Rookie KickStart

1
Rookie KickStart

• Scot Marshall, Staff Test Engineer
• Lockheed Martin Space Systems
• Michoud Operations
• Team 1913, Covington High School
• Covington, LA
• scotmar_at_bellsouth.net

2
Were In! 2006(over our heads?)

• Where do we start?
• What is It?
• Where Does it Go?
• What are the Tricks?
• How do We Make It Work?
• What Else Do We Need to Know?

3
What All Has to Get Done?

• Robot
• Website
• Chairmans Outreach
• Fund Raising
• Mentor Base

4
Where Do We Start?

• Every team has to abide by the competition
  manual
• http//www.usfirst.org/robotics/2006/frcdocs.htm
• 0. Introduction
• Communication
• Team Organization
• The Arena
• The Game
• The Robot
• Robot Transporation
• At the Events
• The Tournament
• Awards
• Publisher

5
What Can We Do Before the Kickoff?

• Learn Methods of Assembly, Joining, Fastening
• Electrical Wiring and Testing Principles
• Pneumatic Actuation and Switching
• Mechanisms to Convey/Locomote
• Properties of Materials
• Sensors and Interfaces
• CAD System Design
• T-Shirts Button Artwork
• Website Design

6
What Tools do We Need?

• First Aid Kit (get a good one)
• Portable fire extinguisher (CO2)
• Safety glasses (get a bunch you will lose
  several)
• Full face shield
• Work gloves
• Hand tools
• 6 and 12 precision metal scales
• Tape measures 12ft and 25 ft
• Precision protractor
• Steel tip layout pen
• 6 compass
• Hack saw (get a lot of blades)
• Nut drivers (set of six)
• Tubing cutter (up to ¾)
• Screw drivers (get a complete set)
• Needle nose pliers small and medium
• Diagonal cut (dikes) small and medium

7
Tools

• Crescent wrench small and medium
• Vice grips  (regular and needle nose)
• Vice grips for welding
• Sockets 3/8" drive metric and standard (sears in
  the plastic cases)
• Box end wrenches 5/16 to 1
• Box end wrenches 7mm to 19 mm
• Gear wrenchs metric and standard
• Voltage tester (VOM) multi range digital read out
  (get a very good one)
• Wire stripper
• Soldering gun
• Spring loaded center punch
• Chisels assorted sizes
• Dial caliper  (get a good one)

8
Tools

• Allen wrenches  (get the large assortment). (Tee
  handles are very nice)
• Pop rivet gun and rivets
• Drill bits
• Metal (don't get the cheap kind) (get the kind in
  a metal case)
•  Wood spade bits from 1/8" to 1 1/2" (get the
  kind in a plastic case)
• Files
• bastard file for metal
• round files,  1/4", 1/2" for metal
• wood rasp
• Electric drill 3/8" variable speed reversible
  (get a good one) Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita

9
Tools

• Power tools
• 4 side grinder
• Circular saw (7 1/2 )
• Vacuum cleaner (shop vac)
• Bench top drill press
• 10 compound miter saw
• 12 table top band saw
• Small air compressor (optional)
• 14" chop saw (abrasive blade)

10
What Skills Are Needed?

• Transportation
• Lodging
• Food
• Snacks
• Drink
• Coffee

• Marketing
• Fund Raising
• Networking / Contacts
• Public Relations
• Press Relations
• Purchasing
• Budgeting
• Writing

• OSHA /Safety
• Construction
• Wiring
• Machining
• Sensors
• Gears
• Motors
• Fasteners
• Connectors
• Valves
• Relays
• Composites
• Metals

11
What Skills Are Needed?

• Management
• Requirements
• Scheduling
• Strategy/Tactical
• Reconnaissance
• Statistical Analysis
• Criminal Justice
• Photography
• Drafting / CAD
• Graphic Design
• Drawing / Artwork
• Video

• Software Programming
• Website Design
• Web Search
• Information Organization
• Word/Excel/PowerPoint
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Team Spirit
• Motivation
• Presentation
• Research

12
Who Do We Need to Get Involved?
13
The Good Stuff

• Sections 0-3 will be helpful.
• Section 3 and 4 change each year. NOBODY will
  know the game until the Kickoff in January.
• Near the bottom of section 5 is three really
  great resources to get started on the robot
• 2006_Sensor_Basic_Operation.pdf
• FIRST_Guidelines,_Tips,__Good_Practices_Rev_D.pdf
  
• 2006frcsoftwareoverview.htm
• Sections 8 and 9 are self-explanatory and also
  offer the details of what you will be getting
  into.

14
Charts from Unrelated ppt
15
Where Does the Software Go?

• PC Robot
• IFI Loader (1st)
• Dashboard Viewer
• C18 Compiler
• PC Camera
• CMUcam2
• PICASA
• PC Design
• AutoCad
• LabView
• MPLAB CBOT Compiler
• EZ C
• Robot Controller
• Master Code (1st)
• Program Code

Prog
16
Where does the software come from?

