I have the 2007 FRC bot (along with the 2006, 2005). I am programming using mplab 7.2. I am trying to install an autononmous code. I just want a short code that moves the bot forward a short distance , turns and returns to the original location.
Does anyone have a default workspace that has the autonomous code imbedded, who might be willing to share?
thanks john
Do you mean the original default code?
Or Kevin Watson’s default variation?
Or did you want direction on how to implement autonomous code?
Or were you looking for someone to drop your simple autonomous movements into the default to use as a starting example?
I can’t offer code from 2007, but I do have our 2008 code. The Autonomous code drives the robot the length of the field, makes a u-turn and drives back toward the starting line. There is a bit more to it than that, but that basic part is there. By the way, it is built on Kevin Watson’s framework instead of IFI’s. Honestly, Kevin’s is way better! PM me and I’ll zip it and send it to you.
Do you want a smart or dumb autonomous (sensors or none?)
If you don’t want any sensors, then this should be a pretty straight forward task. If you do want sensors, it’ll be a little more complicated.
This is where you should start:
http://kevin.org/frc/
Hello to Mark
well i have the kevin watson version i think.
and yes i wuold like to know how to drop in the autononmous code and
also create if you cuodl help.
basically on all three.
i do have the default code working so i have the teleop working both tank ans arcade., i would just like to do the autononmous too.
thanks john
and billbo911 yes if you could zip your code i would like that too if you could
thanks a bunch.
john
We try and archive all our code here:
In the Watson version you drop your autonomous code into the file “autonomous.c”, specifically into the routine “Autonomous()”.
This routine gets executed ~38 times per second in sync with the driver station control transmission packets.
You write your autonomous code in such a way that it does a little bit and goes away. When it gets called again it does a little bit more and goes away again.
Two ways to dead reckon autonomous movements are:
- to keep track of and count the number of times you’re Autonomous() has been called - 38 times = 1 second.
- use a system timer and check each time to see if you’ve driven long enough.
If your code already has a timer setup, then you can experiment with using that. It’s the most accurate method.
Counting loops is accurate enough for what you’re doing at first, and it’s trivial to implement and understand right away, so you can start with that.
On top of these methods of keeping track of time you might want a state machine to keep track of the steps you should be doing.
Here’s an example:
// Drive forward, turn, return, and stop
void Autonomous()
{
static int counter=0; //keep track of loops to use as a crude timer - static keeps it around from call to call
static int autostate=1; //keep track of what step we're supposed to be doing
switch (autostate)
{
case 1: // Drive forward
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 54; //motor is reversed
if (counter>38) //1 second
{
autostate = 2; // move on to the next step
counter = 0; // reset our timer for the next step
}
case 2: // Turnaround
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 200; //motor is reversed
if (counter>76) //2 seconds
{
autostate = 3;
counter = 0;
}
case 3: // Drive forward (returning now)
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 54; //motor is reversed
if (counter>38) //1 second
{
autostate = 4;
counter = 0;
}
case 4: // Stop - What to do when everything else is done
default: // also what to do if an invalid autostate occurs
pwm01 = pwm02 = pwm03 = pwm04 = 127; // Make sure the last thing you do is always stop
}
counter++;
}
Our team code from 2007 is here, but it’s fairly complex as it implements a scripting system for autonomous, so I definitely wouldn’t start learning at that level. Our robot was somewhat complex that year too.
so after i open up the default workspace then i can open the autonomous.c and edit it there?
i think in the default code there is a place to drop in code but i forget which file i need to open up once the workspace is opened.
i would like to start with the dumb code but actually it would be nice to do some 'smart" code 
thanks john
Yep.
