2009 FIRST Tips

These are a collection of tips that i've been collecting from people based on their experiences in the first week of FIRST Robotics Regional Competitions in 2009

Yellow text = updated 3/2/2009

Green text = updated 3/3/2009

Blue text = updated 3/4/2009

Red text = updated 3/10/2009

Read Bill's Blog entry about Week 1 Regionals

Robot Tips

1. Have your bumpers off the robot before you go to inspection
2. Take the trailer hitch off the robot before you go to inspection
(bring both with you, for length and weight measuring on the bumpers and visual inspection of the hitch)
4. Have your Lab View up to date with all the updates.

Teams will be given an encryption code and instructions on how to program it into the wireless adapter. Please make sure that this is done as well.

Camera code may need to be recalibrated for stadium lighting, like usual. Some regionals have been allowing calibration periods as in 2006 and 2007 

New Jersey settings:
Green
H: min: 55  max: 125S: min: 35  max: 255L: min: 92  max: 255Pink
H: min: 220 max:225
S: min: 30  max: 255L: min: 80  max: 255 

DC settings:
Green
H: min: 45  max: 75S: min: 58  max: 255
L: min: 92  max: 255
Pink
H: min: 220 max: 255
S: min: 50  max: 255
L: min: 85  max: 255

Maybe try working out camera calibration under very strong white light before coming to the competition.

Log into camera (192.168.0.90) and set brightness to 0

Make sure all electronics are not on conductive surfaces

In NJ we (all the teams) were having major static issues. It was recommended Saturday morning that we attach a length of Chain to our Robot by the People on the field to reduce static. A piece of wire or other metal will work just fine also. - Probably will not work because the FRP is non-conductive

Don't Bury you radio! Some teams had their radios buried, not only is this bad for comms but it's also bad for debugging.

We found that it is best to place the WGA on a flat plane (bottom of WGA parallel to ground)

Make Sure your firmware is up to date. You don't want to be the team that can't connect to the field. As of Team Update 12:

Driver station should read 2009  2. If not, you will not be able to interact with the field.

DS Tips

When setting up your DS:
1. Plug in your DS and wait for it to fully load....
2. Wait till you see your team number on a team station.
3. THEN turn on your robot and wait for it to get comms
Read Bill's Blog entry (linked above) for clarification on this

Be nice to your Ethernet Ports! If possible have one Port used primary for tethering and have one for on field usage. We had two instances where we were temporarily dropped from the field because our Ethernet Port is shoty.

If you have your DS mounted in a control case. run a ground wire from the DS grounding that FIRST already mandated to a grounding connection that contacts the drivers table when you set your drivers station on the table, i.e. a screw that sticks out the bottom.

If you need to tether the DS to the robot and don't have an AC power source, just use the connections to the wireless bridge:
1. Take the AC power for the bridge and plug it into your DS.
2. Take the Ethernet connection at the bridge and plug it into your DS.

To reset the cRio from the DS, simultaneously press all three white buttons on the DS and hold for a second or so. A new menu will come up and you can "select" reset. It takes about 20 seconds, but thats a lot better than sitting idle for the entire match. recommend that you test/practice in the pit on tether.

Game tips

HPs can't even touch supercells before 20 sec end game, and only then if empty cell has been returned *to you*

HPS can't throw empty cells over outpost wall - can't throw them to score like regular moon rocks

Keep Moving. A dead robot is an easy robot to score on. If you know your robot isn't going to move in a match DO NOT PUT IT IN THE CENTER! That is by far the easiest spot for HP's to score from, trust me - We filled a trailer from there... In Auto.

Be careful with Traction Control. Don't become so reliant on it that you're limited to 4-5 FPS. There are robots that can do in excess of 9FPS, and it's epic.

Learn how to pin on the fly. Not every type of Pin requires a wall. Sometimes your robot can act as the "wall" and other times your opponent will act as the "wall".

Control a trailer and you control the bot. In most cases if you can push a trailer in a direction you can knock a robot off course. It takes some practice but be creative, you can do it.

A good HP is your best friend. Our HP was great, and he one us a lot of matches.

They are enforcing G14. In qauls they'll only punish the offending team. So if when we tripled the score our HP lost both of his Super Cells for the next match.

A good Auto will win you matches. You don't have score, just move. A good place to start is by driving 10 feet out and spinning. Even the Best HP's can only get 1 in every 4-5 balls in.

Picking up off the floor is KEY. If you're HP loaded only you'll need to be paying close attention to other robots, you're an easy target for them.

Super Cells win matches. Don't Miss them.

Top 10 ways for a Payload Specialist to get penalties, and lose the match.
10. Touching the robot control-panel at any time during the match.
9. Not being buckled-up in the Outpost seat.
8. Leaving their refueling station rectangle during the match.
7. Breaking the plane of the playing field with any part of their body.
6. Reaching beyond the airlock with the tongs.
5. Touching the robot at any time during the game.
4. Picking up a moon rock before the start of autonomous.
3. Throwing an empty cell over the Outpost Station wall.
2. Picking up any rock/cell in the refueling station without using the tongs.
1. Touching a super-cell IN ANY WAY prior to the 20-second warning.