Blog Date:
Friday, May 9, 2014 - 12:42
Please see the blog post below for important information from our Kit of Parts team, Kate & Collin:
2015 FRC Control System
One of the exciting parts of the 2014 FIRST Championship was the ability to show off the new hardware components that will make up the 2015 FRC Control System. Members of the CS Team from FIRST, National Instruments, Cross the Road Electronics, and WPI also had the opportunity to take questions from the audience at two 2015 Control System presentations.
This graphic shows the basic layout of the 2015 FRC Control System. The roboRIO from NI replaces the cRIO, Analog Breakout, and Digital Sidecar. More specs on it can be found here. The Power Distribution Panel (PDP) is from Cross the Road Electronics and replaces the Power Distribution Board used from 2009-2014. The Pneumatic Control Module (PCM) is also from CTRE and replaces the Solenoid Breakout and Spike Relay required to drive the compressor. The PCM connects to the PDP via CAN. The PDP can connect to the roboRIO via CAN to allow current monitoring on each channel. The final new component is the Voltage Regulator Module (VRM), also from CTRE. This component allows access to different voltages to supply power to custom circuits, cameras, sensors, etc.
A chart comparing the 2014 and 2015 FRC Control Systems can be found here.
We’re looking for a wide variety of teams to help us test and develop, and test and develop, and test and develop the 2015 CS. Beta testing will run July through November 2014. Each beta test team will be loaned 2015 hardware to complete the testing. To apply to be a beta test team, please fill out the survey here. The deadline for filling out the application is May 25.
2014 KOP Survey
We’re interested in your feedback on the 2014 FRC Kit of Parts. This feedback is instrumental in pointing us in the direction of new parts for potential inclusion in the 2015 KOP. Last year, more than 1400 people filled out the KOP Survey. This feedback is sent to Suppliers to help them make the best use of their donation. Please have one student and one mentor fill out the 2014 KOP Survey here.
When the equivalent diagram for the cRIO came out, there weren’t any CIMs in the diagram, and people got real worried about that as well. I wouldn’t read too much into it.
The two I’m looking forward to the most are ENUMs and Generics. It’s amazing how much you take them for granted when they’ve been around for so long. Having access to Maps will also be nice for things like property readers.
The new pneumatic breakout looks awesome. The ability to control and integrate the pressure switch and compressor without programming is going to help a lot of younger teams get up and running.
I guess I’m not wild about the fact that what we used to be able to accomplish in three modules (cRIO, PDB, Digital Sidecar) now takes four (roboRio, PDP, PCM and VRM). I get that it’s less expensive overall and that each of the components is physically smaller, but it’s not a slam-dunk improvement in terms of the architecture. I guess CAN (and all of the benefits and drawbacks thereof) is now mandatory if a team wants to use pneumatics.
I’m also a bit surprised that the Bridge/Access Point is USB-based. When I saw the pre-Alpha unit at NI Week last year it wasn’t obvious that this was the route they would go.
We ended up with 4 in the old system once you account for the voltage regulator for the radio anyway. This system should allow teams that don’t need regulated voltage or pneumatics to only use the RoboRIO and PDP.
The roborio is only $435. That’s really nice, but is this a once per year deal like the cRIO is?
Also, the chart has some errors. They list the number of cRIO Digital I/O incorrectly.
The power distribution board at $200 is pretty ridiculous. The current monitoring features are great and all, but I don’t think most teams will be taking advantage of them.
My biggest dislike is the lack of relay ports. We usually don’t use pneumatics besides for shifting, so we never have a compressor on board. If we use one spike for shifting drive (so we don’t have to buy a $90 board that is way more complicated than it needs to be), then we only have three spikes left for motors. We usually use at least that many.
This has the potential to be a really awesome control system, but these people really need to be more open with us. If they showed us what WPIlib and the driver station looked like now, then there wouldn’t be such a shock in December, when we buy the systems, and we don’t know what we’re doing.
You might have missed it since it sold out so quick, but there was a board called the TI Stellaris Launchpad available in FIRST Choice for teams. We offered this board as a replacement for some of the more complex game pad emulation systems that teams typically use and have problems with. All you have to do is wire in buttons, flash the firmware to the board, and plug it into your driver’s station. The whole systems enumerates as two USB game pads making it super easy to use in LabView, or whatever language you prefer.
David also links to where you can get the board via DigiKey or the TI e-store if you missed out on FIRST Choice.
TI is working on building a lot more Launchpad based examples and applications that FRC teams will be able to utilize in the future as well. If you want though, you can check it out the ecosystem on your own: ti.com/launchpad
We’ll keep you guys posted when we have more available, and please let me know if there is any kind of custom circuit or embedded application that we can help you build.
I think you, to quote Dubbya, “misunderestimate” most other teams. I saw the new current sensing ability and immediately saw the benefit. Remember how a lot of teams are having issues tripping the main breaker with 6 CIMs and a compressor? That can now be a problem of the past.
I’m assuming it’s just kind of assumed, and you can replace a talon with a Victor.