LabVIEW

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Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC

Getting Started with the FIRST Tech Challenge Software

August 2009
372580B-01
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Contents

About This Manual

Conventions ...................................................................................................................vii
Related Documentation..................................................................................................viii
Third-Party Web Sites .....................................................................................ix

Chapter 1
Overview of the FIRST Tech Challenge
Autonomous and Teleoperated Modes ..........................................................................1-1
Enabled and Disabled Status..........................................................................................1-2
LabVIEW for FTC Components....................................................................................1-2

Chapter 2
Building a Robot

Chapter 3
Building an Electrical Control System for the Robot
Required Parts................................................................................................................3-1
Building the Electrical Control System .........................................................................3-2
Wiring the Motors ...........................................................................................3-2
Providing Power to the Motors........................................................................3-3
Connecting the NXT Brick to the Robot.........................................................3-4
Testing the Electrical Control System ...........................................................................3-4
Downloading the Firmware.............................................................................3-4
Running the Test Program...............................................................................3-5

Chapter 4
Controlling the Robot with the FTC Controller Station
Connecting to the FTC Controller Station .....................................................................4-1
Running a Program in Teleoperated Mode....................................................................4-2
Using the Game Controllers ..........................................................................................4-3

Chapter 5
Modifying the FTC Teleop Basic Program
Modifying the Program..................................................................................................5-1
Running the Program on the NXT Brick .......................................................................5-4
Creating Controls for Motors and Servos ......................................................................5-4

© National Instruments Corporation v Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC

Contents

Specifying the Names of the Controls ............................................................ 5-5

Configuring the Controls ................................................................................ 5-6
Configuring the Control for the Motors ........................................... 5-6
Configuring the Control for the Servos ............................................ 5-7
Editing Existing Motor and Servo Controls.................................................... 5-8

Chapter 6
Troubleshooting the Robot

Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC vi ni.com

About This Manual

This manual provides tutorials you can use to program a robot in LabVIEW
for FTC. Use this manual to build and program a robot that moves
according to commands you send from a game controller.

Conventions
The following conventions appear in this manual:

» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options
to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options
from the last dialog box.

This icon denotes a tip, which alerts you to advisory information.

This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.

bold Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such
as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes parameter
names, front panel controls and indicators, dialog boxes, sections of dialog
boxes, menu names, and palette names.

italic Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross-reference, or an introduction

to a key concept. Italic text also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word
or value that you must supply.

monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the
keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples.
This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories,
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,
variables, filenames, and extensions.

monospace bold Bold text in this font denotes the messages and responses that the computer
automatically prints to the screen. This font also emphasizes lines of code
that are different from the other examples.

© National Instruments Corporation vii Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
About This Manual

Related Documentation
The following Web site and documents contain information that you may
find helpful as you read this manual.
• Getting Started with the LabVIEW LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT
Module—Use this manual to learn how to develop NXT VIs in the
LabVIEW environment and how to deploy those VIs to an NXT brick.
You can use the LabVIEW NXT Module to develop FIRST Tech
Challenge programs. Access this manual by navigating to the
National Instruments\LabVIEW 2009\manuals directory
and opening NXT_Getting_Started.pdf.
• LabVIEW NXT Module Help—Use the LabVIEW NXT Module Help
to access information about LabVIEW NXT Module programming
concepts, step-by-step instructions for using the LabVIEW NXT
Module, and reference information about LabVIEW NXT Module
VIs, functions, palettes, menus, tools, dialog boxes, and so on. Access
the LabVIEW NXT Module Help by selecting Help»NXT Module
Help in LabVIEW.
• LabVIEW Help—Use the LabVIEW Help to access information about
LabVIEW programming concepts, step-by-step instructions for using
LabVIEW, and reference information about LabVIEW VIs, functions,
palettes, menus, tools, properties, methods, events, dialog boxes, and
so on. The LabVIEW Help also lists the LabVIEW documentation
resources available from National Instruments. Access the LabVIEW
Help by selecting Help»Search the LabVIEW Help in LabVIEW.
• LabVIEW Quick Reference Card—Use this card as a reference for
information about documentation resources, keyboard shortcuts, data
type terminals, and tools for editing, execution, and debugging. Access
this manual by navigating to the National Instruments\LabVIEW
2009\manuals directory and opening LV_Quick_Reference.pdf.
• National Instruments FIRST Community—Use the National
Instruments FIRST Community Web site at ni.com/first to read the
latest training tutorials, download example programs, and connect with
real-world engineers.

Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC viii ni.com

 About This Manual

Third-Party Web Sites

The following third-party Web sites contain information that you may find
helpful as you use the FTC software.
• FTC Community—Refer to the FTC Community Web site at
www.usfirst.org/community/ftc for official information about
the FTC competition, including rules and regulations as well as
support information.
• Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Academy—Refer to the
Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Academy Web site at
www.education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/content/events/ftc/
labview to access FTC training materials about programming in
LabVIEW.
• Center for Engineering Education and Outreach—Refer to the Center
for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO) Web site at
www.ceeo.tufts.edu to access educational materials and sample
programs that you can use to interact with an NXT brick.

© National Instruments Corporation ix Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC

Overview of the FIRST Tech
1
Challenge
The objective of the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) competition is to build
and program a robot to perform certain tasks in Autonomous and
Teleoperated modes.

Autonomous and Teleoperated Modes

In Autonomous mode, the robot moves without input from game
controllers. You can use LabVIEW to develop a program and then
download that program to the NXT brick on the robot. When you run the
program, the robot moves and behaves according to instructions in the
program itself.

In Teleoperated mode, the robot moves in response to commands it receives

from one or two game controllers. As in Autonomous mode, you develop a
program in LabVIEW and then download that program to the NXT brick
on the robot. The program must contain instructions that allow the robot to
receive data from the game controllers and respond accordingly. When you
run the program, you then can use the joysticks and buttons on the game
controllers to drive the robot.

If you want the robot to respond to commands it receives from game

controllers, connect the game controllers to a host computer through USB
connections. Use the FTC Controller Station running on the host computer
to receive data from the game controllers, convert the data to a form the
program running on the NXT brick can understand, and then send the data
through either a USB or Bluetooth connection to the NXT brick on the
robot.

During the actual FTC competition, FIRST provides a field management

system (FMS) that acts like a controller station and can connect to multiple
robots at once.

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 1 Overview of the FIRST Tech Challenge

Enabled and Disabled Status

At certain points in the FTC competition, the program on the NXT brick
must be running, but the robot must not move. For example, at the
beginning of the Autonomous part of the competition, you must run the
Autonomous program on the NXT brick, place the robot on the field, and
return to the team area. The robot must not start moving until all teams have
placed their robots on the field and returned to their positions. Similarly,
between the Autonomous and Teleoperated parts of the competition, the
robots must be running in Teleoperated mode but must not move until the
judges have finished tallying the scores for the Autonomous portion.

During these times, the FMS sets the status of the robots to Disabled. The
program you run on the NXT brick must handle the Disabled status such
that the robot does not move and does not respond to any commands from
the game controllers. When the FMS sets the status of the robots to
Enabled, the program you run on the NXT brick must recognize this
change in status. The program must handle the Enabled status such that
the robot then starts moving or responding to commands from the game
controllers.

Note LabVIEW for FTC includes program templates that handle the Enabled and
Disabled status.

LabVIEW for FTC Components

LabVIEW for FTC includes LabVIEW Student Edition, the LabVIEW
LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT Module Beta, and the LabVIEW FTC
Toolkit. Use this software to program a robot in LabVIEW. LabVIEW for
FTC also includes the FTC Controller Station, accessible by navigating
to the National Instruments\LabVIEW 2009\examples\
FTC Toolkit\FTC Controller Station directory and opening
FTC Controller Station.exe.

In the following chapters, you will build a robot, program the robot with
a LabVIEW for FTC program template, drive the robot with a game
controller, modify the FTC program template, and drive the robot again.
You also will learn how to create LabVIEW controls that specify the names
and configurations of the motors and servos on a robot.

Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC 1-2 ni.com

Building a Robot
2
Follow the illustrations in this chapter to build a robot using hardware
available in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) kit.

Note The robot you build in this chapter works with the FTC program templates discussed
in later chapters of this manual. However, the robot and the programs in this manual are
only examples of the kinds of robots and programs you can develop for the FTC
competition. You can build a robot of any shape or size and design programs to drive the
robot in whichever way you want to accomplish the goals of the FTC competition.

The first illustration in this chapter shows the completed hardware

assembly of the robot as well as a list of parts. Ensure you have all the
necessary parts before beginning to build the robot.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 2 Building a Robot

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 Chapter 2 Building a Robot

© National Instruments Corporation 2-3 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 2 Building a Robot

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 Chapter 2 Building a Robot

© National Instruments Corporation 2-5 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 2 Building a Robot

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 Chapter 2 Building a Robot

© National Instruments Corporation 2-7 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 2 Building a Robot

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 Chapter 2 Building a Robot

© National Instruments Corporation 2-9 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 2 Building a Robot

Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC 2-10 ni.com

 Chapter 2 Building a Robot

© National Instruments Corporation 2-11 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Building an Electrical Control
3
System for the Robot
The robot you build in Chapter 2, Building a Robot, is not
complete because it cannot perform any automated tasks. You
must add an electrical control system through which you can
control the movement of the robot. In the following exercises, you
will connect the motors on the robot to the NXT brick so that the
program running on the NXT brick can move the motors, which
in turn move the robot.

