Can't find Joystick controllers

[Purpleliger]

I am the programmer on Rookie FTC team 5191. I have been on a FRC team for two years now and programming in LabView with them, however, the NXT version of LabView is significantly different that I am encountering several problems.

The biggest problem I am currently having is incorporating the joystick controllers into the program. Namely, I seem to be missing all the FTC Tools stuff and the VI's which go with them as available for programming on my computer. I installed LabView following the instructions on the CD case, and downloaded the FTC kit from NI. Does anybody have any idea where I could find the Joystick button accessors (Read controller, read buttons etc.)?

I have tried programming a vi and then connecting it to a button with the Remote control editor, but it doesn't do anything.

Thanks

[Kevin_F]

Hey Purpleliger,

All the joystick controls are in the FTC tools pallette (you should see these by right clicking and going to FTC Tools).  If these are not showing up it is likely an issue with the installation of the FTC toolkit. You can download and install the FTC toolkit from here: https://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-17997.  Is this the toolkit you have already installed?  Does your remote control editor have an option to generate code?

[David_Fort]

Hi Purpleliger,

I also have some cultural alignment issues when switching from FRC to FTC and the cRIO capabilities of LabView vs. the NXT version.

My problem was usually that I would write some cool thing in LabView and then find out it wasn't supported on the NXT.

I recently installed the FTC stuff following the instructions.  I was careful to uninstall all the various old FRC and FTC versions of LabView I have.  I don't know if it matters.  I just did that because I found having a bunch of different versions installed was giving me a lot of trouble last year, if not LabView.

In any case, I find NXT/FTC stuff on the FTC tools pallette as Kevin says.  I right click on the "background" of a "Block Diagram" and pick NXT Robotics and then FTC Tools.

There, I find a number of blocks for reading the Joystick values that have been received over Bluetooth or USB or Samantha or whatever.

If you don't see "Block Diagram" in the title bar of your .vi, then you might be looking at the "Front Panel" and you can switch to the block diagram view by ctrl-E.

If you don't  have that menu on the right click, then I don't know what to recommend.  Seems Kevin's suggestion that there is an install problem is likely.

Note in the bottom left corner of the .vi, you can pick the Target.  If you pick an NXT there, the repertoire of function blocks is trimmed to what the NXT supports for download.  If you have Main Instance you can pick a lot of things that are cool, but run on the PC (or on a cRIO or other LabView Target).

The "Remote Control Editor" is new this year, and it is pretty cool.  Built in WiFi and Joystick support is very cool.  Big improvement.

The way joysticks work on the NXT is MUCH different than on the FRC Driver Station.  I guess "simpler" is the way to put it, but I don't find the block set to be quite as intuitive.

I used the Remote Control editor to set up the framework for my Teleop program, and then hit "Generate Code" and that made a LabView .vi which I was able to open and edit in the usual way.  (That is how I figured out which of the FTC blocks are used for reading the joystick buttons).  From there, right click -> NXT -> FTC.

Good luck,

David Fort

Mentor, FIRST FRC/FTC 1001