I am going to be a new CSA at an off-season event this weekend! Is there anything in specific I should know before going? Any tools I should have, tips for interacting with teams, etc?
4 Likes
These tools have been lifesavers:
Also this entire thread:
CSA USB Tool - Create .iso Image - Technical / Control System - Chief Delphi
8 Likes
Download the latest software and have it ready. I like to go above and beyond and download docs if i have time, but thats just me.
You should also familiarize yourself if you haven’t already with the recommended strip lengths for the REV PDH. More often than not ghost power drain issues can be traced to incorrect strip lengths, bad batteries, or bad battery cable strips into the PDH.
Also for fun, if diagnosing a CAN issue like a severed or disconnected line. Connect from the front of the bus then take a screenshot and compare to back of the bus, this saves alot of time in finding the problem line. If the CAN line is shorted nothing will work to find where other than tracing and disconnecting until it fails.
Also beaware of CTRE logging which only happens during FMS connected matches. Teams have lost matches before bc they ran out of memory (related to AdvantageKit as well).
A few other things to look out for are roboRIO reflashing to solve out of storage issues, and standard issues like a motor can’t recieve power. Also if a NEO overheats during a match it can turn into a SparkMAX killer so always recommend replacing both if thats an option.
1 Like
From a student perspective here:
sometimes we will ask CSAs their opinion on things when they break. Most of the time it’s super helpful! However I have had the experience of the CSA not really knowing what their doing , but continuing to try and help rather than grab someone who knows some other issues, or researching the issue.
My advice, know when you don’t know something, and let teams know that, but still offer a hand. Some teams want help through the entire process, and some just want to know if you have encountered this specific issue.
1 Like
Following this note, if you perform some “black magic” of some kind always try to take a moment and explain to the team what you just did and why. Preferably link back to original documentation from WPILib, or vendors saying “Here’s exactly where I learned it and you can too next time!” then ask to bookmark it for them.
If you don’t have any other issues you can also help the team resolve their issue and let a student drive when they’re able to. I have found this to be the most inspiring way to help teams and they perform better in future years if they want, they will take the knowledge and run with it.
3 Likes
Piggy-backing that last comment. “I don’t know” is a valid answer as a CSA.
Sometimes you’ll look at an issue and not see a “smoking gun”. It’s perfectly acceptable to say “I don’t know”, or if you have a shot-in-the-dark guess, you can communicate that but be clear you’re taking a shot in the dark if you do so. Sometimes they pan out, sometimes they don’t.
Also, the CSA Slack is a wealth of knowledge and connections to both other CSAs and vendors as well. I know during the off-season it’s a fair bit quieter than during competition season, but if you really run into a wall, reach out there.
My one thing I was looking at in robots skeptically most of the season were CAN connections using WAGO or other lever connectors. (Ok, not just CAN, electrical as well.)
It varies by connector, but there is a right way and a wrong way (and a wrong way that kinda works) to insert and connect these wires to the connector. It’s critically important that wires be stripped to the proper length, be of sufficient gauge to connect to the connector, and be inserted properly when the connection is made.
Too long, you expose conductors outside the connector. Too short, or not enough stripped and you may be connecting sheathing to the electrical connection, or only getting a partial connection.
On a CAN bus this can be seen as increased utilization (retransmit), on an electrical (eg drive moror connection) you can see the lever connector melt. (Resistance → Heat)
2 Likes
Common sense etiquette, but I really like it from the team perspective when the CSA introduces themselves and the situation they’re interested in, says what is on the flash drive, and asks permission before inserting the drive or handing it over. It really helps that “someone I don’t know is inserting a strange flash drive into my super important computer” moment of panic some people get, especially if they’re not familiar with the CSA role.
3 Likes
We used some knock-off WAGOs – that was a seriously bad mistake – look at them with extreme suspicion.
2 Likes
Im curious, how does someone become a part of the CSA slack?
I just CSAed an offseason and its definitely a role i wanna do again.
You can get access to the Slack after completing your CSA Training in Thinkscape. (The FRC Volunteer Role page for CSAs has instructions how to complete the training.)
2 Likes
This CSA Training Slideshow may be useful
3 Likes
Few things I didn’t see above.
Get to know your FTA/FTAA as they will send you work that they can’t fix on the field.
Talk with event staff to see if you can get on the wifi so you can have easier access to CSA Slack, WPIlib and vendor resources.
Watch your event’s stream, this will let to identify teams that are having issues on the field and you
Learn all the light codes you can (or print a cheat sheet) Status Light Quick Reference — FIRST Robotics Competition documentation
Get to know the teams at your event(s). As not all teams react well to adults helping, knowing which teams are willing to assist others and their skill sets/programming language lets you guide students to those student focused teams. Also this also helps if there are multiple teams in need of help but not enough CSA/FTA/RIs to help.
1 Like
Have a minimal template of viable code that you can easily adapt to a variety of robots for the current year’s game. The kit-of-parts code is a good starting point, and can be genericized pretty easily.
1 Like
Welcome to the CSA team! Information I like to have on hand includes:
- Status Light Quick Reference
- How to set current limits
- How to tune CAN bus status frames
- How to set coast mode
- How to set ramps
Good luck!
EDIT: I have yet to CSA an event with new radios (without Kiet’s assistance), but Offseason Kiosk Programmer might be useful.
3 Likes
For whatever it is worth, here are the slides from a presentation on troubleshooting I gave at the 2023 Mentor Conference, much of which focuses on how I try to approach things when CSA’ing (I’m afraid there isn’t any recording or speaker notes for that beyond some references, so I’m not entirely sure how helpful it is).
2 Likes