Note Before you begin to build the electrical control system, decide which end of the
robot is the front and which is the rear. You will connect the NXT brick at the front end and
a motor controller near the rear end of the robot.

Required Parts
You need the following hardware parts to build the electrical control
system.
• One LEGO® NXT brick
• One HiTechnic DC Motor Controller
• One 12V battery pack
• One power switch with cable harness
• One NXT cable to connect the NXT brick to the HiTechnic DC Motor
Controller
• Four motor power cables made up of twisted red and black wires
• Various plastic LEGO® pieces to mount the NXT brick and the power
switch to the robot
• Twelve machine screws with hex nuts
• Two 1-inch by 2-inch self-adhesive, Velcro straps
• One zip tie pack

© National Instruments Corporation 3-1 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 3 Building an Electrical Control System for the Robot

Building the Electrical Control System

To control the movement of the robot, you must connect the motors to a
motor controller, which you then connect to an NXT brick. You also must
provide a power source for the electrical control system.

Wiring the Motors

To allow the NXT brick to communicate with the motors, you must wire
the motors to a motor controller.

Complete the following steps to wire the motors to the HiTechnic DC

Motor Controller.
1. Connect the red and black wires of one motor cable to the two
terminals on one motor.
The polarity of each wire must match the polarity of the motor terminal
to which it connects. For example, the red wire is positive (+), so you
must connect the red wire to the terminal marked positive (+) on the
motor.

Tip After you connect the two cables to a motor, use a zip tie to attach the cables to the
motor to ensure the cables do not get caught on other objects when the robot is in motion.

2. Repeat step 1 to wire the remaining three motors.

3. Place the motor controller on the metal plate that is toward the rear of
the robot. Position the motor controller so that the blue terminals face
the front of the robot. This position allows each of the four motor
cables to easily reach the motor controller.
4. From underneath the robot, insert machine screws up through the
four corner holes of the motor controller.
5. Tighten the screws into the hex nuts. Do not overtighten the screws
because overtightening can break the plastic tabs on the motor
controller.
6. Connect the black wires of the two motor cables from the left side of
the robot to the Motor 1 – terminal on the motor controller. Connect
the red wires of the two motor cables from the left side of the robot to
the Motor 1 + terminal on the motor controller.
7. Repeat step 6 to connect the motor cables on the right side of the robot
to the Motor 2 – and the Motor 2 + terminals on the motor controller.

Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC 3-2 ni.com

 Chapter 3 Building an Electrical Control System for the Robot

In the next section, you will connect the battery that provides power to the
motors and the power switch that allows you to turn the robot off and on.

Providing Power to the Motors

As with any electrical system, you must provide a power source for the
system.

Complete the following steps to provide power to the motors.

1. Connect the two cables from the power switch to the Battery – and the
Battery + terminals on the HiTechnic DC Motor Controller.
The polarity of each cable must match the polarity of the battery
terminal to which it connects. For example, the red cable is positive
(+), so you must connect the red cable to the terminal marked positive
(+) on the HiTechnic DC Motor Controller.

Tip After you connect both cables to the battery terminals, use zip ties to attach the cables
to the frame of the robot to ensure the cables do not get caught on other objects when the
robot is in motion.

2. Use plastic LEGO® pieces and machine screws with hex nuts to
connect the power switch to the left side of the robot. Position the
power switch to face outward so you easily can access the power
switch.
3. Turn the power switch to OFF.
4. Attach a Velcro strap to the rear metal plate of the robot next to the
HiTechnic DC Motor Controller.
5. Attach the corresponding Velcro strap to the bottom of the 12V battery.
6. Use the Velcro straps to connect the 12V battery to the rear metal plate.
Position the battery so that the cable faces the front of the robot.
7. Connect the power switch cable to the 12V battery cable. The cable
connectors fit together in only one way. Do not force the cable
connectors together if they do not connect easily.

In the next section, you will connect the NXT brick to the robot.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-3 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 3 Building an Electrical Control System for the Robot

Connecting the NXT Brick to the Robot

The NXT brick is the computer that directs the movements of the robot.
You must connect the NXT brick to the robot and then wire the NXT brick
to the motor controller to allow the NXT brick to direct the robot.

Complete the following steps to connect the NXT brick to the robot.
1. Use plastic LEGO® pieces and machine screws with hex nuts to
connect the NXT brick to the front end of the robot. Position the NXT
brick so that the screen and buttons face forward and so that you can
access the USB port easily. Also, make sure you can remove the NXT
battery without removing the NXT brick.
2. Connect one end of the NXT cable to port 1 on the NXT brick.
3. Connect the other end of the cable to the nearest port on the HiTechnic
DC Motor Controller.

