2023 Official 1721 Robot Manual
Introduction
Warning
Make sure this manual’s revision hash and the robot hash match!
This is the official Robot Manual for Tidal Force FRC Team 1721’s 2023 robot, Rotom Toaster. For the FRC Game Charged Up!
This manual contains technical diagrams, prototyping processes and in depth technical descriptions of all robot functions, from software to hardware and the messy bits in-between.
If you’re really that interested to know all the details, you’ll find them here!
Critical Design Review
Introduction
Design review process
Bumpers
The Drivetrain
Introduction
The drivetrain during construction
The tank drivetrain is tried and tested, even by us! During Prototyping we experimented with our kitbot drivetrain and used it as a solid base to train new members with.
The drivetrain is a 3x3 tank drive base, with all wheels powered, and the first two being omnidirectional.
The drivetrain’s top speed is estimated to be 45kts. Although it has not yet been in wide enough area to confirm.
Prototyping
The kitbot/prototype drivetrain.
In the pre season we prototyped using our kitbot and counterweights.
Software
The drive base uses simple two wheel steering kinematics and an odometry with encoders, gyro and accelerometers to detect robot position.
Config Files
drivetrain:
max_velocity: 1.5 # Updated Never by Nobody
encoderConversionFactor: 21.43 # Updated 1/27 by Joe
# All pose coordinates are in meters.
leftMotor:
Motor1Port: 2 # Updated 1/12 by Keegan
Motor2Port: 1 # Updated 1/12 by Keegan
EncoderPorts: [2, 1] # Updated 2/12 by Keegan
EncoderReversed: False # Updated Never by Nobody
Inverted: False # Updated Never by Nobody
rightMotor:
Motor1Port: 3 # Updated 1/8 by Keegan
Motor2Port: 4 # Updated 1/8 by Keegan
EncoderPorts: [3, 4] # Updated Never by Nobody
EncoderReversed: True # Updated Never by Nobody
Inverted: True # Updated Never by Nobody
navX: # NavX ids
can_id: 0 # Updated 1/13 by Keegan
yaw: 0 # Updated 1/13 by Keegan
pitch: 0 # Updated 1/13 by Keegan
roll: 0 # Updated 1/13 by Keegan
drive:
# Diff lock
kStabilizationP: 0.011
kStabilizationI: 0.0001
kStabilizationD: 0
# TurnToAngle
kTurnP: 0.007
kTurnI: 0.006
kTurnD: 0.001
kMaxTurnRateDegPerS: 100
kMaxTurnAccelerationDegPerSSquared: 300
kTurnToleranceDeg: 5
kTurnRateToleranceDegPerS: 10 # degrees per second
The Arm
Introduction
The arm during construction
The arm is a 3 stage nested tube stock assembly powered by springs. Its a design we’ve become familiar with. It is powered by a pair of Rev NEO motors. One for its angle, and another for its extension.
The angle is determined by a lead screw and lifting arm assembly so as to avoid excessive motor load and precise location tuning.
A close up of the lead screw
Software
The arm is driven using the embedded PID loops on both its motors. Limit switches limit its maximum extents to protect the robot from damage.
Config Files
arm:
elevatorMotor: # Drives the spool to move the lift in and out
MotorPort: 5 # Updated 1/22 by Keegan
Inverted: False # Updated 1/22 by Keegan
LimitSwitch: 0 # Updated 2/15 by Keegan
ConversionFactor: 1 # Updated 1/18 by Joe
Start: 0 # Updated 3/18 by Keegan
ladderMotor: # Drives the lead screw to run the lift up and down
MotorPort: 6 # Updated 1/22 by Keegan
Inverted: False # Updated 1/22 by Keegan
arm:
elevator:
kp: 0.075
ki: 0
kd: 0.1
ff: 0
ladder:
kp: 0.1
ki: 0
kd: 0.1
ff: 0
Operating and Controls
Controller Map
# This file defines the input
# and control scheme of the robot.
# this is orginized into control modes
main mode:
driver: # using a stick controller
controller_port: 0 # What usb port the driver controller is on
# Axis
ForwardAxis: 1
SteerAxis: 2
# Buttons
HalfSpeedButton: 1
DiffLock: 2
Turn90: 3
TurnAnti90: 4
StartConfig: 5
Slow: 10
Crawl: 3
operator: # using an "x-box" controller
controller_port: 1
# Hold Buttons
Unclamp: 6
Clamp: 5
FindZero: 8
hold: 3
# Presets/Modes
LowGoal: 1
HighGoal: 4
ManualMode: 7
This needs to be filled out!
