Simple Q: what cable connects the radio to the RoboRIO?
More detail:
I have been searching for hours but cannot find documentation on this. At the moment I can connect to the radio from the FRC Driver Station but I cannot connect to the Robot. I assume this is because there is no cable connecting the RoboRIO to the Radio. I can’t find documentation anywhere of how this is done. I assume it is ethernet cable from the Roborio to one of the two ethernet ports on the radio?
Sorry for such a simplistic Q but I’m really lost.
OK, so, of course the moment I ask the question here I find at least part of my answer. According to images I have found on the internets (thank you team 358)
It is clear that an ethernet cable cable does connect the radio to the RoboRIO. The configuration utility seems to say that the two ports are interchangeable in one place but not so much in another place. Does the port on the radio matter? I assume the cable is just an ordinary cable and not a crossover cable or anything exotic like that?
All Ethernet cables used are ordinary-no crossover cables are required anywhere in the regular system.
If you have a really old PC without auto-detect, then you only need a crossover to connect directly to other non-auto-detect devices outside the regular FRC control system, like plugging an IP camera directly into your old PC.
The radio ports do matter, they are not quite identical.
roboRIO connects to the port closest to the power barrel connector
The other port can be used for anything else (tether to PC, network switch, IP camera, co-processor, etc.).
WPILIB has some fantastic documentation on the 2017 control system. You can find a step-by-step wiring guide under the “Wiring the 2017 FRC Control System” section, including Ethernet. https://wpilib.screenstepslive.com/s/4485/m/13503/c/86641
Good catch Mark! Note that the WPILIB documentation incorrectly states that the RoboRIO may be plugged in to either port.
