Digital Sidecar Status LED Meanings

[StephenB]

Please note that the content contained in this document is out-of-date for the current competition season. Please feel free to use it as a reference moving forward.

There is a green status LED at the bottom of the digital side car, directly to the right of the white plastic two pin connector. This LED is pictured in Figure 1. This LED can be used to monitor FRC system states.

When monitoring the robot status light (RSL) with the robot mounted BFL, make sure there is a jumper between Ya and Yb on the BFL. Without this jumper, the BFL will incorrectly flash different codes than the digital sidecar LED.

Figure 1

There are four states of this status LED, listed here in order of priority. If multiple occur, the highest one listed is what is displayed.

1. Fast Blink (200ms on / 200ms off) - System error: No driver's station communication, bad cRIO Image, bad team ID, extensive communication errors.
2. Steady on - Everything ok
3. Fast-Slow Blink (200ms on / 900ms off) - Low battery (<12 Volts) and system disabled either by system watchdog, user watchdog, or Driver's Station set to disabled
4. Slow Blink (900ms on / 900ms off) - System disabled

[1571]

What about if the light just stays off?

If anyone has an answer please post on this fourm it is a post I have put up.

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?p=25293&posted=1#post25293

[sciencewhiz]

Does the status LED work on module 6, or only on module 4?

[DAQjr]

The RSL on module 6 is not controlled by system software.  As a side effect, it could be controlled by user software.

[sciencewhiz]

At the LA regional, there was a team who's signal light did not flash the same as the digital sidecar status LED. Based on team update 18, I'd guess they did not have a jumper between Ya and Yb on the signal light. It might be usefull to add that information to this document.

[StephenB]

yeah I was there watching that happen with the team. team 599. I was very confused. I didn't realize the light would blink on its own without this jumper. Thanks!

[DAQjr]

New for 2010, there is an additional blink pattern.  Instead of solid on for both Auto Enabled and Teleop Enabled, Teleop Enable now shows a short-off pattern.  1500ms on, 100ms off.  This makes it more obvious which mode the robot is in.