Android Studio Guide
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RUGULUS JUSTINAndroid Studio Guide
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RUGULUS JUSTIN2022-2023 FIRST® Tech Challenge
Android Studio Guide
Electronics Setup to Programming
2 | FIRST® Tech Challenge Android Studio Guide Manual
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Thank you to our generous sponsors for your continued support of the FIRST® Tech Challenge!
FIRST® Tech Challenge Android Studio Guide
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Revision History
Revision Date Description
1 08/04/2022 V.1
Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
What is FIRST® Tech Challenge? ..................................................................................................................... 6
Gracious Professionalism® ................................................................................................................................ 6
1. Introduction to Android Studio..................................................................................................................... 7
2. The FTC Control System ............................................................................................................................ 7
2.1. About the FIRST Tech Challenge ...................................................................................................................... 7
2.2. Autonomous vs. Driver-Controlled ..................................................................................................................... 8
2.3. Point-to-Point Control System............................................................................................................................ 8
2.4. REV Robotics Expansion Hub ........................................................................................................................... 9
2.5. REV Robotics Control Hub .............................................................................................................................. 10
2.6. What's an Op Mode? ....................................................................................................................................... 10
3. Required Materials ................................................................................................................................... 11
4. Using Your Android Device ....................................................................................................................... 19
4.1. Unlocking Your Screen .................................................................................................................................... 19
4.2. Navigating in Android ...................................................................................................................................... 21
4.3. Displaying Available Apps on your Android Device .......................................................................................... 22
5. Configuring Your Android Devices ............................................................................................................ 24
5.1. What Needs to Be Configured for My Control System?.................................................................................... 24
5.2. Renaming Your Smartphones .......................................................................................................................... 25
5.3. Installing the FTC Apps ................................................................................................................................... 33
5.4. Placing Devices into Airplane Mode with Wi-Fi On........................................................................................... 41
5.5. Pairing the Driver Station to the Robot Controller ............................................................................................. 39
6. Connecting Devices to a Control or Expansion Hub .................................................................................. 52
6.1. Connecting 12V Power to the Hub ................................................................................................................... 52
6.2. Connecting a Motor to the Hub ........................................................................................................................ 55
6.3. Connecting a Servo to the Hub ........................................................................................................................ 56
6.4. Connecting a Color-Distance Sensor to the Hub .............................................................................................. 57
6.5. Connecting a Touch Sensor to the Hub ........................................................................................................... 59
7. Configuring Your Hardware ...................................................................................................................... 61
7.1. Before You Begin... ......................................................................................................................................... 61
7.2. Connecting an Android Smartphone to an Expansion Hub............................................................................... 61
7.3. Getting the Control Hub Ready ........................................................................................................................ 64
7.4. Creating a Configuration File Using the Driver Station ..................................................................................... 64
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7.5. Configuring a DC Motor ................................................................................................................................... 70
7.6. Configuring a Servo ......................................................................................................................................... 74
7.7. Configuring a Color Distance Sensor ............................................................................................................... 78
7.8. Configuring a Digital Touch Sensor ................................................................................................................. 83
7.9. Saving the Configuration Information ............................................................................................................... 86
8. Installing Android Studio ........................................................................................................................... 93
8.1.1.Android Developer Website............................................................................................................................ 93
8.2. System Requirements ..................................................................................................................................... 93
8.3. Java Development Kit ...................................................................................................................................... 93
8.4. Downloading and Installing Android Studio ...................................................................................................... 93
9. Disabling Android Studio Instant Run........................................................................................................ 95
9.1. Introduction...................................................................................................................................................... 95
9.2. Locating Instant Run Settings .......................................................................................................................... 95
9.3. Additional Information ...................................................................................................................................... 97
10. Downloading the Android Studio Project Folder ........................................................................................ 97
10.1.Downloading the Android Studio Project Folder .............................................................................................. 97
10.2.Extracting the Contents of the Archived Project File ........................................................................................ 99
10.3.Importing the FTC Project into Android Studio .............................................................................................. 102
11. Enabling Developer Options ................................................................................................................... 104
12. Creating and Running an Op Mode (Android Studio) .............................................................................. 105
12.1.TeamCode Module ....................................................................................................................................... 105
12.2.Javadoc Reference Information..................................................................................................................... 107
12.3.Enabling Auto Import .................................................................................................................................... 107
12.4.Sample Op Modes ........................................................................................................................................ 108
12.5.Creating Your FIRST Op Mode ..................................................................................................................... 109
12.6.Examining the Structure of Your Op Mode .................................................................................................... 111
12.7.Building and Installing Your Op Mode ........................................................................................................... 113
12.8.Running Your Op Mode ................................................................................................................................ 117
12.9.Modifying Your Op Mode to Control a Motor ................................................................................................. 121
12.10.Running Your Op Mode with a Gamepad Connected .................................................................................. 122
13. Controlling a Servo (Android Studio)....................................................................................................... 125
13.1.What is a Servo Motor? ................................................................................................................................ 125
13.2.Modifying Your Op Mode to Control a Servo ................................................................................................. 126
14. Using Sensors (Android Studio) .............................................................................................................. 129
14.1.Color-Distance Sensor .................................................................................................................................. 129
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14.2.Touch Sensor ............................................................................................................................................... 129
Appendix A – Resources ............................................................................................................................... 131
Game Forum Q&A ................................................................................................................................................ 131
Volunteer Forum ................................................................................................................................................... 131
FIRST Tech Challenge Game Manuals ................................................................................................................ 131
FIRST Headquarters Pre-Event Support ............................................................................................................... 131
FIRST Websites ................................................................................................................................................... 131
FIRST Tech Challenge Social Media .................................................................................................................... 131
Feedback.............................................................................................................................................................. 131
6 | FIRST® Tech Challenge Android Studio Guide
Introduction
What is FIRST® Tech Challenge?
