How to research for FRC
It can be overwhelming to figure out where to begin looking for answers for your FRC questions, so this should hopefully give you a place to start. This is like that time your librarian came into the classroom to show you how to use the library databases and properly use MLA format for citations, except this time no one is making you use MLA (if someone puts properly formatted citations on their OA thread, please ping me).
ChiefDelphi (CD)
ChiefDelphi is the longest-running FRC knowledge base out there. It’s chock-full of information, stretching back to the early 2000s. Odds are, if the question has been asked, the answer ended up on this website. Often, I start by just googling the question and putting “CD FRC” or “chief delphi” in the search term. If you’re already on the site and want to search, use the magnifying glass in the top right. While you can just toss in search terms, I’d recommend filtering using the controls button on the right side of the search bar. This will give you some tools:
Filtering by category and posting date are really helpful for finding more specific content. You can also filter by category or user. Also use the “in this topic” button in the search bar if you’re looking for a specific message in a thread.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for and want to start a thread, go ahead! Scroll to the bottom of this post for tips for asking good questions.
Discord
The Unofficial FRC Discord (Main)
The unofficial FRC discord, or “main” as it’s often called, is a great place to ask a quick question or search for a link to something. Discord has some pretty powerful search features. When you open search, you’re presented with a few options:
I often use has:link, has:image and in:[channel] to find specific things. I also highly recommend checking out pins!
Helpful messages and resources get pinned in every channel, and it’s often a great place to start if you want general information.
If you want in-depth CAD-specific help, you can also check out David’s Design Server, which is the Discord component of FRCDesign.org. This is great for design reviews and advice on mechanisms.
You can also find links to specific programming projects like YAGSL, PhotonVision, Choreo, etc. If someone has a link to those discords, I’ll add them to this post!
The Game Manual
Querying the game manual is crucial. The FIRSTInspires page and official manual are your single source of truth here. Make sure you’re working with the most up-to-date manual, because they do publish updates! The table of contents in the PDF is hyperlinked, so you can jump straight to specific sections. I also use a good old ctrl+f to look for specific keywords. If you want to get fancy, you can also use something like FRCTools.com if you want to try some semantic searching.
Other Written Resources
These are just some good places to look for answers to your technical questions:
- WPILib Docs - Programming documentation
- Mechanism Encyclopedia - Mechanism examples
- NASA Design Guide - Overall robot design
The FRC Subreddit
Yeah it’s probably not worth using this over other resources, it’s mostly memes.
Asking Questions
Already tried to look up your question on the web? Now is the time to ask questions. Asking questions is one of the most basic forms of research, but there are better and worse ways to do it. First thing’s first: don’t ask to ask. When you ask a question, focus on saying what you want to know in the simplest possible term. “I’m designing a claw and don’t know which motor to use” is much better than “hey does anyone know how to CAD?” This also helps you avoid XY problems, where you end up asking about the wrong thing in order to answer your question. Here’s a great guide on asking good questions if you want to learn more.
Good luck this season, and may you find all the answers you seek!