Do you need instruction in using MPLAB and downloading code using IFI_Loader or do you already know about that or can figure it out?
no i can open the mplab and can upload from the ifi loader
thanks
mark i tried the following code from one of my students and it does not seem to work, i will try your code above.
any help is greatly appreciated.
by the way i am opening up the user-routine_fast.c to modify the autonomous code is that correct?
thanks
// Drive forward, turn, return, and stop
void Autonomous()
{
static int counter=0; //keep track of loops to use as a crude timer - static keeps it around from call to call
static int autostate=1; //keep track of what step we’re supposed to be doing
switch (autostate)
{
case 1: // Drive forward
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 54; //motor is reversed
if (counter>38) //1 second
{
autostate = 2; // move on to the next step
counter = 0; // reset our timer for the next step
}
case 2: // Turnaround
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 200; //motor is reversed
if (counter>76) //2 seconds
{
autostate = 3;
counter = 0;
}
case 3: // Drive forward (returning now)
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 54; //motor is reversed
if (counter>38) //1 second
{
autostate = 4;
counter = 0;
}
case 4: // Stop - What to do when everything else is done
default: // also what to do if an invalid autostate occurs
pwm01 = pwm02 = pwm03 = pwm04 = 127; // Make sure the last thing you do is always stop
}
counter++;
}
Did that compile OK?
When you loaded it and ran autonomous, I (hope) the robot just stayed still. Luckily your last state was no movement, because without break statements, it’ll run through all the states.
Should be:
switch(variable)
{
case 0:
//do stuff
break;
case 1:
//do other stuff
break;
case 2:
//do some stuff, and case 3’s stuff
case 3:
//do something else
break;
default:
//do nothing
break;
}
If you take the default case out in your current setup, you should drive forward forever (which is dangerous, so I suggest you don’t).
I also suggest that you disconnect the motors and just watch lights to see if its doing what you want.
Those are the break;'s
The break statement concludes individual cases. Without it one case statement blends right into the next without a “break”.
That is one of the reasons for stopping all motors at the end.
I unfortunately duplicated one block and missed copying the original break statement as part of the block of code.
Sorry about that…
Corrected version:
// Drive forward, turn, return, and stop
void Autonomous()
{
static int counter=0; //keep track of loops to use as a crude timer - static keeps it around from call to call
static int autostate=1; //keep track of what step we're supposed to be doing
switch (autostate)
{
case 1: // Drive forward
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 54; //motor is reversed
if (counter>38) //1 second
{
autostate = 2; // move on to the next step
counter = 0; // reset our timer for the next step
}
break;
case 2: // Turnaround
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 200; //motor is reversed
if (counter>76) //2 seconds
{
autostate = 3;
counter = 0;
}
break;
case 3: // Drive forward (returning now)
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 54; //motor is reversed
if (counter>38) //1 second
{
autostate = 4;
counter = 0;
}
break;
case 4: // Stop - What to do when everything else is done
default: // also what to do if an invalid autostate occurs
pwm01 = pwm02 = pwm03 = pwm04 = 127; // Make sure the last thing you do is always stop
}
counter++;
}
That means you’re using the IFI default code rather than the Watson default code.
You’ll need slightly different handling for that just because the framework structure is different. In user_routines_fast.c in the Autonomous() routine already there you’ll want to keep some of the default code it uses. Below the lines in black are what you should already see in that default routine, and the lines in red are what need to be added. Really the critical part that’s missing is the Getdata that tells the robot when autonomous mode is over and Putdata that sends your motor settings out to be used. Without that nothing would ever happen.
void User_Autonomous_Code(void)
{
static int counter=0; //keep track of loops to use as a crude timer - static keeps it around from call to call
static int autostate=1; //keep track of what step we're supposed to be doing
/* Initialize all PWMs and Relays when entering Autonomous mode, or else it
will be stuck with the last values mapped from the joysticks. Remember,
even when Disabled it is reading inputs from the Operator Interface.