FIRST® Tech Challenge is a student-centered program that focuses on giving students a unique and stimulating
experience. Each year, teams engage in a new game where they design, build, test, and program autonomous and
driver operated robots that must perform a series of tasks. Participants and alumni of FIRST programs gain access
to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and employers, and a place
in the FIRST community for life. To learn more about FIRST® Tech Challenge and other FIRST® Programs, visit
www.firstinspires.org.
Gracious Professionalism®
FIRST® uses this term to describe our programs’ intent.
Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value
of others, and respects individuals and the community.
Watch Dr. Woodie Flowers explain Gracious Professionalism in this short video.
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1. Introduction to Android Studio
This tutorial will take you step-by-step through the process of configuring, programming, and operating your
Control System. This tutorial uses Android Studio to help you get started programming your robot.
Android Studio is an advanced integrated development environment for creating Android apps. This tool is the
same tool that professional Android app developers use. Android Studio is only recommended for advanced
users who have extensive Java programming experience.
2. The FTC Control System
2.1. About the FIRST Tech Challenge
The FIRST Tech Challenge seeks to inspire youth to become the next generation of STEM leaders and
innovators through participation in mentor-guided robotics competition. Teams who participate in the FIRST Tech
Challenge must build a robot that performs a variety of tasks. The tasks vary from season to season and are
based on a set of game rules that are published at the start of each season. The more tasks that a robot can
complete, the more points a team will earn.
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(Photo courtesy of Dan Donovan, ©2017 Dan Donovan / www.dandonovan.com)
2.2. Autonomous vs. Driver-Controlled
A FIRST Tech Challenge match has an autonomous phase and a driver-controlled or "tele-operated" phase. In
the autonomous phase of a match the robot operates without any human input or control. In the driver-controlled
phase, the robot can receive input from up to two human drivers.
2.3. Point-to-Point Control System
The FIRST Tech Challenge uses Android devices to control its robots. During a competition, each team has two
Android devices.
One Android device is mounted onto the robot and is called the Robot Controller. The Robot Controller acts as the
“brains” of the robot. It does all of the thinking for the robot and tells the robot what to do. It consists of an Android
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device running an FTC Robot Controller app. There are two hardware options currently being used: REV Robotics
Expansion Hub or the REV Robotics Control Hub.
A second Android device sits with the team drivers and has one or two gamepads connected. This second device
is known as the Driver Station. The Driver Station is sort of like a remote control that you might use to control your
television. The Driver Station allows a team to communicate remotely (using a secure, wireless connection) to the
Robot Controller and to issue commands to the Robot Controller. The Driver Station consists of an Android device
running an FTC Driver Station app.
2.4. REV Robotics Expansion Hub
The REV Robotics Expansion Hub is the electronic input/output (or “I/O”) module that lets the Robot Controller
talk to the robot’s motors, servos, and sensors. The Robot Controller communicates with the Expansion Hub
through a serial connection. For the situation where an Android smartphone is used as the Robot Controller, a
USB cable is used to establish the serial connection. For the situation where a REV Robotics Control Hub is used,
an internal serial connection exists between the built-in Android device and the Expansion Hub.
The Expansion Hub is also connected to a 12V battery which is used to power the Expansion Hub, the motors,
the servos and sensors. If an Android smartphone is used as the Robot Controller, then the smartphone will have
its own independent battery. If a REV Robotics Control Hub is used as the Robot Controller, then the Control Hub
will use the main 12V battery to power its internal Android device.
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2.5. REV Robotics Control Hub
The Control Hub is an integrated version of the Robot Controller. It combines an Android device built into the
same case as a REV Robotics Expansion Hub.
The Control Hub, which has its built-in Android device connected directly to the Expansion Hub using an internal
serial bus, eliminates the need for an external USB connection between the Android Robot Controller and the I/O
module.
