We are looking at implementing FMS Lite this summer; I see that the docs call out the WRT-610N as a suggested router.
Those are a little long in the tooth (though easy to pick up used!), but was wondering if anyone had a suggestion that they think is newer/better?
I would suggest a Linksys WRT1900ACS. That is the same radio that is used for FIRST FMS.
In our shop we have one loaded with OpenWRT. We configured it to use “N” mode, thus limiting the BW assigned, again, similar to a comp field.
We are able to connect to it either wirelessly from the DS, or wired. We can program wirelessly, or connected via Ethernet. Best of all, it allows us to stream video and monitor the BW used, so we can test in an almost identical environment as we will see on the field.
I would have to echo what is being said above. We used a WRT1900ACS for our Week Zero event this year along with the Off-Season FMS. Using the same hardware as the competition field is going to give you a pretty good replicate of the actual field. Additionally, you can pick them up pretty inexpensively.
Depends on what you want to do with FMS lite, Are you going to be running a full implementation for FMS at an event? Are you going to be running a half field? Are you going to be running it for testing?
I’m just going to plug Cheesy Arena
We will have a permanent full field set up, so the likely use case for it will be scrimmage and practice with other area teams.
Can you use your robot radio in normal “home use mode” firmware with these FMS simulators? Or do you need to flash your radios the way you would at competition, and tether when you’re not connected to the FMS sim?
You would need to flash it.
When connected FMS style, the radio is in bridge mode.
When in home mode, the radio is an AP that can be connected to.
Home “mode” is whatever you select.
Bridge is one of the options in the home version of the FRC Radio Configuration tool.
P.S.
Just a terminology refinement:
The home version of the radio firmware is identical to the competition version of the radio firmware, and doesn’t need to be redone.
The competition Configure changes the radio IP & SSID to match the team number, adds a secret security code and enforces limitations, such as the bandwidth limit. The limitations remain viable options on the home version of the radio tool.
Note: Under Tools there is an FMS-Lite Mode to be used with FMS Off-season that sets the field AP SSID and one universal WPA key that all the robot radios will use.
When the radio is in bridge mode, the only to connect is via a router. (or tether)
Yes, that’s just what the FMS Off Season router is for…
Two questions:
Would the WRT1900ACS also be appropriate for Cheesy Arena?
If we do either of these, then for single robot testing, enable/disable is done from the FMS or Cheesy Arena instead of the DS?
I like the idea of (if nothing else) putting a shared bridge in to talk to the router on the robot for testing; we had a lot of pain this practice season because of a lousy 802.11 implementation in our DS…
Yep
For Cheesy Arena, we used a Linksys WRT1900ACS access point and a Cisco Catalyst WS-3560G-48TS-E managed switch. The access point is readily available from multiple vendors, and the switch is end-of-lifed and can be obtained relatively inexpensively from sources such as eBay.
https://github.com/Team254/cheesy-arena/wiki/Advanced-Networking
urg. Cisco switch is prereq for Cheesy Arena?
No, only if you want to run each team on a separate SSID and VLAN like at official competitions. If you set up the AP to broadcast a single SSID and configure the robot radios to connect to it, Cheesy Arena will still work.
The DS-to-robot network through the field AP can be used independently without FMS Off-season or Cheesy Arena running.
The DS will detect the presence or absence of a controlling FMS and configure accordingly.
Without: Disable/Enable is controlled by the DS as we are used to doing at home.
With: Disable/Enable is controlled through FMS Off-season or Cheesy Arena.
