FTC 8956 Progress Updates

[clarkrowley]

Day 1

Plan:

• Software Installs
• Firmware Update
• Bench test

[ThadHouse]

Just as a reminder, please make sure you're grabbing WPILib Alpha 6, Systemcore Beta Image 10, and the DS alpha 4.

[clarkrowley]

We pulled everything yesterday afternoon so yes, those are the versions we have running on the benchtop test now.

[clarkrowley]

Day 1: Single Expansion Hub Example

We installed the WPILib alpha, the hardware manager, and the driver station on a laptop and desktop. No issues with the software installations.

We wired the benchtop example with the provided power cable and some current team hardware and battery. We had no problem with the benchtop wiring.

We powered the SystemCore with the battery/expansion hub and a Rev USB-C cable (we tried without the external power, but figured out that external power was needed). The Hardware Manager found the SystemCore with no problems and we had the image ready to go. The Flash OS process took a while - we didn't time it, but one of the students estimates it could have been 10 minutes. It completed successfully.

We configured the SystemCore with the team number and updated the SSID and password we then connected over WiFi from the laptop and from the desktop running VSCode.

We created the ExpansionHub project in WPILib and built the project, and ran a deploy. The RIOLog window flashed something and went blank and reported no comms with the robot, but we checked that we still had comms and confirmed using the Driver Station that the system had comms and had the opmodes installed.

We ran the auto and teleop opmodes from the alpha DS using the standard Logitech Gamepad F310, and the motors and servos responded as expected.

[clarkrowley]

Day 1: Double Expansion Hub

We modified the code to allow for two expansion hubs. We then also performed tests using two expansion hubs, still with four motors. 3 motors are on Expansion Hub 0, and 1 motor is on Expansion Hub 1. Everything appears to be working fine with 2 Expansion hubs connected to the SystemCore.

We have yet to do any testing with encoders on the motors.

[clarkrowley]

Day 2

The stock hole pattern on the A310 body includes two threaded holes for the m4 on 16mm spacing for the goBILDA system so we started assembling a chassis based on goBILDA channel and wheels using the REV hub adapter.

We played with just adding the @Logged attribute in the Robot.java and the teleop opmode but that didn't do anything more than open a log file, so we added a NetworkTable in the opmode to track a couple of motor velocities using SmartDashboard.putNumber(). The Elastic Dashboard was able to display those while running, as was AdvantageScope once we scp'd the logfile from the systemcore and opened it.

We also tried setting motor3 in the ExpansionHub example to follow motor2 but that didn't seem to work. We'll try again next meeting:

  @Override
  public void start() {
    robot.motor3.follow(robot.motor2);    
  }

  @Override
  public void periodic() {
    robot.motor0.setThrottle(-userControls.getGamepad(0).getLeftY());
    robot.motor1.setThrottle(-userControls.getGamepad(0).getRightY());
    robot.motor2.setThrottle(-userControls.getGamepad(0).getLeftX());
    double m_vel_motor2 = robot.motor2.getEncoderVelocity();
    double m_vel_motor3 = robot.motor3.getEncoderVelocity();
    SmartDashboard.putNumber("motor 2 speed",m_vel_motor2);
    SmartDashboard.putNumber("motor 3 speed",m_vel_motor3);
  }

[ThadHouse]

In start, call robot.motor3.setEnabled(true). We'll make sure follow implicitly does this in future releases.

[Obstagoon2]

Hello, my name is Zakk, and I am one of the students participating in the 8956 alpha test. I have created a CAD model of our current testing chassis design, and I would like to share it with others.

It uses the GoBilda Strafer kit chassis as the frame, with 4 GoBilda Rhino wheels, each driven directly by the A301 motor.

As there is no current official CAD for the systemcore/motioncore, I have created my own. I hope to add the M18 battery holder in the near future.

This is the link to the CAD for anyone to take a look at it or copy it for personal use: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/67b6b87d1facc2cca88682cc/w/6a0c0887d514fac21aaf3f29/e/46cbdc4e4e021a2397c0e1dc?renderMode=0&uiState=6a0f65c5796f4f5631353c30