set of hardware, so I don't think it's a coincidence that it's hapenning again.

Anyone out there using encoders for speed control? Is it reliable?

Phil.