This needs to be filled out!
Robot Wiring
Wiring Prototype
Full Electrical Schematic
Schematic here!
Robot Network Architecture
The robot contains several networked computers, all talking over high speed tcp/ip. The layout of the network may be of importance during service and debugging.
Network layout
Hostname |
mDNS |
IP |
|---|---|---|
roborio |
I forget |
10.17.21.2 |
nuc |
10.17.21.11 |
|
limelight |
TBD |
TBD |
aivision |
TBD |
TBD |
driverstation |
DHCP |
Developing
Configuration Files
This is literally the robot hardware configuration written in yaml.
These are provided as reference for use by pit crew.
Use this to confirm/reconfigure motor controller addresses or examine if pose x/y cords match actual.
# This file defines the robot's
# physical dimensions. Things like
# Motor placement, max and min extensions
# of arms, and similar should go here.
drivetrain:
max_velocity: 1.5 # Updated Never by Nobody
encoderConversionFactor: 21.43 # Updated 1/27 by Joe
# All pose coordinates are in meters.
leftMotor:
Motor1Port: 2 # Updated 1/12 by Keegan
Motor2Port: 1 # Updated 1/12 by Keegan
EncoderPorts: [2, 1] # Updated 2/12 by Keegan
EncoderReversed: False # Updated Never by Nobody
Inverted: False # Updated Never by Nobody
rightMotor:
Motor1Port: 3 # Updated 1/8 by Keegan
Motor2Port: 4 # Updated 1/8 by Keegan
EncoderPorts: [3, 4] # Updated Never by Nobody
EncoderReversed: True # Updated Never by Nobody
Inverted: True # Updated Never by Nobody
navX: # NavX ids
can_id: 0 # Updated 1/13 by Keegan
yaw: 0 # Updated 1/13 by Keegan
pitch: 0 # Updated 1/13 by Keegan
roll: 0 # Updated 1/13 by Keegan
arm:
elevatorMotor: # Drives the spool to move the lift in and out
MotorPort: 5 # Updated 1/22 by Keegan
Inverted: False # Updated 1/22 by Keegan
LimitSwitch: 0 # Updated 2/15 by Keegan
ConversionFactor: 1 # Updated 1/18 by Joe
Start: 0 # Updated 3/18 by Keegan
ladderMotor: # Drives the lead screw to run the lift up and down
MotorPort: 6 # Updated 1/22 by Keegan
Inverted: False # Updated 1/22 by Keegan
ConversionFactor: 1 # Updated 1/18 by Joe
Start: 55 # Updated 3/18 by Keegan
claw:
MotorPort: 7 # Updated 1/22 by Keegan
Inverted: False # Updated 1/22 by Keegan
EncoderPorts: 7 # Updated 2/11 by Keegan
EncoderReversed: False # Updated 1/22 by Keegan
A programmer in his natural habitat
Modifying these docs
Requirements for building the docs
You’ll need to install several packages to build these docs
# Ubuntu/Debian users
sudo apt install texlive-latex-recommended texlive-latex-extra texlive-pictures pandoc rename latexmk
# Arch/Manjaro users
pacman -S texlive-pictures pandoc latexmk
Making the docs
Under the Docs directory in 1721-ChargedUp, setup a pipenv using the
provided files and invoke the make latexpdf command to build the docs.
pipenv install # May take a while
pipenv shell
make latexpdf # Builds the manual
Find the generated .pdf under docs/_build/latex/
it is recommended that you also have a restructured text interpreter such as reStructuredText.
Documentation for sphinx can be found here
Using Github
We use Github as our main version control and automation system, paired with github actions and our own jenkins build server in the build space.
Making Pull requests
While you will mostly interact with github through git you should know how to make pull requests.
First go to the current repo 1721 ChargedUp.
You first under the pull requests tab create a new pull request, select the branch you want to make the pull request for.
Once approved by someone with proper clearance (Keegan or Joe) you may merge it, please squash and merge to not have billions of commits in main.
Creating Issues
This will go over creating github issues, github issues are one way we communicate what needs to be done.
On the issues tab there will be a button saying New issue, click that and enter the information about the issue.
Making and Adding Labels and Milestones
Labels and Milestones are a nice way to categorize issues and pull requests, they both can created and added the same way.
To create a Label or Milestone on the main page of issues or pull requests there are buttons, saying Labels and Milestones.