2.6. What's an Op Mode?
During a typical FIRST Tech Challenge match, a team’s robot has to perform a variety of tasks in an effort to
score points. For example, a team might want their robot to follow a white line on the competition floor and then
score a game element (such as a ball) into a goal autonomously during a match. Teams write “op modes” (which
stand for “operational modes”) to specify the behavior for their robot.
Op modes are computer programs that are used to customize the behavior of a competition robot. The Robot
Controller can execute a selected op mode to perform certain tasks during a match.
Teams who are participating in the FIRST Tech Challenge have a variety of programming tools that they can use
to create their own op modes. Teams can use a visual ("drag and drop") programming tool called the FTC Blocks
Programming Tool to create their op modes. Teams can also use a text-based Java tool known as the FTC OnBot
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Java Programming Tool or Google's Android Studio integrated development environment (also known as an
"IDE") to create their op modes.
3. Required Materials
This wiki contains tutorials that demonstrate how to configure, program, and operate the FTC control system. In
order to complete the tutorials, you will need to have the following materials available:
Required Item(s) Image
Two (2) FIRST-approved* Android
devices.
Or
One (1) Control Hub and one (1) FIRST-
Or...
approved* Android device for the Driver
Station.
*For a list of
FIRST-approved Android smartphones, refer to the current FTC Game Manual Part 1, rule
<RE06>.
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Required Item(s) Image
A Google account (available for free from
Google) to access the Google Play store.
Wireless Internet access.
Laptop with Microsoft Windows 7, 8 or 10
and Wi-Fi capability.
Note that your laptop should have the most
current service packs and system updates
from Microsoft.
If you are using a different type of machine
(such as a Chromebook, Android Tablet,
etc.) as your programming device, the
steps might differ slightly on how to access
the Programming Server on the Robot
Controller. Refer to your device's user
documentation for details on how to
connect to a Wi-Fi network.
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Required Item(s) Image
Javascript-enabled web browser (Google
Chrome is the recommended browser).
If you are using a smartphone as your
Robot Controller, you will also need a REV
Robotics Expansion Hub (REV-31-1153) to
connect to the motors, servos, and
sensors. Control Hub users will use the
integrated Expansion Hub.
REV Robotics Switch, Cable, & Bracket
(REV-31-1387).
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Required Item(s) Image
If you are using an approved 12V battery
that has an Tamiya connector (like the
Tetrix W39057 battery) you will need a
>REV Robotics Tamiya to XT30 Adapter
Cable (REV-31-1382).
If you have a REV Robotics Slim Battery
(REV-31-1302) then you will not need this
adapter since the REV battery already has
an XT30 connector.
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Or...
FIRST-approved* 12V Battery (such as
Tetrix W39057 or REV Robotics REV-31-
1302).
*For a list of
FIRST-approved 12V batteries, refer to the current FTC Game Manual Part 1, rule <RE03>.
Required Item(s) Image
FIRST-approved* 12V DC Motor (such as
Tetrix W39530, with power cable
W41352).
*For a list of
FIRST-approved 12V motors, refer to the current FTC Game Manual Part 1, rule <RE09>.
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REV Robotics Anderson to JST VH Cable
(REV-31-1381).
180-Degree Standard Scale Servo (such
as Hitec HS-485HB).
REV Robotics Color Sensor with 4-Pin
Cable (REV-31-1154).
REV Robotics Touch Sensor with 4-Pin
Cable (REV-31-1425).
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Required Item(s) Image
If you are using a smartphone as your
Robot Controller, you will need a USB
Type A male to type mini-B male cable.
Control Hub users do not need this cable.
If you are using a smartphone as your
Robot Controller, you will need two (2)
micro USB OTG adapters.
If you are using a Control Hub as your
Robot Controller, you will need one (1)
micro USB OTG adapter.
Logitech F310 USB Gamepad.
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4. Using Your Android Device
Before you get started with your control system, it is helpful if you familiarize yourself with the basic operation of
your Android device.
4.1. Unlocking Your Screen
When you first power on an Android phone, it usually starts off with the screen in a "locked" state. For the
Motorola smartphones that are used in the FIRST Tech Challenge, you must touch the locked screen and then
slide your finger upwards along the screen to unlock the phone. Note that different devices might require a slightly
different procedure to unlock the screen.
Depending on your security settings, you might be challenged for a pass code or PIN number. Use the touch
screen to enter in the pass code or PIN value and tap on the check mark to log into the device.
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4.2. Navigating in Android
Your phone should display its home screen if you just powered it on and unlocked it. Note that the actual screens
on your smartphone might differ slightly from the screens depicted in this tutorial.
At the bottom of the screen there should be some buttons that you can use to navigate the screens on your
Android device.
The leftmost button (see image above) is the "Back" button. You can use this button to return to the previous
screen on your Android device.
The center button is the "Home" button. Pressing this button should take you back to the home or opening screen
of your Android device.
The rightmost button is the "Recent Apps" button. If you click on this button it will display the apps that were
recently run and are dormant in the background. You can close a recent app by tapping the "X" button on the
app's listing.
