We’re working on helping rookies and we’re noticing the lack of a Linksys router, is it somehow getting replaced by the DAP-1522?
~David M. Team 2410
The control system manual available from the KOP website (http://usfirst.org/frc/kitofparts) shows the DAP-1522 being configured as an access point, in which case the router would not be used. The DAP-1522 goes on the robot, but takes the place of both the bridge and the router.
I’m simply puzzled at the situation. If I understand the documentation correctly, the DAP-1522 in Bridge mode replaces the Gaming Adapter from 2009 and 2010. In access point mode, it connects to the classmate (or other laptop) using a wifi signal. Does this mean that the classmate connects to the DAP like it would to a wifi network or does the DAP connect to the classmate??
In access point mode I am pretty sure that the classmate would be connecting to it, otherwise there would be some more complex setup on the classmate needed.
From what I messed with today the Classmate connects to the DAP-1522 (on the robot) as if it was an ordinary wireless access point. Instead of last year’s Computer-Access Point-Bridge-Robot, its Computer-Access Point-Robot.
We ended up convincing the FIRST website to give us the file (After several corrupted ones) and it was all good.
Basically, this replaces the “Black Box” Wifi bridge from the robots in 2009-2010 IN ADDITION to the WRT router that we got for testing at home. The device works in access point mode as well as bridged mode.
As an access point, it is kind of like a switch with Wifi, this is how you test at home. Your programming laptops and driver station connect to the Wifi access point to control the robot.
As a bridge, it acts exactly like the old Wifi bridge except with 3 more ports you can use. I noticed the data/power diagrams this year show the Axis Camera plugged into the DAP instead of Port 2 on the cRIO. This might mean >1 camera which is cool for us seeing as we have two of them.
I am guessing you can use it in Wifi bridge with your routers from last year and get the same results as before, but I have yet to try it.
~David
EDIT: Also, can I not edit my thread to reflect that the issue is solved?
We would like to implement this strategy. We have about 10 students on our Programming Team this year, using 4 Laptop’s (with wifi). However, it is planned that only 1 of those Laptop’s (besides the Classmate) will be connected directly to the Robot (we are calling it our Production Computer). The other computers are going to be doing some autonomous development, documentation, that kind of thing, so they don’t necessarily have to connect to the Robot. However, since we have so many computers we are using another computer for our SVN Repository. See the attached document for details.
The easy way to do this is to have 2 separate wireless networks, 1 for the robot itself (including the classmate, Production Computer and D-Link) and our other wireless network for development, and then switch the Production Computer’s wifi network to the Development network when code has to be passed down from the SVN Server. I feel that is somewhat of a kludge and can lead to problems.
The hard way (and what this document and quoted post refers to) is to have everything on one network and have the D-Link and Linksys in the same configuration as last year (although the D-Link and Linksys configuration is the gray area for me there).
Drawing1.pdf (3.92 KB)
Drawing1.pdf (3.92 KB)
I’m not positive I am interpreting the drawing correctly, but if gives me names for things.
What I think you want to do is to setup the linsys router to be an AP and have the ports and wifi SSID that the laptops can join. Setup the D-Link to be in bridge mode from the linksys router. The cRIO will be 10.te.am.2, the classmate will actually join the network hosted by the linksys, but synce it is 10.te.am.05, it will route to the robot. The other laptops can be setup on pretty much any 10.xx.yy.zz subnet, but it may be most convenient to set them all to 10.te.am.100+. You could even setup the Linksys to serve those up via DHCP. I’m not sure if the SVN server is something you administer, but either way, it should be reachable.
Greg McKaskle
The DAP-1522 can either be a AP or Bridge, but not both. You diagram will work fine except your classmate would need to go through the router.
For those of you who have the DAP running already, how does the classmate handle connecting to the DAP in AP mode? Does it have any trouble with the on/off cycles that happen on the robot?
Unless changed, the win7 profile for the laptop should reference the SSID of robot dlink, and it should be set to auto-connect. If for some reason, you start doing things manually, this is a step you may want to include.
Greg McKaskle
To bad the Radio Instructions have you change the SSID in AP mode.
The trick to set the SSID with the DAP-1522 in BRIDGE mode is to select SETUP and then WIZARD in the DAP-1522 web interface. Through the wizard interface you can set the SSID to your team number. Otherwise you need to set the SSID in AP mode, then switch back to BRIDGE mode.
dan
So much for remotely coordinated bug fixes in code and docs.
Since most DSes will only be used for one team, it shouldn’t matter much once the profile on the DS is updated.
Greg McKaskle
As a note, for competition you must set the DAP into the bridge mode.
As a special highlight, you may now tether through the DAP when it is connected. No more disconnecting the radio from the Crio to program and then forgetting to plug it back in on the field. I saw a demonstration (over the weekend) of the new setup tool teams will be using to set WPA encryption at events. It is very good and simple to use. Teams will need to bring their DAP to the setup kiosk (laptop) at each event to set the key. On screen instructions are provided during setup to help you walk right through it.
Wait, what?
Are you saying that we will be permitted to leave the DAP powered up when running the robot in the pit?
The decision on that is still being evaluated, please standby for official declaration on wireless use in the pits at events.