Tip After you connect the NXT brick to the motor controller, use zip ties to attach the
NXT cable to the frame of the robot to ensure the cable does not get caught on other objects
when the robot is in motion.

The robot is complete. In the following section, you will test the electrical
control system.

Testing the Electrical Control System

The robot is now ready to perform automated tasks. However, you first will
want to test the electrical control system with a test program to make sure
the robot works as you expect it to work.

Downloading the Firmware

Before you can use the test program to test the electrical control system,
you must ensure that the host computer can communicate with the NXT
brick. The NXT brick must be running the correct firmware to
communicate with the host computer.

Complete the following steps to download the correct firmware to the NXT
brick from LabVIEW.
1. Connect the NXT brick to the computer through USB or Bluetooth and
power on the NXT brick. Do not power on the robot.
2. Launch LabVIEW.

Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC 3-4 ni.com

 Chapter 3 Building an Electrical Control System for the Robot

3. In the Getting Started window, click the Blank VI link to open a

new VI.
4. Select Tools»NXT Tools»NXT Terminal to launch the NXT
Terminal dialog box.
5. Click the Update Firmware button to launch the Update NXT
Firmware dialog box.
6. Click the Browse button next to the Look in text box to display a file
dialog box.
7. Navigate to the National Instruments\LabVIEW 2009\
Targets\NI\NXT\NXTToolkit\Firmware directory and click the
Current Folder button.
8. In the Available Firmware Files list, select LEGO MINDSTORMS
NXT Firmware V1.28.
9. Click the Update button to begin downloading the firmware to the
NXT brick. The Progress section of the Update NXT Firmware
dialog box displays the progress of the firmware update.
10. When the Update NXT Firmware dialog box displays
Successfully Downloaded Firmware!, click the Close button to
close the dialog box.

The host computer now can communicate with the NXT brick.

Running the Test Program

After you download the correct firmware to the NXT brick, you can use a
test program to test the electrical control system of the robot.

Complete the following steps to test the electrical control system.

1. Turn the power switch on the robot to ON.

Tip When you test the electrical control system, raise the robot off the ground so that the
wheels are not in contact with any surface. If the electrical control system is not wired
correctly, the robot might drive in an unexpected direction.

2. Navigate to the National Instruments\LabVIEW 2009\

examples\FTC Toolkit directory and open TheMechanic.vi.
3. Click the Run button, shown at left, to run TheMechanic VI.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-5 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 3 Building an Electrical Control System for the Robot

When the electrical control system is connected to the robot correctly, the
robot performs the following moves when you run TheMechanic VI.
• Move left wheel forward, reverse, then stop.
• Move right wheel forward, reverse, then stop.
• Turn clockwise.
• Turn counter-clockwise, then stop.

If the robot does not follow the previous movements, repeat the steps in this
chapter to make sure the electrical control system is configured correctly.

Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC 3-6 ni.com

Controlling the Robot with the
4
FTC Controller Station
After you build the robot and test the electrical control system, you can
use the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Controller Station to establish
communication between one or two game controllers and the robot. You
then can drive the robot with the game controllers during Teleoperated
mode.

Refer to Chapter 6, Troubleshooting the Robot, for troubleshooting tips if

the robot does not work as you expect.

Connecting to the FTC Controller Station

You must connect the NXT brick to the FTC Controller Station to use the
game controllers to move the robot.

Complete the following steps to connect the NXT brick to the FTC
Controller Station.
1. Navigate to the National Instruments\LabVIEW 2009\
examples\FTC Toolkit\FTC Controller Station directory
and double-click FTC Controller Station.exe to launch the FTC
Controller Station.
2. Notice that the FTC Controller Station automatically assigns any
connected game controllers to Controller 1 and Controller 2.
3. Enter the name of the NXT brick in the NXT Name text box. You also
can click the Browse button to select the NXT brick.

Note The FTC competition requires that you use your four-digit FTC team name as the
name of the NXT brick during the competition.

4. Click the Connect button, shown at left, to connect to the NXT brick.
When an NXT brick is connected, the Connect button changes to the
Disconnect button.

© National Instruments Corporation 4-1 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 4 Controlling the Robot with the FTC Controller Station

When the NXT brick connects successfully, the FTC Controller Station
automatically downloads two default programs, FTC Teleop Basic and
Program Chooser, to the NXT brick.

Running a Program in Teleoperated Mode

Use the Program Chooser program that the FTC Controller Station
downloads to the NXT brick to specify which program you want to run on
the NXT brick in Teleoperated mode. When you select the program you
want to run, the Program Chooser program creates a.txt configuration file
that specifies the program you selected.

When the mode of the robot changes from Autonomous to Teleoperated in

the competition, the field management system stops any currently running
Autonomous program and starts running the Teleoperated program that the
.txt configuration file specifies.

