Per Appendix B of the VRC Change Up Game Manual, competition teams now have the opportunity to run Robot Skills Matches using a V5 Robot Brain as their field controller via the Field Control App.
Installation of the Field Control App
Ensure you are connected to the internet. The latest version of the Field Control App will need to be downloaded from the V5 Firmware Utility before it can be downloaded to the V5 Brain.
Launch the V5 Firmware Utility. Ensure your V5 Brain is connected to your device via USB and the V5 Brain is running the latest VEXos (Firmware version 1.0.12 or later).
To download the Field Control App, select the trophy icon.
The Field Control App will download to slot 3 on the V5 Brain. If you have any projects currently in slot 3, it will be overwritten.
Once the Field Control App download is complete, the Field Control App icon will appear on the V5 Brain’s screen.
Using the Field Control App
- Before starting the Skills match, you must ensure that the target robot that is executing the match is also running VEXos 1.0.12 or greater. If the version of VEXos is not correct on the target robot, the Field Control App will not detect the target robot’s controller.
You need one radio to connect the primary controller to the target robot. The target robot must have its radio configuration set to VEXnet.
Launch the Field Control App just like you would any other V5 project by selecting the Field Control App’s icon and then selecting ‘run.’
The Challenge Screen will appear.
Select the type of skills match you want to start.
- Once you have selected the skill type, you will need to connect the controller of the target robot that is executing the skills run to the Field Control Brain. This is done using a V5 Smart Cable. One end of the cable is connected to any smart port on the Field Control Brain. The other end is connected to any smart port on the Robot’s controller primary controller. The primary controller is the controller whose radio is connected to the target robot. Note: Do NOT plug the Smart Cable into the Legacy Competition Port. Doing so could cause extreme damage to the Controller.
Once connected, the red error triangle under the controller image should turn green.
Link the primary controller to its robot. Ensure the primary controller is linked to the robot by viewing the green connection icon.
Ensure the target robot is running the correct project. Once everything is connected correctly and the robot is ready for the match, select ‘Start Driver Skills Match’ to start the match. The Field Control App will present a 3 second countdown and then start the match.
Once the match has started, the target robot will be enabled and allowed to run the match. There will be a countdown timer visible on the Field Control Brain as well as the target robot’s controller.
The match time will count down to 0:00 at which point the match will be over and the target robot will be disabled.
You can end the match early at any time by either selecting ‘End Early’ on the Field Control Brain’s screen.
Or, by pressing the power button on the target robot’s controller.
The match time remaining will be displayed so that the match score can be determined.
Once the match is over, you must disconnect the target robot’s controller from the Field Controller Brain for the Field Control App to allow you to start another match. Select ‘New Match’ to set up for the next match.
Special Settings
- When the Field Control App is launched, it reconfigures all the Smart Ports on the V5 Brain to be disabled. This happens to ensure you cannot accidentally pair the Field Control Brain to a team’s controller. The Field Control App has special code that can talk to disabled ports. If you are done using the V5 Brain as a field controller, you will need to reset the V5 Brain back to factory default settings.
If you forget to reset the V5 Brain’s settings, each time a project is started on that V5 Brain, the following warning will appear.
To reset the V5 Brain’s settings, first select ‘Settings’ on the V5 Brain’s screen.
Then select ‘Reset all Settings.’
The V5 Brain will then prompt to confirm. Select ‘Ok.’
Select the desired language for the V5 Brain to continue.