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Note that some Android smartphones have an auto-hide feature which automatically hides the bottom navigation
buttons. If your smartphone has this feature, you might need to swipe up from the bottom of the screen to display
the navigation buttons.
4.3. Displaying Available Apps on your Android Device
4.3.1. Android Marshmallow Users
If you are using a device with Android Marshmallow (6.x) or earlier, you can display the available apps using the
Android App Drawer button that is available on the home screen.
There should be another row of buttons visible above the "Back", "Home" and "Recent Apps" buttons. In the
center of this row of buttons is a button that has an array of dots or squares.
Tapping on this button will launch the Android App Drawer. The App Drawer displays a list of all of the apps that
are available on your Android device. You can scroll through the App Drawer screens to find and launch an app.
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4.3.2. Android Nougat Users
If you are using a device with Android Nougat (7.x) or newer, you can display the available apps by simply
swiping upwards from the bottom of the touchscreen. Newer versions of Android no longer have the App Drawer
feature.
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5. Configuring Your Android Devices
5.1. What Needs to Be Configured for My Control System?
5.1.1. Control Hub Users
Teams who are using a Control Hub with the integrated Robot Controller will only need to configure a single
device (Driver Hub or phone) for use as a Driver Station. The process is as follows:
• Rename the smartphone to "<TEAM NUMBER>-DS" (where <TEAM NUMBER> is replaced by your team
number).
• Install the Driver Station app onto the Driver Station device.
• Put your device into Airplane Mode (with the WiFi radio still on).
• Pair (i.e., wirelessly connect) the Driver Station to the Control Hub.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Eventually the Control Hub will need be renamed so that its name complies with Game
Manual rule< RS01>, but for now we will use the Control Hub with its default name. You can learn how to manage
a Control Hub (and modify its name, password, etc.) in this tutorial.
5.1.2. Users with Two Android Devices and an Expansion Hub
Teams who have two Android devices and an Expansion Hub (not a Control Hub) will need to configure one
smartphone for use as a Robot Controller and a second device for use as a Driver Station. The process is as
follows,
• Rename one smartphone to "<TEAM NUMBER>-RC" (replace <TEAM NUMBER> with your team
number).
• Install the Robot Controller app onto the Robot Controller phone.
• Rename a second device to "<TEAM NUMBER>-DS" (where <TEAM NUMBER> is replaced by your team
number).
• Install the Driver Station app onto the Driver Station device.
• Put your phones into Airplane Mode (with the WiFi radios still on).
• Pair (i.e., wirelessly connect) the Driver Station to the Robot Controller.
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5.2. Renaming Your Smartphones
The official rules of the FIRST Tech Challenge (see <RS01>) require that you change the Wi-Fi name of your
device to include your team number and “-RC” if the phone is a Robot Controller or “-DS” if it is a Driver Station.
Ateam can insert an additional dash and a letter (“A”, “B”, “C”, etc.) if the team has more than one set of Android
devices.
If, for example, a team has a team number of 9999 and the team has multiple sets of phones/devices, the team
might decide to name one “9999-C-RC” for the Robot Controller and the other “9999-C-DS” for the Driver
Station. The “-C” indicates that these devices belong to the third set for this team.
NOTE: it will take an estimated 5 minutes per device to complete this task.
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Step Image
1. Browse the list of available apps on the device and locate
the Settings icon. Click on Settings icon to display the
Settings screen.
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Step Image
2. Click on Wi-Fi to launch the Wi-Fi screen.
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Step Image
3. Touch the three vertical dots to display a pop-up menu.
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Step Image
4. Select Advanced from the pop-up menu.
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Step Image
5. Select Wi-Fi Direct from the Advanced Wi-Fi screen.
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Step Image
6. Touch the three vertical dots to display a pop-up menu.
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Step Image
7. Select Configure Device from the pop-up menu.
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Step Image
8. Use touch pad to enter new name of device.
If the device will be a Robot Controller, specify
your team number and "-RC". If the device will be
a Driver Station, specify your team number and "-DS".
You can also set the Wi-Fi Direct inactivity
timeout to "Never disconnect" and then hit the
SAVE button to save your changes.
Note that in the screenshot shown to the right,
the team number is “9999”. The “-C” indicates
that this is from the third pair of devices for
this team. The “-RC” indicates that this device
will be a Robot Controller.
9. After renaming , power cycle the device.
5.3. Installing the FTC Apps
As of 2021, the FTC apps (v 6.1 and higher) are not available for Android Studio on Google Play. There are
two options for downloading the apps:
1. REV Hardware Client software
o Connect a REV Control Hub via WiFi.
o One Click update of all software on connected devices.
o Pre-download software updates without a connected device.
o Back up and restore user data from Control Hub.
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o Install and switch between DS and RC applications on Android Devices.
o Access the Robot Control Console on the Control Hub.