• CDs in Kit
• MPLAB CBOT Robot Code Compiler
• LabView Control System Simulation
• Picasa Google Digital Camera
• http//www.ifirobotics.com/
• IFI Loader
• Robot Master Code
• Robot Default Code
• http//java.com/en/download/index.jsp
• Java for CMUcam2 Camera PC Display
• http//microchip.com
• Compiler Updates

17
Software Start

• A multitude of information is available at
  www.chiefdelphi.com lthttp//www.chiefdelphi.com/gt
  , a website run by one of the teams that has been
  at it for a while. Many teams contribute.
• The software is found at www.ifirobotics.com
  lthttp//www.ifirobotics.com/gt .
• Look on the left-hand side of the webpage. The
  robot controller and the Operator Interface carry
  the ultimate in detail.
• The MPLAB software is from Microchip
• http//www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcServic
  eSS_GET_PAGEnodeId1406dDocNameen019469partS
  W007002

18
IFI Robotics Web Downloads
IFI_Loader v1.0.12 (zip, 1-3-2006) Must be
used with the 2006 Robot Controller.IFI_Loader
v1.0.10 (zip, 11-17-2004)FRC DDT Code v2.2/v2.4
(zip, 1-25-2005) for use with the IFI Loader
Dynamic Debug Tool only, instructions
included.Program Port Y-Cable (pdf, 2-1-2005)
see Printf statements while connected to the
Breaker Panel, wiring diagram for Y-Cable.Device
Reader (zip, 2-1-2005) for reading and restoring
Code in a RC (can not modify the code),
instructions included.
This information is available at http//www.ifirob
otics.com/rc.shtmlProgramming
19
IFI Robotics Web Downloads
2005 RC User Default Code ver2.2 (zip,
1-12-2005) No camera code, works with MPLAB
Compiler that came in 2005 FIRST kit.2005 RC
User Default Code ver2.4 (zip, 1-12-2005), with
camera code - works only with C18 Compiler (ver
2.4) from Microchip.2005 RC Master Code version
10 (zip, 1-10-2005), "How To" instructions
included.2005 RC Master Code version 11 (zip,
4-15-2005), "How To" instructions included.
(Corrects possible motor jump at
"Link")Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) C
Programming
This information is available at http//www.ifirob
otics.com/rc.shtmlProgramming
20
IFI Robotics Web Downloads
2004 Programming Reference Guide (pdf,
12-04-2004)FRC 2004 RC Default Code Reference
Guide (pdf, 1-7-2004)2004 RC User Default Code
(zip, 2-26-2004)
This information is available at http//www.ifirob
otics.com/rc.shtmlProgramming
21
IFI Loader v1-0-12

• Verifies COM port connection PC-to-Robot
• Loads Robot Master Firmware v.11
• Download from http//www.ifirobotics.com/
• Zipped file
• FRC_MASTER_V11.BIN
• master-firmware-update-frc.pdf
• Loads Robot Default Code

22
Robot Default Code

• Use IFI Loader
• One segment of code is user modifiable
• Other segments must not be changed

23
Robot Default Code I/O

• See Controller Reference Guide
• Tables for DEFAULT code for each input and output

24
Port 1 Hardware/Software
25
Port 2 Hardware/Software
26
CMUcam2 Software

• Requires Java 10 or higher to run
• www.java.com

27
CMUcam2

• Getting Started (zip, 4.65 Mb)  1-18-2005,
  Updated the Start_Here-CMUcam2_fe-r2.pdfSpecific
  ationsDescriptionCamera Board Markings (zip,
  114Kb)Basic Trouble-Shooting (pdf) 1-18-05
  TTL-232 Board Basic Trouble-Shooting (pdf)
  2-3-05

28
CMUcam2
29
MPLab IDE

• Software Development Environment
• Creates user code segment
• Download from http//www.ifirobotics.com/
• Zipped file
• FRC_MASTER_V11.BIN
• master-firmware-update-frc.pdf
• Loads Robot Default Code

30
Backup Charts
31
Useful Websites Innovation First Inc. (IFI
Robotics)http//www.ifirobotics.com

• System Overview
• Robot Controller
• Operator Interface
• Radio Modems
• Breaker Panel
• Victor 884
• Spike

• CMU Cam2
• Accessories
• Dashboard Viewer
• Robot Parts
• Legacy Docs

32
HIGHLIGHTS Whats new?

• FRC Control System OverviewFRC System Quick
  StartRC Reference Guide2005 OI Reference Guide
  (pdf) 11-21-05

33

• I am not looking for trade secrets, or a jump on
  how the game is to work this year. I am
  interested in the mechanics and sequence of
  getting all the software where it needs to go and
  verifying it is operating correctly. I just want
  to tell the teams how to get their robot and
  laptop up and running. Last year there were some
  seriously quirky sequences, patches and extra
  downloads that were required just to get the
  compiler to compile the default code, and I dont
  think that that is any kind of fair to rookie
  teams.
• I want to tell them what they have to get from
  where, how to install it, in what order it has to
  be installed, what else they have to do to make
  it run, what they can do when it does, and how
  they would know if it is even downloaded,
  unzipped, installed, and functioning correctly.
• Can I get the file names, versions, how it is
  going to be packaged, what will have to be
  downloaded off of what website, what works with
  what, needs what before it can be used, what is
  independent, does it still need a loader, do we
  still operate in an MPLAB IDE environment,
  Autodesk AutoCad (Ought-to-Cad), 3-D modeling,
  etc.
• I would be happy to sign a non-disclosure
  agreement. I am trusted with proprietary data at
  work and understand the safeguards.