Some insight into 2009 game rules

[s1900ahon]

When I included that recommendation in the getting started guide the intent was to protect the unused connectors from debris that would short the pins and potentially cause the unit to misbehave. Accordingly. I believe it is within the letter and spirit of the 2008 rules. If this year's rules prohibit the use of electrical tape for insulating purposes, another recommendation will be made.

For the team I mentor, we'll likely put a dummy RJ14 connector in both NET connectors on the Jaguar and cover with tape. The dummy RJ14s are to assure pin alignment, and the tape to insulate the connector from conductive debris. We'll likely put a dummy header on the ANA and ENC interfaces too and cover with tape.

As far as I am aware, FIRST made it public that only the servo/PWM connector would be used on the Jaguars this year. Chris Jennings did a presentation at IRI that preceded the publication of the getting started guide.

If any team has thoughts of using an NI CAN module to get at the forthcoming features.. I am not sure how you'll be able to do this given that there isn't any slot dedicated to this particular module because there isn't any support in the cRIO FPGA, and I recall FIRST saying at the introduction of the new control system at last year's Championships that the FPGA is not available for modification this year.