OR
2. Advanced users can use Android Studio with adb
• Install using “Unknown Sources” for devices running Android 7.1.1 or lower
• Install using “Install unknow apps” for devices running Android 8.0 and higher
The FTC app releases are available on the FTCRobotController Github.
NOTE: it will take an estimated 7.5 minutes per device to complete this task.
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Step Image
1. From the Android Wi-Fi screen look for the name of
your wireless network (“CE_NET” in this example) and
touch the wireless network name to log into the
network.
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Step Image
2. Specify the password using the touch keypad and
press CONNECT to connect to this wireless network.
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Step Image
3. Grant Google Chrome permission to install from
unknown sources:
a. Go to Settings, then Apps & notifications.
b. Select Advanced, then Special app access.
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Step Image
c. Install unknown apps, then select Chrome.
d. Allow access for Google Chrome
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Step Image
4. Uninstall the old application.
5. Download the desired FTC app from the
FtcRobotController GitHub repository
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Step Image
7. After you have successfully installed the app, you
should
forget the external wireless network on your phone.
Go to the Android Wi-Fi screen, find the name of the
currently connected network, and tap on the network
name
to bring up a pop-up box with info about the network.
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Step Image
8. Click on the FORGET button to forget the wireless
network.
5.4. Placing Devices into Airplane Mode with Wi-Fi On
For the FIRST Tech Challenge competitions, it is important that you place your Robot Controller and Driver
Station into Airplane mode but keep their Wi-Fi radios turned on if you are using smartphones. This is
important because you do not want any of the cellular telephone functions to be enabled during a match. The
cellular telephone functions could disrupt the function of the robot during a match.
NOTE: it will take an estimated 2.5 minutes per phone to complete this task. Also note that the screens
displayed on your Android devices might differ slightly from the images contained in this wiki.
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Step Image
1. On the main Android screen of each smartphone, use
your finger to slide from the top of the screen down
towards the bottom of the screen to display the quick
configuration screen.
Note that for some smartphones you might have to swipe
down more than once to display the quick configuration
screen, particularly if there are messages or notifications
displayed at the top of your screen.
Look for the Airplane mode icon (which is shaped like an
airplane) and if the icon is not activated, touch the icon
to put the phone into airplane mode.
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Step Image
2. Placing the phone into airplane mode will turn off
the Wi-Fi radio. If the Wi-Fi icon has a diagonal line
through it (see Step 1 above), then the Wi-Fi radio is
disabled. You will need to touch the Wi-Fi icon on the
quick configuration screen to turn the Wi-Fi radio back
on.
5.5. Pairing the Driver Station to the Robot Controller
5.5.1. Control Hub Users
The REV Robotics Control Hub should come with the Robot Controller app pre-installed. Once you have
successfully installed the FTC Driver Station on an Android device, you will want to establish a secure wireless
connection between the Control Hub and the Driver Station. This connection will allow your Driver Station
device to select op modes on your Robot Controller and send gamepad input to these programs. Likewise, it
will allow your op modes running on your Robot Controller to send telemetry data to your Driver Station device
where it can be displayed for your drivers. The process to connect the two devices is known as “pairing.”
NOTE: the Control Hub does not have its own internal battery. Before you can connect a Driver Station to the
Control Hub, you must connect the Control Hub to a 12V battery.
Gracious Professionalism® - “Doing your best work while treating others with respect and kindness - It’s what makes FIRST, first.”
40 | FIRST® Tech Challenge Android Studio Guide
Also note that it will take an estimated 10 minutes to complete this task.
Step Image
1. Connect an approved 12V battery to
the power
switch (REV-31-1387) and make sure the
switch
is in the off position. Connect the switch
to an XT30
port on the Control Hub and turn the
switch on.
The LED should initially be blue on the
Control Hub.
2. It takes approximately 18 seconds for
the
Control Hub to power on. The Control
Hub is
ready to pair with the Driver Station when
the LED turns green.
Note: the light blinks blue every ~5
seconds
to indicate that the Control Hub is
healthy.
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Step Image
3. On the Driver Station device, browse
the available apps and locate the FTC
Driver Station
icon. Tap on the icon to launch the Driver
Station app.
Note that the first time you launch the
app
your Android device might prompt you for
permissions that the app will need to run
properly.
Whenever prompted, press Allow to
grant
the requested permission.
Gracious Professionalism® - “Doing your best work while treating others with respect and kindness - It’s what makes FIRST, first.”
42 | FIRST® Tech Challenge Android Studio Guide
Step Image
4. Touch the three vertical dots on the
upper right-hand corner of the main
screen of the FTC Driver
Station app. This will launch a pop-up
menu.
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Step Image
5. Select Settings from the pop-up
menu.
Gracious Professionalism® - “Doing your best work while treating others with respect and kindness - It’s what makes FIRST, first.”
