Controlling a VMX-pi FRC Robot using the FRC Driver Station

Use the official FRC Driver Station software to remotely control your VMX-pi FRC Robot. Additionally, the WPI Library Dashboard tools (Shuffleboard and Smart Dashboard) can be used to provide additional displays of robot data.

Wifi AP Mode

If the VMX-pi Robot’s Raspberry Pi is configured in Wifi AP Mode, simply connect the Driver Station PC to the AP by specifying the Wifi Network SSID that was configured during Raspberry Pi Network Configuration for FRC.

FRC Driver Station connected to VMX-pi Robot in Wifi AP Mode

Then, enter the Team Number into the Driver Station as described in the official FRC Driver Station Documentation.

Note: Just as in official FRC Robot Programming, the network protocols used by the Driver Station must be enabled on your Driver Station PC. Therefore, firewalls and other tools may be need to be disabled to allow this communication. For more information on troubleshooting, see the official FRC Driver Station Troubleshooting Documentation.

Alternate Connectivity Approaches

Although the Wifi AP Mode is recommended, it’s also possible to control a VMX-pi FRC Robot using Ethernet Connectivity, or using Wireless Router Connectivity methods.

Ethernet (“tethered”) Connectivity

FRC Driver Station connected to VMX-pi Robot via Ethernet

If the VMX-pi Robot’s Raspberry Pi is configured for Ethernet Connectivity, enter the full Raspberry Ethernet IP Address (which should be 172.22.11.2) in the FRC Driver Station “Team Number” control and press ENTER. After this, you can verify connectivity to the Raspberry Pi on the Driver Station’s “Communications” Tab.

Wireless Router Connectivity

FRC Driver Station connected to VMX-pi Robot subnet provided by Wireless Router

If the VMX-pi Robot’s Raspberry Pi is configured in Wifi Client Mode, and the Driver Station PC is connected to the same Wifi Subnet, and if the Raspberry Pi’s Wifi IP Address is known, enter the full Raspberry Ethernet IP Address in the FRC Driver Station “Team Number” control and press ENTER. After this, you can verify connectivity to the Raspberry Pi on the Driver Station’s “Communications” Tab.

Next Steps

If you’ve successfully controlled your robot application from the Driver Station, congratulations! Next, you’ll likely want to review the IO Map, the Communication Port Map, and the Guides for accessing popular Devices.

If you’re having trouble, please review the Troubleshooting checklist.