In this exercise, you will choose and run a program in Teleoperated mode
on the NXT brick.

Complete the following steps to use the Program Chooser program to select
the program you want to run in Teleoperated mode.
1. On the NXT brick, navigate to My Files»Software files»Program
Chooser and press the orange button.
2. Use the left and right arrow buttons to select FTCTeleopBasic.rxe
from the list of programs, and press the orange button. The Program
Chooser program creates an FTCConfig.txt configuration file on the
NXT brick that specifies FTC Teleop Basic as the program to run in
Teleoperated mode.
3. Press the orange button to end the Program Chooser program.
4. In the FTC Controller Station, click the Refresh button to detect
the FTCConfig.txt configuration file on the NXT brick. Notice
that the FTCConfig.txt Present round LED turns green, and
FTCTeleopBasic.rxe is listed as the Designated Teleoperated
Program.
5. In the FTC Controller Station, set the mode of the NXT brick to
Teleoperated. Because you specified a Designated Teleoperated
Program, the FTC Controller Station stops any program running in
Autonomous mode on the NXT brick and begins running the
Designated Teleoperated Program.

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 Chapter 4 Controlling the Robot with the FTC Controller Station

Note Notice that you also can set the Enabled or Disabled status of the robot from the FTC
Controller Station. The FTC Teleop Basic program handles both an Enabled and a Disabled
status. When the status is Disabled, the robots must stop moving. Refer to the Enabled and
Disabled Status section of Chapter 1, Overview of the FIRST Tech Challenge, for more
information about the Enabled and Disabled status.

Using the Game Controllers

After you connect the NXT brick to the FTC Controller Station and select
the Teleoperated mode, you can use game controllers to drive the robot.

Complete the following steps to select the game controllers you want to use
to drive the robot.
1. Click the Refresh List button for Controller 1. An updated list of
game controllers connected to the host computer appears in the text
box above the Refresh List button.
2. From the list of connected game controllers, select the game controller
you want to correspond to Controller 1. Controller 1 now displays
any movements or button presses you make on the physical game
controller. For example, if you press button 2 on the game controller,
button 2 on Controller 1 appears to be pressed as well. The FTC
Controller Station sends any game controller data for Controller 1 to
the FTC Teleop Basic program running on the NXT brick, which
drives the robot accordingly.

Note Buttons 9–12 are not shown on Controller 1 or Controller 2 of the FTC Controller
Station. Buttons 11 and 12 correspond to the left and right joystick buttons, respectively.

3. If you want to use two game controllers to drive the robot, repeat
steps 1 and 2 for Controller 2. However, while you run the FTC
Teleop Basic program, the robot responds only to the joystick on
Controller 1.
4. Push the joystick forward and backward to move the robot forward
and backward. Move the joystick left and right to turn the robot
counter-clockwise and clockwise.

© National Instruments Corporation 4-3 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 4 Controlling the Robot with the FTC Controller Station

Note If the robot does not move as you expect it to move, check for loose wires or other
objects on the robot that might interfere with the movement of the robot. You also can run
TheMechanic VI again to make sure the robot can move independently of the controllers.
Refer to Chapter 3, Building an Electrical Control System for the Robot, for information
about TheMechanic VI.

5. Click the QUIT button in the FTC Controller Station to stop both the
FTC Controller Station and the program running on the NXT brick.

Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC 4-4 ni.com

Modifying the FTC Teleop Basic
5
Program
The FTC Teleop Basic program moves the motors of a robot according to
joystick movements you make on a game controller. You can use
LabVIEW to modify this program to perform more advanced tasks. For
example, you can modify the program so that the robot moves in stealth
mode when the robot must perform tasks carefully. Stealth mode means
that the robot moves at a fraction of the normal speed.

Modifying the Program

In this section, you will modify the FTC Teleop Basic program in
LabVIEW so that the robot runs in stealth mode. Complete the following
steps to modify the FTC Teleop Basic program.
1. Navigate to the National Instruments\LabVIEW 2009\
examples\FTC Toolkit\Templates directory and open
FTCTeleopBasic.vi to open the source VI for the FTC Teleop Basic
program.
2. Select Window»Show Block Diagram or press the <Ctrl-E> buttons
to display the block diagram.
3. Select File»Target to NXT to open the program in the NXT
application instance instead of the main application instance on the
host computer. To run the program on the NXT brick, you must target
the program to the NXT brick.
Notice that the application instance shortcut menu in the bottom left
corner of the block diagram window turns orange and displays the
name of the NXT brick to which the program is targeted.

Note If you have more than one NXT brick connected to the host computer, you can
specify which brick to target. Right-click the application instance shortcut menu in the
bottom left corner of the block diagram window and select an NXT brick from the shortcut
menu. You also can select Find NXT from the shortcut menu to display the Find NXT
dialog box from where you can select the NXT you want to target.