44 | FIRST® Tech Challenge Android Studio Guide
Step Image
6. From the Settings screen, select
Pairing Method
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Step Image
7. Touch the words Control Hub to pair
with the Driver Station.
Gracious Professionalism® - “Doing your best work while treating others with respect and kindness - It’s what makes FIRST, first.”
46 | FIRST® Tech Challenge Android Studio Guide
Step Image
8. From the Settings screen, select
Pair with Robot Controller.
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Step Image
9. From Pair with Robot Controller
screen, press the Wifi Settings to
launch the device's Android Wifi Settings
screen.
Gracious Professionalism® - “Doing your best work while treating others with respect and kindness - It’s what makes FIRST, first.”
48 | FIRST® Tech Challenge Android Studio Guide
Step Image
10. Select WiFi, then select the correct
network.
If this is the first time you are connecting
to the Control Hub, then the default
network
name should begin with the prefix "FTC-"
("FTC-1Ybr" in this example).
The default network name should be
listed on a sticker
attached to the bottom side of the Control
Hub.
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Step Image
11. When prompted, specify the
password for the Control Hub's WiFi
network and press
Connect to the Hub.
Note: Default password for the Control
Hub network is "password".
Also note that when you connect to the
Control Hub's WiFi network successfully,
the
Driver Station will not have access to
the Internet.
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Step Image
12. After you successfully connected to
the Hub, use the back arrow to navigate
to the previous screen. You should see
the name of the WiFi network listed
under "Current Robot Controller:". Use
the back-arrow
key to return to the Settings screen.
Then press the back-arrow key one more
time to return to the main Driver Station
screen.
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Step Image
13. Verify that the Driver Station screen
has
changed and that it now indicates that it
is connected
to the Control Hub.
The name of the Control Hub's WiFi
network
(“FTC-1Ybr” in this example) should be
displayed in the
Network field on the Driver Station.
5.5.2. Users with Two Android Smartphones
Important Note: If your Driver Station was previously paired to a Control Hub, and you currently would like to
connect to an Android smartphone Robot Controller, then before attempting to pair to the Robot Controller, you
should forget the Wi-Fi network for the previous Control Hub (using the Android Wifi Settings screen on the
Driver Station) and then power cycle the Driver Station phone. If the previous Control Hub is powered on and if
you haven't forgotten this network, then the Driver Station might try and connect to the Control Hub and might
be unable to connect to the Robot Controller smartphone.
Once you have successfully installed the FTC apps onto your Android phones, you will want to establish a
secure wireless connection between the two devices. This connection will allow your Driver Station phone to
select op modes on your Robot Controller phone and send gamepad input to these programs. Likewise, it will
allow your op modes running on your Robot Controller phone to send telemetry data to your Driver Station
phone where it can be displayed for your drivers. The process to connect the two phones is known as “pairing.”
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Note: It will take an estimated 10 minutes to complete this task.
6. Connecting Devices to a Control or Expansion Hub
This section explains how to connect a motor, a servo, and some sensors to your REV Robotics Control Hub
or REV Robotics Expansion Hub. While the Control Hub differs from the Expansion Hub because of its built in
Android device, the layout of the external motor, servo, and sensor ports are identical for the Control Hub and
Expansion Hub.
The images in this section use an Expansion Hub to demonstrate how to connect the devices. The process,
however, is identical for a Control Hub.
When the instructions in this section use the word "Hub", they are referring to a Control Hub or Expansion Hub.
6.1. Connecting 12V Power to the Hub
The Hub draws power from a 12V rechargeable battery. For safety reasons, the battery has a 20A fuse built in.
A mechanical switch is used to turn on/turn off the power.
Note: that it will take an estimated 5 minutes to complete this task.
Connecting 12V Power to the Hub
1. If your 12V battery has a Tamiya style connector, connect the Tamiya to XT30 adapter cable to the
matching end of the switch cable.
Important Note: Do not connect the 12V battery to the Tamiya adapter yet. We will connect the battery
during a later step.
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Connecting 12V Power to the Hub
2. Connect the other end of the switch cable to a matching XT30 port on the Hub.
3. Verify that the switch is in the OFF position.
4. Connect the 12V battery to the Tamiya to XT30 cable.
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Connecting 12V Power to the Hub
5. Turn on the switch and verify that the Hub is drawing power from the battery. Note that the Hub’s LED
should be illuminated (notice the blue LED in upper right-hand corner of the Hub in the image below).
6. Turn off the switch and verify that the Hub is off. Note that the Hub’s LED should not be illuminated.
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Connecting 12V Power to the Hub
6.2. Connecting a Motor to the Hub
The Hub can drive up to four (4) 12V DC motors per Hub. The Hub uses a type of electrical connector known
as a 2-pin JST VH connector. Many of the FIRST-approved 12V DC motors are equipped with Anderson
Powerpole connectors. An adapter cable can be used to connect the Anderson Powerpole connectors to the
Hub motor port (see FIRST Tech Challenge Robot Wiring Guide for more information).
