To get started with VMX-pi software on the Raspberry Pi, select the System configuration, Software Development language and micro SD Card you’ll use:
System configuration
- Use VMX-pi to power an existing Raspberry Pi, and to access IMU data remotely over USB.
- Access VMX-pi features from Raspberry Pi
- Access VMX-pi features and also access WPI Libraries (for FRC) from a Raspberry Pi
- Access VMX-pi features and also access ROS Libraries from a Raspberry Pi
If you have selected option 1, access to VMX-pi’s IMU, Digital/Analog IO and Digital Communication resources is not required – and you can ignore the remaining contents of this page.
For all other configurations except 1, follow the directions below to enable your Raspberry Pi to access VMX-pi and Robot Library features.
Software Development language
For all but the first System configurations, you can select from the following programming languages:
- C++
- Java
- C#
- Python
Note that although the VMX-pi HAL support all of these languages, not all other libraries within the VMX Robotics Toolkit support all of these languages.
Micro SD Card
The Raspberry Pi 3 and Raspberry Pi Zero W require a micro SD Card (16GB or larger in size) to contain the Raspbian operating system and any other software tools and applications. Kauai Labs recommends a high quality micro such as the Samsung Evo Plus, as well as an adapter allowing the micro SD card to be accessed from a personal computer or laptop.
The Kauai Labs VMX Robotics Toolkit comes pre-installed on a 32GB Samsung Evo Plus micro SD Card, and is available at the Kauai Labs store.
Installing Raspberry Pi Raspbian Operating System
The currently-recommended Raspberry Pi Operating System is Raspbian Buster with Desktop, which may be manually installed using the image available at the Raspberry Pi Foundation.
The Kauai Labs VMX Robotics Toolkit 32GB Samsung Evo Plus micro SD Card includes Raspbian.
Configuring Raspberry Pi Development Software
After starting your Raspberry Pi and connecting to it either directly (by connecting keyboard and mouse to the USB port, or remotely (by connecting over ethernet via a remote desktop tool like VNC Viewer), Kauai Labs recommends the libraries and tools contained within the VMX Robotics Toolkit.
You can install these manually using the build script in the VMX Robotic Toolkit Advanced section, or purchase the pre-configured VMX Robotics Toolkit 32GB Samsung Evo Plus micro SD Card.
Configuring Raspberry Pi for FRC Competition
An excellent set of online instructions has been prepared detailing tips and techniques for preparing a Raspberry Pi for use in an FRC Competition.