© National Instruments Corporation 5-1 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 5 Modifying the FTC Teleop Basic Program

4. On the block diagram, click the increment or decrement arrow of the

selector label of the bottom Case structure to switch to the True case.
5. Delete the wire that runs from the NXT output of the FTC Read
Controller VI to the NXT input of the Calculate Power from
Joystick VI.
6. If the Functions palette does not appear, select View»Functions
Palette to display the Functions palette.
7. Add an FTC Read Buttons VI, located on the FTC Tools palette,
inside the Case structure and to the right of the FTC Read Controller
VI.
8. Wire the NXT output of the FTC Read Controller VI to the NXT input
of the FTC Read Buttons VI.
9. Wire the Buttons output of the FTC Read Controller VI to the Buttons
input of the FTC Read Buttons VI. The FTC Read Buttons VI returns
the Boolean values of the buttons on the controller whose data the
FTC Read Controller VI reads.
10. Add a Select function, located on the NXT Programming»
Comparison palette, to the right of the FTC Read Buttons VI.

Tip If you do not have enough room to place more objects on the block diagram, hold
down the <Ctrl> key and click the white space between the FTC Read Controller VI and
the Calculate Power from Joystick VI and drag the mouse sideways to add more space.

11. Wire the Button 5 output of the FTC Read Buttons VI to the s input of
the Select function.
12. Place a numeric constant, located on the NXT Programming»
Numeric palette, between the FTC Read Buttons VI and the Select
function.
13. Wire this numeric constant to the t input of the Select function and set
the value of the constant to 30.
14. Place another numeric constant between the FTC Read Buttons VI and
the Select function.
15. Wire this numeric constant to the f input of the Select function and set
the value of the constant to 100.
16. Delete the numeric constant that is wired to the Throttle input of the
Calculate Power from Joystick VI.
17. Wire the s? t:f output of the Select function to the Throttle input of the
Calculate Power from Joystick VI.

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 Chapter 5 Modifying the FTC Teleop Basic Program

The Select function returns the value of the t input when the value of s
is TRUE and returns the value of the f input when the value of s is
FALSE.
In this program, when button 5 on the game controller is pressed, the
Button 5 output of the FTC Read Buttons VI returns TRUE. The
Select function therefore returns the value of t, 30, to the Throttle
input of the Calculate Power from Joystick VI. When button 5 on the
game controller is not pressed, the Button 5 output of the FTC Read
Buttons VI returns FALSE. The Select function therefore returns the
value of f, 100, to the Throttle input of the Calculate Power from
Joystick VI. The value 30 specifies that the robot moves at 30% of the
normal speed. The value 100 specifies that the robot moves at 100% of
the normal speed.
18. Wire the NXT output of the FTC Read Buttons VI to the NXT input
of the Calculate Power from Joystick VI.

The block diagram of the VI should appear similar to the following figure.

© National Instruments Corporation 5-3 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 5 Modifying the FTC Teleop Basic Program

19. Save this program as TeleopStealth.vi in an easily accessible

location on the host computer. You can compare this program to the
FTCTeleopStealth.vi in the National Instruments\LabVIEW
2009\examples\FTC Toolkit\Template Implementations
directory.

Running the Program on the NXT Brick

After you update the template program, you can use the Run button on the
front panel window or block diagram window to run the program on the
NXT brick.

Complete the following steps to run the modified program on the NXT
brick.
1. Connect the NXT brick to the host computer through a USB
connection if the brick is not already connected through USB.
2. On the block diagram window, click the Run button to compile and run
this program on the NXT brick.
3. Follow the instructions in Chapter 4, Controlling the Robot with the
FTC Controller Station, to specify the FTCTeleopStealth VI as the
program to run in the Teleoperated mode. You then can move the robot
using the joysticks on a game controller and use button 5 of the game
controller as a stealth mode button.

Creating Controls for Motors and Servos

The FTC Teleop Basic program template contains the Motor
Configurations control, shown at left, which sends the names and
configurations of the motors to the TETRIX Move DC Motors VI. This
control is already built for you in the templates, but you can create this kind
of control for programs you build. The following exercises show you how
to create controls for the motors and servos on the robot.

Note You do not have to complete these exercises to use the FTC program templates.

You can use the TETRIX Motor Configurator, shown as follows, to specify
the names and configurations for the motors and servos on the robot. The
TETRIX Motor Configurator creates controls that contain the names and
configurations you specify. You then can use these controls in the programs
you build in LabVIEW.

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 Chapter 5 Modifying the FTC Teleop Basic Program

Note You want to create these controls before you develop the VIs to drive the robot so
that you can use the controls in the VIs you develop.