For the examples in this wiki, FIRST recommends that the user build a simple rig to secure the motor in place
and prevent it from moving about during the test runs. The image above shows a Tetrix motor installed in a rig
built with a Tetrix motor mount and some Tetrix C-channels. A gear was mounted on the motor shaft to make it
easier for the user to see the rotation of the shaft.
Note that it will take an estimated 2.5 minutes to complete this task.
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Connecting a 12V Motor to the Hub
1. Connect the Anderson Powerpole end of the motor’s power cable to the Powerpole end of the Anderson
to JST VH adapter cable.
2. Connect the other end of the Anderson to JST VH adapter cable into the motor port labeled “0” on the
Hub.
6.3. Connecting a Servo to the Hub
The Hub has 6 built-in servo ports. The servo ports accept the standard 3-wire header style connectors
commonly found on servos. Note that ground pin is on the left side of the servo port.
Note that it will take an estimated 2.5 minutes to complete this task.
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Connecting a Servo to the Hub
1. Connect the servo cable to the servo port labeled “0” on the Hub. Note that the ground pin is on the left
side of the servo port.
2. Verify that the black ground wire of the servo cable matches the ground pin of the servo port (which is
aligned on the left side of the port).
6.4. Connecting a Color-Distance Sensor to the Hub
The Hub has 4 independent I2C buses. Each bus has its own port on the Hub. We will connect a REV
Robotics Color-Distance sensor to the I2C bus #0 on the Hub.
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Note: that it will take an estimated 2.5 minutes to complete this task.
Connecting a Color-Distance Sensor to the Hub
1. Connect the one end of the 4-pin JST PH cable to the REV Robotics Color-Distance sensor.
2. Plug the other end of the 4-pin JST PH cable to the I2C port labeled “0” on the Hub.
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Connecting a Color-Distance Sensor to the Hub
6.5. Connecting a Touch Sensor to the Hub
The Hub has 4 independent digital input/output (I/O) ports. Each port has two digital I/O pins for a total of 8
digital I/O pins on a Hub. You will connect a REV Robotics Touch sensor to one of the digital I/O ports.
Note that in the case of the REV Robotics Touch Sensor, the device has a connector port for a 4-pin sensor
cable. However, the device only needs to connect to one of the two available digital I/O pins. For the REV
Robotics Touch Sensor, the second digital I/O pin in the port is the one that gets connected when a standard
REV Robotics 4-pin JST PH cable is used. For the “0-1” port, it is the pin labeled “1” that gets connected
through the 4-pin cable. Similarly, for the “2-3” port, it is the pin labeled “3” that gets connected through the 4-
pin cable.
Note that it will take an estimated 2.5 minutes to complete this task.
Connecting a Touch Sensor to the Hub
1. Connect the one end of the 4-pin JST PH cable to the REV Robotics Touch sensor.
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Connecting a Touch Sensor to the Hub
2. Plug the other end of the 4-pin JST PH cable to digital I/O port labeled “0-1” on the Hub.
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7. Configuring Your Hardware
7.1. Before You Begin...
Before you can communicate with the motor, servo and sensors that are connected to the Control Hub or
Expansion Hub, you first must create a configuration file on your Robot Controller, so that the Robot Controller
will know what hardware is available on the Control Hub's or Expansion Hub's external ports.
7.2. Connecting an Android Smartphone to an Expansion Hub
If you are using an Android smartphone as a Robot Controller, you must physically connect the Robot
Controller smartphone to the Expansion Hub using a USB cable and an On-The-Go (OTG) adapter. Also, you
should verify that the Driver Station is currently paired to the Robot Controller.
Connecting an Android Smartphone to an Expansion Hub
1. Power on the Expansion Hub by turning on the power switch.
2. Plug the Type B Mini end of the USB cable into the USB mini port on the Expansion Hub.
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Connecting an Android Smartphone to an Expansion Hub
3. Plug the Type A end of the USB cable into the OTG adapter.
4. Verify that your Robot Controller smartphone is powered on and unlocked. Plug in the USB Micro OTG
adapter into the OTG port of the Robot Controller phone.
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Connecting an Android Smartphone to an Expansion Hub
Note that when the OTG adapter is plugged into the smartphone, the phone will detect the presence of the
Expansion Hub and launch the Robot Controller app.
5. The first time you connect the Robot Controller smartphone to the Expansion Hub, the Android operating
system should prompt you to ask if it is OK to associate the newly detected USB device (which is the Expansion
Hub) with the FTC Robot Controller app.
Important Information!
You might be prompted multiple times to associate the USB hardware with the FTC Robot Controller. Whenever
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Connecting an Android Smartphone to an Expansion Hub
you are prompted by your phone with this message, you should always select the “Use by default for this USB
device” option and hit the “OK” button to associate the USB device with the FTC Robot Controller app.
If you fail to make this association, then the Robot Controller app might not reliably connect to this Expansion
Hub the next time you turn your system on.
