Hello There! My Team and I are attempting to use an tachometer connected via DIO, to get the speed of our shooter’s wheel, we’ve got a program we think will work, but we don’t know how to display the counter number onto a dashboard i’m fairly certain that we need a custom dashboard but I’ve got no clue 
on how to set one up or use it with the driver station… Any help is appreciated!!
What language are you programming in?
Judging by the fact that this is in the LabVIEW subforum, I’d venture to guess they use LabVIEW.
Sending values to the dashboard in LabVIEW is very easy. If you are using the default dashboard, use the Smart Dashboard Write vi to send the value to the name “DB/Slider 0”. Then when the robot is running, open up the default dashboard and switch to the Basic tab and your number should be in the top number output. It gets a bit more complicated if you want to use a custom dashboard, but if all you need is that one number then that’s not really necessary.
Are those values still connected in the default dashboard? Or am I just thinking of the default custom dash template?
IIRC the default dashboard has all the values on the Basic tab bound to their names (in one of the loops below the “don’t touch this” line). I would check that, but my LabVIEW expired last year and since I’m not programming the robot anymore I’ve been too lazy to put in the new activation code. Someone can check my memory if you want to be sure.
The default custom dashboard template no longer has them bound. They added a “dashboard simple” template, I’m not sure about that one, I’ve only ever used it once and I deleted the whole Basic tab.
Off topic: Have you ever used the VIremote app for iOS?
That’s a shame! I liked being able to make simple dashboard displays using the default dashboard without having to change any code. I guess I should actually download the new LabVIEW and play around with it if I get some free time.
I have not used the VIremote app yet. Might be an interesting tool for debugging if setup and integration isn’t too much of a hassle.
It’s not a debugging tool, it just lets you control a front panel from an iOS device, as well as get various data from the device. It works great with Google Cardboard.
If I understand correctly, the app connects over wifi so it can’t be used in competition. It could be used, however, to get data from the robot at home while debugging.
You are correct in assuming that it’s not legal for competition, but nothing is better than an offseason VR driver station.
I’m pretty sure and Oculus VR has enough resolution to do a full VR dash rather than a simple dual camera display. But the Oculus takes away all the programming fun, since you (IIRC) can set it up as two displays and just run two separate default dashboards set to their respective cameras. Not only that, but you could set up the Oculus hand controllers as joysticks for driving.
Although Oculus is so much nicer, I still prefer VIRemote. It’s so much more fun.
The easiest way to present a numeric number is to write to DB/String 0 through DB/String 9. Format the number, any way you, like to a string and write to the variables listed above.
If the range works, you can also write to DB/Slider 0 through 3. There are LEDs and buttons too.
Beyond that, you can make a custom DB. Controls placed in the Custom tab are still bound by name.
The difference between simple and default DB are …
Default
2nd camera - simple supports just one on the left pane
Test - allows you to view sensor and motor configuration, values, and experimentally modify many values.
Commands - Interactively fire a command for testing
Checklist - Display a text file and support checking them off as part of drive team procedure
Simple
Missing the above features, but the diagram is considerably simpler, therefore a much better template for many to start with.
If you identify that binding or other features don’t work, please bring it up.
Greg McKaskle
We can’t seem to find the “Smart Dashboard Write vi.” Where would it be located?
It should be in the Smart Dashboard (or Netwrok Tables) submenu of the WPI robotics menu. IIRC it is on the left side, the icon has either a NT or SD in a circle with a picture of a pencil, and that probably isn’t the exact name but something close. Again, I don’t remember exact names or locations for VIs because it’s been nearly a year since I wrote robot code in last year’s version of LabVIEW and I don’t have it available on my computer to check for you. If I’m wrong about something, I’m sure someone will be on here to correct me in no time flat.
I was mistaken, I looked into the help for NT Bind and found what that does. They are still linked, just not in the block diagram. Sneaky.
To answer the original question - on the Tutorials tab of the LabVIEW Getting Started Window:
Tutorial 6 - Creating a Custom Dashboard will show you how to build your own dashboard
Tutorial 7 - Parts 2 and 3 will show you how to send data from the robot to the dashboard.