User guide
Table Of Contents
- 1. VEX Field Control System Overview
- 2. Software Installation
- 3. Equipment Setup – VEXnet only Configuration
- 4. Equipment Setup – 75MHz VEX only Configuration
- 5. Equipment Setup – combined VEXnet and 75 MHz VEX Configuration
- 6. VEX Field Control Software Operation
- 7. Theory of Operation
- 8. Normal Operation
- 9. Debugging – General
- 10. Debugging – VEXnet robots
- 11. Debugging – 75 MHz robots
VEX Field Control System User Guide
11.13.2013 Rev B www.vexrobotics.com Page 7
7. Theory of Operation
The VEX Field Control System typically sequences through the game in five states; Disabled,
Autonomous Period, Disabled (for autonomous scoring), Driver Control Period, and Disabled (end of
match).
The 75 MHz VEX robots must have a special software template to allow for this sequencing. The
software template will put the VEX robots into autonomous mode for the first xx seconds after
powering ON and a valid transmitter output is received. The value xx is determined by the game
requirement. After xx seconds has elapsed, the VEX robot software automatically goes into driver
control mode. The VEX Field Control Software turns on the 75 MHz VEX transmitter outputs during
the Autonomous and Driver Control times. It disables the VEX transmitter outputs at all other times.
Note that once autonomous starts, the robot does not receive the transmitter output until the autonomous
template has finished. This means that robots running in autonomous can not be stopped by the Field
Control System.
The VEXnet robots accept an Autonomous/Driver Signal and an Enable/Disable Signal from the VEX
Field Control System. They do require a special competition template for proper operation of the
Autonomous and Driver Modes , but they do not need special templates to determine the run time of the
Autonomous Mode like the 75 MHz VEX robots. The VEXnet robots can be halted by the VEX Field
Control System at any time.