Specifying the Names of the Controls

Complete the following steps to specify the names of the controls for the
motors and servos. You create one control for all motors and one control
for all servos.
1. In the Getting Started window, click the Blank VI link to create
a new VI.
2. Select Tools»NXT Tools»TETRIX Motor Configurator to display
the TETRIX Motor Configurator. By default, the DC Motors page
appears.
3. Click the Browse button to specify the directory in which you want to
save the motor control. Save the control in the default data directory so
that the control appears on the Functions palette on the block diagram
window and the Controls palette on the front panel window.
4. Name the control RobotDCMotors.ctl and click the OK button.

© National Instruments Corporation 5-5 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 5 Modifying the FTC Teleop Basic Program

5. Click the Servos tab to display the Servos page in the TETRIX Motor
Configurator.
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to save a servo control called
RobotServoMotors.ctl.

Configuring the Controls

In the following sections, you will configure the control for the motors and
the control for the servos.

Configuring the Control for the Motors

Complete the following steps to configure the RobotDCMotors control.
1. On the DC Motors page, enter Left Drive in the first Motor Name
text field to specify the name of the first motor.
2. Place a checkmark in the Reverse checkbox for Left Drive. This
option specifies that Left Drive will move in the opposite direction
of the command you send to it.
3. Click the Add Motor button to add a second motor to the motor list.
4. Name the second motor Right Drive.
5. Select Motor 2 from the corresponding Motor pull-down menu to
specify that the Right Drive motor is connected to the Motor 2
terminals on the HiTechnic DC Motor Controller.
6. Add a third motor and name that motor Arm Manipulator.
7. Select Port 2 from the corresponding NXT Port pull-down menu to
specify that the Arm Manipulator motor is connected to port 2 on the
NXT brick.
8. Add a fourth motor and name that motor Wrist Manipulator.
9. Select Port 2 from the corresponding NXT Port pull-down menu to
specify that the Wrist Manipulator motor is connected to port 2 on the
NXT brick.
10. Select Motor 2 from the corresponding Motor pull-down menu to
specify that the Wrist Manipulator motor is connected to the Motor 2
terminals on the HiTechnic DC Motor Controller.
11. Click the Save button to save the motor names and configurations.

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 Chapter 5 Modifying the FTC Teleop Basic Program

Configuring the Control for the Servos

Complete the following steps to configure the RobotServoMotors control.
1. Click the Servos tab to display the Servos page in the TETRIX Motor
Configurator.
2. Name the first servo Left Gripper.
3. Select Controller 2 from the corresponding Servo Controller
pull-down menu to specify that Left Gripper is connected to channel 1
of servo controller 2.
4. Click the Add Servo button to add a second servo to the servo list.
5. Name the second servo Right Gripper.
6. Select Controller 2 from the corresponding Servo Controller
pull-down menu.
7. Select Channel 2 from the corresponding Servo Channel pull-down
menu to specify that Right Gripper is connected to channel 2 of servo
controller 2.
8. Click the Save button to save the servo names and configurations.
9. Click the OK button to close the TETRIX Motor Configurator.

After you create and save the controls, each control appears on the
Functions»TETRIX»Motor Configurations palette and the
Controls»Motor Configurations palette, shown as follows.

When you build programs in LabVIEW, you can drag the controls from
these palettes onto the block diagram window or front panel window. Then
wire the controls to the DC Motor or Servo inputs of TETRIX VIs to use
the names and configurations you specify in the TETRIX Motor
Configurator.

© National Instruments Corporation 5-7 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 5 Modifying the FTC Teleop Basic Program

Editing Existing Motor and Servo Controls

You also can edit existing motor and servo controls that you created with
the TETRIX Motor Configurator.

Complete the following steps to update an existing motor or servo control.

1. Click the Browse button in the TETRIX Motor Configurator and
navigate to the directory that contains the control you want to edit.
2. Select the control and click the OK button.
3. Edit the control in the TETRIX Motor Configurator.
4. Click the Save button to save the new configurations.
5. Click the OK button to close the TETRIX Motor Configurator. The
Apply Changes? dialog box appears and prompts you to update this
control in the VIs that use the control.
6. Click the Yes button and navigate to the directory that contains the VIs
that use this control.
7. Select all of the folders that contain the VIs that use this control.
8. Click the Current Folder button in the file dialog box. The TETRIX
Motor Configurator updates the control in all of the VIs you specify,
including VIs in subfolders.

Note Applying the changes to the VIs might take several minutes if the directory contains
a large number of VIs. Remove any unused VIs from the directory before you apply the
changes to speed up this process.

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Troubleshooting the Robot
6
In previous chapters, you built a robot that you can drive using a game
controller. However, at times, the robot might not work as you expect.
Table 6-1 describes common issues you might encounter when working
with the robot and solutions to address those issues.

