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FTC 23452 Progress Updates #264
This thread will serve as a technical log for FTC testing done by FTC 23452 TieWraps in collaboration with FRC 4481 Team Rembrandts. More public facing updates will most likely be written in a more accessible manner and posted on a forum such as ChiefDelphi. Details on this will follow soon.
Our main testing day will be Monday so expect most updates during that time frame. More sporadic testing might happen over the summer.
Initial Installation - Task 1
Yesterday we managed to do everything that was outlined in task one. Connecting everything felt intuitive and could be done without any mentor help by purely following the steps outlined in FTC-Testing.md. Deploying software also worked quite seamlessly although the student in charge of this part already has prior WPILib experience through FRC.
Overcome Hurdles
Alpha 6 still calls itself Alpha 5 - From what I've read, WPILib 2027 Alpha 6 fixes common crashes from Alpha 5. Last week we already installed Alpha 5 so we needed to perform an update. This is expected when doing alpha testing. However, when I tried to remove Alpha 5 after installing Alpha 6 to free some disk space, I did not notice an Alpha 6 folder, leading to trying to reinstall it several times over. Only after removing Alpha 5, and only then installing Alpha 6, I noticed that the install directory still has the Alpha 5 name.
Future Hurdles
Power tool battery charger does not work in Europe - While not a problem right now, I noticed something that might form an issue when doing non-hybrid testing. We are very glad to have received a full set of 16 motors including a power tool battery and charger. Unfortunately, the charger is incompatible with the European power grid. Changing the plug with a compatible one is not that much of a challenge, but according to the specs on the casing, the charger only accepts 120V~ 60Hz input while the EU grid operates on 230V~ 50Hz. We might end up buying a transformer for it, but this may serve as an important heads up for other international teams.
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Replies: 3 comments 7 replies
For the folder name, that was expected to stay alpha 5. Due to reasons, if it updates it requires regenerating the entire project. It just installs right over alpha 5.
This is purely an alpha and beta thing. In season, that folder will just be 2027, and updates will install inline.
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A301 - First Testing
One and a half weeks ago we got the A301s running for the first time. Along with this accomplishment we also tried using IntelliJ instead of the recommended VS Code (more on this down below).
20260529_202414.mp4
Overcome Hurdles
Hardware Client - We came across several problems while trying to use the RHC2 on the A301s. first, we tried using the desktop app on the laptop and connecting it to the Systemcore, but we couldn't see any of the connected devices. Our next step was trying to use the RHC2 that is directly installed onto the Systemcore, this version of the Hardware Client could actually see the motors and read their encoder values, but we still couldn't control them from the Hardware Client itself.
IntelliJ - First, we would like to state that we are aware that IntelliJ is not officially supported. However, we still chose to use it because we wanted to discover any potential issues and share them with others who may also want to use IntelliJ. alongside this, we already have experience with the JetBrains IDEs.
until now, we have discovered one major issue, installing the REVLib. Unlike in VS Code, where you get the automatic installation process, we had to find a way to install it manually in IntelliJ. Once we resolved this issue, we were able to use IntelliJ as intended.
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For IntelliJ, our recommendation is to use VsCode to set up the project and everything you need. Once you have that, then move to alternative IDEs.
We won’t do anything to block external IDEs. We’re just a standard gradle project. So as long as those work in IntelliJ, you’ll have no problem using it as an IDE.
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We came across several problems while trying to use the RHC2 on the A301s. first, we tried using the desktop app on the laptop and connecting it to the Systemcore, but we couldn't see any of the connected devices.
I am assuming you tried connecting to Systemcore via USB C, which the desktop app does not support. You must use a compatible USB bridging device (SPARK MAX, SPARK Flex, PDH, PH, Servo Hub) to be able to communicate with an A301 since A301 does not have USB itself. However, it is recommended to use RHC2 running directly on Systemcore when using Motioncore since each A301 would be on its own bus.
Our next step was trying to use the RHC2 that is directly installed onto the Systemcore, this version of the Hardware Client could actually see the motors and read their encoder values, but we still couldn't control them from the Hardware Client itself.
Did you have the driver station enabled? Additionally RHC2 1.1.1 fixed some issues with write operations to devices.
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M18 CP3.0 Battery won't charge - red/green fault light
We recently tried using the M18 battery and charger again after they had been unused for around three months.
When we insert the battery into the charger (Milwaukee 48-59-1808), there are no indicator lights for the first few seconds. After approximately 3 seconds, the charger begins alternating between red and green, indicating a fault.
The battery's own LEDs also do not light up at all when we press the button on the battery.
The last time we used the battery, it worked normally. During the three months it was unused, it was left connected to our systemcore system rather than being stored separately.
We are using the US charger through a 230 V to 120 V transformer. The charger and transformer worked correctly when we first tested them a few months ago, but we are wondering whether the transformer could potentially have a role in causing the issue.
We have already tried disconnecting and reconnecting the charger, including leaving it disconnected for several minutes, but this did not resolve the issue.
Unfortunately, we do not currently have access to another M18 battery or Milwaukee charger, so we cannot easily test either component against another one.
Does anyone have any suggestions for troubleshooting this further? In particular, is there a way to determine whether the problem is with the battery, charger, or transformer, and is there anything we can safely try to resolve it?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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During the three months it was unused, it was left connected to our systemcore system rather than being stored separately.
Out of curiosity, was the dock turned on? Or just connected and turned off?
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The question above will clarify, but if the answer was left on, the battery is dead beyond recovery. Lithium batteries cannot be recharged below a certain voltage, and if left on the battery was drained all the way to 0 volts.
Its also possible if off to be dead like that too, there might be some parasitic draw with it off. But with it on, thats 100% what happened.
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During the three months it was unused, it was left connected to our systemcore system rather than being stored separately.
Out of curiosity, was the dock turned on? Or just connected and turned off?
The question above will clarify, but if the answer was left on, the battery is dead beyond recovery. Lithium batteries cannot be recharged below a certain voltage, and if left on the battery was drained all the way to 0 volts.
Its also possible if off to be dead like that too, there might be some parasitic draw with it off. But with it on, thats 100% what happened.
After we used it last I made sure to turn the dock off, but someone else may have turned it back on by accident afterwards. Is there a way to check if it's below its charge threshold? For example by using a multimeter? And if for example the battery is above 0v, but below the charging threshold will it then still be saveable by jumpstarting it?
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You could look up the pinout online, and check with a multimeter. I bet its at 0V.
We cannot recommend jumpstarting it, as the safety controls are there for a reason. If the battery is faulting, it's not safely recoverable.
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alright, thanks for the help. We will see what we can do.