Hello everyone,
I have a quick question about electronic communication. I know that we cannot use wifi hotspots at competition even in the stands. But can we use Bluetooth servers/communication in the stands. Again, this is not communicating with the drive team, this is communication to a database for scouting data collection.
Thanks for your help,
Nate
I think bluetooth would be ok but be prepared to ask at every competition if that specific venue is ok with it, and have a backup in case they say it’s not ok. The host has the final say.
From the “Rules & Expectations for FIRST Robotics Competition Events”:
E14-4. Teams may not set up their own 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz or 5GHz) wireless communication (e.g. access points or ad-hoc networks) in the venue.
E14-5. No Team or Team member shall interfere or attempt to interfere with any other Team’s or FIRST wireless communication. Except as expressly allowed for purposes of communicating with the Team’s own Robot on the Field or a Practice Field, no Team or Team member shall connect or attempt to connect to any other Team’s or FIRST’s wireless network. Violations of this rule may lead to dismissal from the event and/or legal action based on applicable law.
Bluetooth isn’t 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, so there isn’t a rule against it. But please be sure that you’re not doing anything that might interfere with the field.
Keep in mind that bluetooth operates at the same 2.4 GHz frequency as wifi. They might want to keep the congestion to a minimum and ask you not to use it. As others have already stated, it’s always best to just ask at each competition if it’s ok.
Also the field WiFi is set to use 5GHz with the robots (at least last time I checked), but venue internet may be in 2.4GHz. Either way, if you want to use Bluetooth, to be very-GP about it - just don’t use it near the scoring table or streaming equipment (in case they connect to the internet via 2.4GHz venue WiFi).