NI Control System/CompactRIO
From the Team 1432 Robotics Wiki
| The CompactRIO has been identified by Team 1432 as fancy, which means that mentioning it to any programmers may result in an ecstatic, incoherent rant. Do so at your own risk. |
The National Instruments CompactRIO is a Programmable Automation Controller (PAC). It was first allowed in FRC competitions in the 2008–2009 season, and since then has been provided in the Kit of Parts. The cRIO is now used by Team 1432 as the primary robot control system; it is part of the NI Control System.
The FIRST-issued CompactRIO system is equipped with one 400MHz PowerPC processor, an FPGA (which interfaces to I/O modules via the FPGA backplane), a serial port, and dual 10/100 Ethernet ports.
Contents |
Development Environment
FIRST supports the usage of either the WindRiver Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) for C/C++ applications, or the LabVIEW RTOS for LabVIEW VIs. Team 1432 develops using LabVIEW and the WPI Robotics Library.
Modules
In addition to its integrated communications devices (dual 10/100 Ethernet and serial via DB-9), the cRIO supports the addition of modular input/output devices via its FPGA backplane connectors and the associated rack. The following types of modules are provided by FIRST.
NI 9201 Analog Module
The NI 9201 module accepts 8 analog inputs via DB-25 connector. FIRST provides two such modules per system. FIRST additionally provides the Analog Breakout board, which, once connected to the DB25 connector of the NI 9201 and to a 12v power supply, provides a 0.1-inch pin field for analog connections and +5V. The 9201 modules should be installed in slots 1 and 2 of the FPGA backplane.
NI 9403 Digital Module
The NI 9403 Digital Module provides a multitude of digital connections via a DB37 connector. FIRST provides two such modules per system. FIRST additionally provides the Digital Sidecar, which, once connected to the NI 9403's DB37 connector and to a +12V supply, provides the following connections (via 0.1-inch pin headers, except when otherwise specified):
- 10 pulse-width modulation (PWM) outputs for driving motor controllers and servos;
- 14 General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) connections with +5V;
- 16 relay outputs, paired as FORWARD and REVERSE, for driving relays;
- 2 I²C serial connections, one via a 0.1-inch header and one via an NXT-compatible RJn connector.
(Incomplete)
Connectivity
The cRIO interfaces with the driver station over TCP/IP. The cRIO has an RJ45 Ethernet jack, which is typically connected to a Linksys Wireless-N Gaming Adapter, which uses the driver station's wireless router to communicate with the driver station's ethernet port. The cRIO and the driver station can be connected directly using an ethernet cable; however, to upload code, use the dashboard software, and so on, the driver station must be on the same network as the computer being used.