After pressing input a name and a description, github uses a hex system for colors to help select a color use this.
Robot Simulator
Requirements
Under the rio directory setup a pipenv using the provided files
and invoke the make sim command to run the simulator.
pipenv install # May take a while
pipenv shell
make sim # Alternatively run: python3 robot.py sim
This will start the robot simulator. See Using the Simulator for more info.
Using the Simulator
To be able to “operate” the robot while any mode will work it is recommended that under robot state, Teleoperated is enabled.
Under the Joysticks there will be Joysticks 1-5 all grayed out, to select one go to System Joysticks and drag on over.
When starting up the program there will be no input method selected under System Joysticks there may be Joysticks, Xbox controllers, or Keyboards 0-3.
Joysticks and Xbox controllers work as if piloting an actual robot, to find layouts for controls see Controller Map.
Keyboard 0 is the WASD keys to move and E and R to rotate the controller buttons 1 through 4 can be access by Z,X,C,V in that order.
Keyboards 1-3 are differing controller schemes that are useless for the purposes of testing due to lack of movement.
Keyboard inputs require you to have the active window be the simulator while, Joysticks and xbox controllers don’t.
Dashboard
Dashboard Requirements
Under the dashboard directory setup a pipenv using the provided files
and invoke the make run command to start the Dashboard’s local host.
pipenv install # May take a while
pipenv shell
make run # makes a locally hosted website dashboard
This will start the website dashboard. See Using the Dashboard for more info.
Using the Dashboard
Activating the dashboard doesn’t automatically start. To start the Dashboard within your terminal it will print
cd www && python -m pynetworktables2js
16:32:28:683 INFO : dashboard : Connecting to NetworkTables at Ip address
16:32:28:683 INFO : nt : NetworkTables initialized in client mode
16:32:28:683 INFO : dashboard : NetworkTables Initialized
16:32:28:684 INFO : dashboard : Listening on http://localhost:5800/
16:32:28:978 INFO : tornado.access : 101 GET /networktables/ws (Ip address) 0.89ms
16:32:28:978 INFO : net2js : NetworkTables websocket opened
Within this you will see one called local host, you will need to copy that link and put it in a web browser. It is recommend that you use this in incognito due to network cache causing issues with not updating.
This will auto connect to the simulation if one is running, if you start one after remember to refresh the page.
For this station to active things such as the swerve drive wheels, the simulation must be set to Teleoperated see Using the Simulator.
Robot code
Deploying code
First remember to have the FRC Driver Station open first otherwise this won’t work properly.
To deploy robot code first go to the rio setup a pipenv
and invoke the make deploy, always run the Robot Simulator on code before deploying!
pipenv install # this may take some time
pipenv shell
make deploy # this run python3 robot.py deploy
First time running it will ask for a team number (1721). After the first time it will know the team number deploy the code.
FRC Driver Station
Q driver Station
The FRC Driver Station is made for windows, but there is a linux version Q Driver Station.
This will assume your using the windows version but they both mostly the same.
Most of this won’t be in your control during competitions, but this will go over it all.
The base mode is Teleoperated but you can also set it to Autonomous, practice, and test.
Autonomous will simulate code that would be run in Autonomous. Practice will simulate competition timings, for testing use Teleoperated or in sim, see Robot Simulator. Test, tests the code a better way to test is Robot Simulator.
You can enable the robot after a joystick is detected, make sure to plug one in, it has robot code, and has communications with the robot.
Also see Dashboard for how to use the dashboard.
The Event Checklist
Introduction
This is the checklist for events, this should be gone through with every event attended.
It is best to run through the night before to give for things to be found and secured in the trailer.
preferable this list should be checked at least twice in order to nto have any missing pieces.
Checklist
Item |
Use |
Checkbox |
|---|---|---|
Drive Laptop |
To deploy and run the robots code. |
|
Controllers |
To control the robot. |
|
The Robot |
It is our only way of participating. |
|
Tool Chest |
To store the tools used in basic repairs. |
|
Chargers |
Specifically the Laptop and Battery Chargers. |
|
Batteries |
To power the robot. |
|
Battery Beak |
Needed for checking batteries |
Bill Of Materials
Qty |
Unit Cost |
Total Cost |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Electronics |
|||
RoboRio 2 |
1 |
$485.00 |
$485.00 |
navX2 |
1 |
$107.00 |
$107.00 |
Drivetrain |
|||
Arm |
|||
$592.00 |