Control System Troubleshooting Guide

FIRST Tech Challenge uses an Android-based Control System for its robot competition. Teams are responsible for bringing, maintaining, and troubleshooting their own wireless Control System, but at an event they may need help from a FIRST Technical Advisor (FTA), Control System Advisor (CSA), and/or Wi-Fi Technical Advisor (WTA). This guide provides tips and procedures for avoiding, diagnosing, and resolving common problems with the wireless Control System, both for teams and for the technical volunteers who support them at events.

This guide assumes you already have a basic understanding of the Control System’s components. For an introduction to the Driver Station, Robot Controller, Control Hub, and Driver Hub, see Control System Introduction.

• Wi-Fi Technology and Direct Connections
• Monitoring the Wireless Environment
• Troubleshooting Wireless Issues at an Event
• Planning Wi-Fi Channels for Large Events
• Troubleshooting Common Control System Issues
• Using Wireshark for Packet Capture
• Using Log Files to Troubleshoot Problems

Mitigating Disruptions Due to Electrostatic Shocks

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) events have the potential to disrupt the normal operation of a competition robot. The Managing Electrostatic Discharge Effects article provides a comprehensive discussion of this topic. Key takeaways include:

• ESD is bad for robots.

• To mitigate the risks:

  • Treat tile floors with anti-static spray or water.

  • Use ferrite chokes to dampen ESD effects.

  • Electrically isolate electronics from the metal frame of the robot.

  • Ground electronics to the metal frame using approved grounding cables.

Getting Additional Help

If you have questions about the FIRST Tech Challenge Control System, visit the FIRST Tech Challenge community forum and search for related posts or post your own questions.

There is also a FIRST Tech Challenge Technology Slack Workspace reserved for FIRST Tech Challenge technical volunteers (FTAs, CSAs, and WTAs) where these volunteers can ask questions and exchange information with other volunteers and with FIRST Tech Challenge staff. Prior to an event, technical volunteers should visit this workspace to get any last-minute information from other volunteers and from FIRST regarding event support and technical troubleshooting tips.