*/
pwm01 = pwm02 = pwm03 = pwm04 = pwm05 = pwm06 = pwm07 = pwm08 = 127;
pwm09 = pwm10 = pwm11 = pwm12 = pwm13 = pwm14 = pwm15 = pwm16 = 127;
relay1_fwd = relay1_rev = relay2_fwd = relay2_rev = 0;
relay3_fwd = relay3_rev = relay4_fwd = relay4_rev = 0;
relay5_fwd = relay5_rev = relay6_fwd = relay6_rev = 0;
relay7_fwd = relay7_rev = relay8_fwd = relay8_rev = 0;
while (autonomous_mode) /* DO NOT CHANGE! */
{
if (statusflag.NEW_SPI_DATA) /* 26.2ms loop area */
{
Getdata(&rxdata); /* DO NOT DELETE, or you will be stuck here forever! */
// Drive forward, turn, return, and stop
switch (autostate)
{
case 1: // Drive forward
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 54; //motor is reversed
if (counter>38) //1 second
{
autostate = 2; // move on to the next step
counter = 0; // reset our timer for the next step
}
break;
case 2: // Turnaround
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 200; //motor is reversed
if (counter>76) //2 seconds
{
autostate = 3;
counter = 0;
}
break;
case 3: // Drive forward (returning now)
pwm01 = pwm02 = 200;
pwm03 = pwm04 = 54; //motor is reversed
if (counter>38) //1 second
{
autostate = 4;
counter = 0;
}
break;
case 4: // Stop - What to do when everything else is done
default: // also what to do if an invalid autostate occurs
pwm01 = pwm02 = pwm03 = pwm04 = 127; // Make sure the last thing you do is always stop
}
counter++;
Generate_Pwms(pwm13,pwm14,pwm15,pwm16);
Putdata(&txdata); /* DO NOT DELETE, or you will get no PWM outputs! */
}
}
}
Well Mark i typed in the code above in red, and yes the black code is there.
It built fine, and i downloaded it , but the autonomous did not work, all that is working is the teleop, one joystick operates one motor and the other joystick the other one.
i have the motor controllers plugged into pwm ports 1 and 2. There seems that there should be someway to let the program that this is autonomous and not teleop. is it set up to go to autononmous if there is code there?
how many times will it go through the autononmous code?
thanks
You do have to put the robot into Autonomous mode before it’ll take effect.
Normally, we use a special switch constructed for the purpose. (You can ignore switch 3 on that schematic. It’s for earlier versions of the IFI control system.)
The disable button is handy to have in any case for emergency stops.
You can also setup an auto routine to run while you push a joystick button.
If you only want to run autonomous and don’t care about Teleop, there is a way to set the team number most-significant-bit so the robot runs Auto mode all the time.
P.S.
Since you’re using PWM 1 and 2 only, the auto code needs to be adjusted to reflect this, rather than pwm01/pwm02 and pwm03/pwm04
E.g.,
pwm01 = 200;
pwm02 = 54;
Where does the switch plug in? on the robot controller?
How would one go about adding the routine into the code?
if you would be so kind as to helpme on these two things
thanks
The switch plugs into the “competition” port on the Operator Interface. You only need sw1 and sw2, Disabled and Autonomous. If you would rather use a joystick button to indicate autonomous mode, you could say something like “autonomous_mode = pw_trig;” right after Getdata, for both Process_Data_From_Master_uP and User_Autonomous_Code.
Yes, it connects to the Operator Interface at the driver controls.
I’ve attached a photo of a Disable/Auto switch on our '08 robot controls.
It happens to be out in my van for an appearance at the Special Olympics tomorrow.
If you want to use one of the joystick buttons to trigger it as well, the Autonomous routine can be rewritten slightly to accommodate being called two different ways. I’d prefer not to flat-out clobber the autonomous mode flag, but to structure the code such that either way will trigger the auto routine.
Had one team fail year after year on the playing field whenever a particular mentor would return every-other year to help them. Always turned out he would overwrite the autonomous mode flag with a joystick switch so the real flag would never work. It’s a bad habit to start.
Maybe something along the lines of (in User_Autonomous_Code and main.c):
while (autonomous_mode || (p1_sw_trig == 1) ) /* DO NOT CHANGE! */
You’d also need to modify main.c with the same statement modification to get it to start and the joystick button would act as a dead-man switch. You’d have to hold it to keep autonomous running. Letting go would stop it.
What might be simpler for you right now is to just call an auto routine like that in post 14 directly from user_routines.c whenever the button is held down. a la,
void Process_Data_From_Master_uP(void)
{
static unsigned char i;
Getdata(&rxdata); /* Get fresh data from the master microprocessor. */
if (p1_sw_trig == 1)
{
Autonomous();
}
else
Default_Routine(); /* Optional. See below. */
You don’t have to be in Autonomous Mode to run some autonomous routine in teleop.
P.S. If you add a new routine like Autonomous(), depending on where you add it you may need to declare it in one of the header files (.h) so the compiler knows where to find it.