Table 6-1. Common Programming Issues

Issue Solution
I cannot connect to the NXT brick using Shut down any programs running on the NXT brick
Bluetooth. before you try using Bluetooth to connect to the
NXT brick.
Ensure that the NXT brick is not connected to
another program using Bluetooth. For example, the
NXT brick cannot connect to the FTC Controller
Station using Bluetooth if the NXT brick is already
connected to LabVIEW using Bluetooth.
Ensure the NXT brick is within range of the
Bluetooth device. Bluetooth has a limited range of
approximately 50 feet.
Ensure Bluetooth is on and the Bluetooth icon is
visible on the NXT brick. If Bluetooth is on and
visible but you cannot connect to the NXT brick, try
power cycling the brick. Turn the NXT brick off,
turn the brick back on, and then try reconnecting to
the brick using Bluetooth. You also might need to
remove and reinsert the batteries in the NXT brick
before reconnecting to the brick.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-1 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting the Robot

Table 6-1. Common Programming Issues (Continued)

Issue Solution
I try to run the program on the NXT brick, Ensure that the 12V battery pack is plugged in and
but the robot is not responsive. that the power switch is turned to ON.
Ensure you have enough battery power on the NXT
brick. If you are using a rechargeable battery pack,
ensure the battery pack is fully charged. The battery
pack takes between five and six hours to charge.
When charging is complete, the red light on the
battery charger turns off.
You can monitor the battery voltage of the NXT
brick in the following ways.
• Use the FTC Robot Status VI to monitor the
battery voltage of the NXT brick and the 12V
battery pack connected to the robot. The FTC
Robot Status VI displays the battery voltage of the
NXT brick and of the battery pack at the bottom
of the NXT screen.
• Use the Read Sensor VI, located on the NXT
I/O palette, to monitor the battery voltage of the
NXT brick. Add the Read Sensor VI to the block
diagram and then select the Read Battery Level
instance from the pull-down menu on the VI.
• If you use TETRIX hardware on the robot, use
the Check Battery VI, located on the HiTechnic
palette, to monitor the battery voltage of the
motor and servo controllers.
Ensure the NXT brick is not in sleep mode. By
default, the NXT brick enters sleep mode after
10 minutes of inactivity. On the NXT brick, you can
set Sleep to Never to prevent the brick from
shutting down. Select Settings»Sleep and use the
left and right arrow buttons to select Never. Then
press the orange button on the NXT brick.
Ensure the game controllers are connected to the
host computer. If you unplug a game controller, you
must click the Refresh List button in the FIRST
Tech Challenge (FTC) Controller Station and
reselect the controller you want to use.

Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC 6-2 ni.com

 Chapter 6 Troubleshooting the Robot

Table 6-1. Common Programming Issues (Continued)

Issue Solution
I am trying to connect to the NXT brick from Connecting to the NXT brick from the FTC
the FTC Controller Station, but the FTC Controller Station for the first time can take up to
Controller Station cannot find the NXT one minute. Subsequent connections take less time.
brick.
Ensure you entered the correct name of the NXT
brick in the NXT Name text box in the FTC
Controller Station. This field is case sensitive.
Ensure the NXT brick is not in sleep mode. By
default, the NXT brick enters sleep mode after
10 minutes of inactivity. On the NXT brick, you can
set Sleep to Never to prevent the brick from
shutting down. Select Settings»Sleep and use the
left and right arrow buttons to select Never. Then
press the orange button on the NXT brick.
I accidentally unplugged a game controller Click the Refresh List button in the FTC Controller
but plugged it back in. Now the FTC Station and reselect the controller you want to use.
Controller Station does not recognize the
game controller.
The robot moves, but the motors do not turn Ensure that the motors are connected to the correct
in the correct direction. terminals on the HiTechnic Motor Controller.
You can check the motor configurations in the
following ways.
• Use TheMechanic VI, located in the National
Instruments\LabVIEW 2009\examples\
FTC Toolkit directory, to test the motor
configurations. Refer to Chapter 3, Building an
Electrical Control System for the Robot, for
information about TheMechanic VI.
• If you created motor controls in the TETRIX
Motor Configurator, ensure that you entered the
correct configurations for the motors and servos
on the robot.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-3 Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting the Robot

Table 6-1. Common Programming Issues (Continued)

Issue Solution
My VI runs on the host computer, but when Ensure that the NXT brick supports the VI you want
I target the VI to the NXT brick and click the to run. Refer to Chapter 1, Introduction, of the
Run button, I get a compiler error. LabVIEW LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT Module
Programming Guide for information about
LabVIEW objects that the NXT brick supports.
Access this guide by navigating to the
National Instruments\LabVIEW 2009\
manuals directory and opening
NXT_Advanced_Programming_Guide.pdf.

Getting Started with NI LabVIEW for FTC 6-4 ni.com