Feedback Thread: Robot Control System

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

- Several issues with the Classmate driver station. All-in-all it worked well. The obvious problems:

1. depending on battery power on the playing field
2. random failed USB power re-negotiations (game controllers, Cypress)
3. failed services upon waking from Sleep mode (Cypress)
4. failing to connect to FMS (rare cases)
5. easily broken Ethernet cable retention

-cRIO module connections came loose on robot impacts (50g clips are not enough sometimes).

Thank you to Joe and Greg for asking for this feedback.

After working with the FTA's (Mark Koors and Rob Jenkins) at IRI, I would like to add this to the critique of the Classmate:

1. Failure for the Classmate to connect to FMS is a bigger deal than Mark McLeod eludes to above. I will try to explain.

If the Classmate fails to connect to FMS (and it is only in Driver Mode), then the FTA has two options: a) run the match without that team participating, b) swap out the Classmate. The first option frustrates the team, of course (and causes a 1-2 minute delay* while making this decision). The second option creates at least a 4 minute delay*.

2. Driver and Developer mode:
If a team shows up to the field while logged on to Driver and Developer mode at the same time, the Classmate again does not connect to the field. In this case, a 1-2 minute delay* occurs (and that is only if it is diagnosed correctly).

* - We ran 104 qualification matches at IRI this past weekend, with a top notch field staff. Due mostly to these delays, we ran about 45 minutes behind schedule after running 104 matches.

Sincerely,
Andy Baker