Week 4

Good Morning Teams,

Week 4 is over and I want to congratulate and thank everyone who participated. An amazing number of volunteers put in a lot of time to make these events run. If you are a volunteer, thank you. If you’re on a team, please take a moment to let these volunteers and your mentors know you appreciate all that they do.

Here at FIRST we are busy getting ready for the 10 Regional and 2 District Events in week 5, but we’re also turning our attention to Championship. Here’s a few things you might want to know if you’re planning on attending:

There are changes to what teams may carry in and what teams are encouraged to do during the Wednesday night pit entry for uncrating from 6-9PM. Read Team update #19 for details.

The Suppliers’ Showcase will return again this year. Stop by and check out their displays. This is a great time to ask questions, find out what’s new and thank the suppliers for their support to teams.

Scholarship row will be inside the conference hall, next to the FIRST student lounge. With representatives from 26 colleges and universities on hand it’s a great opportunity to learn more about opportunities available after High School.

22 days until Championship,
I’ll see you there!

week 3

Good Afternoon Teams,

Another week of Regional events has passed and we are another week closer to Championship. As you prepare for your regional or look forward to the Championship, I want to share a few things.

Please make sure your robot is running the newest software revisions before you get to your next event. You won’t pass robot inspection if you’re running an older version. You can find the latest versions here and save valuable time by down loading them right away.

Also, don’t forget to bring what you need to monitor your robot’s battery voltage at your next event. Be sure to pack the NI 9201 analog module, the analog expansion board, and a jumper and power connection. Being able to monitor your robot’s battery voltage isn’t just required for it will also help your team with diagnostics and troubleshooting.

If you’re planning to hold or attend an invitational event after the official season ends, get ready, surviving orbit balls will go on sale at Logoloc.com shortly after Championship.

28 days until Championship,
I’ll see you there!

Week 2

Good Morning Teams,

We’ve completed another week of Regional Events and the play just gets better and better. Creative robot designs, close scores, and last minute comebacks make the competition lots of fun to watch this year. I want to offer teams my compliments on their creativity and sportsmanship and express my gratitude to the multitude of volunteers who make these events possible. Thank you everyone for a fun and exciting season.

Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes after week two.

We’re still working to get a grip on the static discharge issue. The simplest solution appears to be to wet the edges of the carpet to allow the robots to discharge static before they impact the metal sides of the field. Unfortunately, wetting the carpet may cause an issue for those of you who have made arrangements with your Regional Director to pick up the carpet and flooring after a Regional event. Be advised, the carpet may be damp.

We plan to continue reviewing the challenges from week one and two in an attempt to reduce the number of replays happening at each event. FIRST staff and key volunteers have been streamlining the process of connecting robots to the field, troubleshooting the Field Management System, and keeping an eye on team experiences with the components of the new control system. Thank you for your patience as we address this issue in real time.

I need to remind all of you that the field you play on this week will be packed up at the end of the event and delivered to another Regional or District Event later in the season. Please lend us a hand in making sure all the equipment gets back on the truck so that teams can compete next week. If, at the end of a competition, you find something that didn’t make it back on the truck, please let your Regional Director know you have it. There’s a good chance it’s needed at the next event.

37 Days until Championship
See you there!

Did you enjoy week one?

Good Afternoon Teams,

Did you enjoy week one? I was happy to see lots of close matches and some very strategic play on the part of teams. There are a lot of creative robot designs this year. Having enjoyed what I got to see of week one, I’ve spent the last few days getting ready for week two by working on the issues that slowed down some regional events. Now, I’ve got a few things I want you to know before you take the field at your next event.

1) Your robot must have the WPA encryption key installed before you may take the field for practice rounds. Each team will receive a new unique encryption key at the start of each event they attend so if you received one in week one, you’ll be getting a new one if you compete again. After you install the encryption key, make sure to visit the WPA table to be inspected and receive your sticker before you get in the que.

2) There is no preliminary safety check before you take the field for practice rounds, but teams may be asked to take their robot off the field if FTA, Referee or Robot Inspector feel it is unsafe. Your robot must be inspected before you can take part in qualification rounds.

3) You may have heard field reset takes a long time this year. You can help speed things along by following these steps

a. Before you step up to the player station

i. Confirm your robot is off
ii. Confirm your driver station is off
iii. Confirm the toggle switch on the Driver Station is in tele/op mode

b. Plug the field Ethernet cord into your Driver Station

c. Plug the DB9 into your Driver Station

d. Wait for the Driver Station LCD to display FMS Mode

e. Then, if your robot is in a safe position on the field, turn your robot on

f. If the FTAA indicates your robot isn’t connecting to the field

i. Check the Ethernet cable connection on your robot
ii. Make sure the robot is really on
iii. Cycle the robot’s power.

4) Keep watching for team updates.

42 days until Championship
See you there!