User guide

VEX Field Control System User Guide
11.13.2013 Rev B www.vexrobotics.com Page 9
9. Debugging – General
Verify that the transmitter and robot batteries are fully charged.
Close the VEX Field Control Software and reopen it if you have disconnected/reconnected the USB
cable or if you started the software before connecting the VEX Match Controller Board to the PC.
Make sure that no interfering tasks are running, such as the VEX Tournament Manager Software.
10. Debugging – VEXnet robots
First, disconnect the VEXnet transmitter (Joystick) from the VEX Driver Interface. Turn on the robot
and transmitter. Verify they link up by flashing green VEXnet lights on both the robot and transmitter.
If not, perform the “Pairing” operation with a USB-A to USB-A cable between the robot and
transmitter. Then connect the VEXnet transmitter competition port to the VEX Driver Interface using
an Ethernet cable. The Robot and Transmitter GAME lights will show the state of the game: blinking
yellow for Disabled, blinking green for Autonomous and solid green for Driver mode. If the ROBOT
light is blinking fast red, a charged backup battery needs to be attached. The no-backup-battery
indication is not displayed if the transmitter is not attached to a VEX Driver Interface Board via the
COMPETITION Port.
If robot action is erratic:
Verify that the transmitter and robot batteries are fully charged.
Verify the transmitter and robot will link together if not attached via the VEX Field Control System.
11. Debugging – 75 MHz robots
To check for a valid Autonomous / Driver Mode Template in the 75 MHz VEX robots, start with the
robot turned OFF. Do not connect the VEX transmitter to the Driver Interface Board. Turn on the VEX
(75MHz) transmitter. Turn on the Robot. Try to drive the robot within the first xx seconds. If it moves
via your transmitter instructions, then the template has not been programmed into the VEX
microcontroller. Reprogram the robot with the valid template.
If robot action is erratic
Verify that the transmitter and robot batteries are fully charged.
Verify that no two transmitters or receivers have the same crystal frequency.
Verify the transmitter and respective receiver have the same crystal frequency.
Verify that the competition crystals are being used and that proper channel spacing is being used.
(Someone in the pits may be using the default or Set A or Set B crystals.)
Verify that the (75 MHz) transmitter and receiver antennas are fully extended.
Appendix A: Document Version History
Date Code Changes
2009-08-14 Initial document release.
Nov 30, 2011 Rev A - Corrected various areas and changed board names.
Nov 13, 2013 Rev B - Added VEXnet notes in Section 8.