7.3. Getting the Control Hub Ready
If you are using a Control Hub, you do not need to make any additional connections. You simply need to make
sure that the Control Hub is powered on and paired to the Driver Station.
7.4. Creating a Configuration File Using the Driver Station
Although the configuration file needs to reside on the Robot Controller, for this tutorial we will use the Driver
Station app to create the configuration file remotely. The Driver Station can be used to create a configuration
file for a Control Hub or for an Android smartphone Robot Controller.
Creating a Configuration File on the Robot Controller using the Driver Station
1. Touch the three vertical dots in the upper right hand corner of the Driver Station app. This will launch a pop-
up menu.
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Creating a Configuration File on the Robot Controller using the Driver Station
2. Select Configure Robot from the pop up menu to display the Configuration screen.
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Creating a Configuration File on the Robot Controller using the Driver Station
3. If your Robot Controller does not have any existing configuration files, the screen will display a message
indicating that you need to create a file before proceeding.
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Creating a Configuration File on the Robot Controller using the Driver Station
Hit the New button to create a new configuration file for your Robot Controller.
4. When the new configuration screen appears, the Robot Controller app will do a scan of the serial bus to see
what devices are connected to the Robot Controller.
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Creating a Configuration File on the Robot Controller using the Driver Station
It will display the devices that it found in a list underneath the words “USB Devices in configuration.” You should
see an entry that says something like “Expansion Hub Portal 1” in the list.
Your Expansion Hub is listed as a Portal because it is directly connected to the Robot Controller phone through
the USB cable or in the case of the Control Hub through the internal serial bus.
If you do not see your Expansion Hub Portal listed and you are using a smartphone as a Robot Controller,
check the wired connections to make sure they are secure and then press the Scan button one or two times
more to see if the smartphone detects the device on a re-scan of the USB bus.
5. Touch the Portal listing (“Expansion Hub Portal 1” in this example) to display what Expansion Hubs are
connected through this Portal.
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Creating a Configuration File on the Robot Controller using the Driver Station
Since we only have a single Expansion Hub connected, we should only see a single Expansion Hub configured
(“Expansion Hub 2” in this example).
6. Touch the Expansion Hub listing (“Expansion Hub 2” in this example) to display the Input/Output ports for that
device.
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Creating a Configuration File on the Robot Controller using the Driver Station
The screen should change and list all the motor, servo and sensor ports that are available on the selected
Expansion Hub.
7.5. Configuring a DC Motor
Now that you've created a file, you will need to add a DC Motor to the configuration file.
Important Note: At this point, although you have created your configuration file, you have not yet saved its
contents to the Robot Controller. You will save the configuration file in a later step.
Configuring a DC Motor
1. Touch the word Motors on the screen to display the Motor Configuration screen.
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Configuring a DC Motor
2. Since we installed our motor onto port #0 of the Expansion Hub, use the dropdown control for port 0 to select
the motor type (Tetrix Motor for this example).
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Configuring a DC Motor
3. Use the touch screen keypad to specify a name for your motor (“motorTest” in this example).
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Configuring a DC Motor
4. Press the Done button to complete the motor configuration. The app should return to the previous screen.
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Configuring a DC Motor
7.6. Configuring a Servo
You will also want to add a servo to the configuration file. In this example, you are using a standard 180-
degree servo.
Configuring a Servo
1. Touch on the word Servos on the screen to display the Servo Configuration screen.
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Configuring a Servo
2. Use the dropdown control to select “Servo” as the servo type for port #0.
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Configuring a Servo
3. Use the touch pad to specify the name of the servo (“servoTest” for this example) for port #0.
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Configuring a Servo
4. Press the Done button to complete the servo configuration. The app should return to the previous screen.
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Configuring a Servo
7.7. Configuring a Color Distance Sensor
The REV Robotics Color Distance Sensor is an I2C sensor. It actually combines two sensor functions into a
single device. It is a color sensor, that can determine the color of an object. It is also a distance or range
sensor, that can be used to measure short range distances. Note that in this tutorial, the word "distance" is
used interchangeably with the word "range".
Configuring a Color Distance Sensor
1. Touch the words I2C Bus 0 on the screen to launch the I2C configuration screen for this I2C bus.
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Configuring a Color Distance Sensor
The Expansion Hub has four independent I2C buses, labeled “0” through “3”. In this example, since you
connected the Color Sensor to the port labeled “0”, it resides on I2C Bus 0.
2. Look at the I2C Bus 0 screen. There should already be a sensor configured for this bus. The Expansion Hub
has its own built-in inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor. This sensor can be used to determine the
orientation of a robot, as well as measure the accelerations on a robot.
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Configuring a Color Distance Sensor
The built-in IMU is internally connected to I2C Bus 0 on each Expansion Hub. Whenever you configure an
Expansion Hub using the Robot Controller, the app automatically configures the IMU for I2C Bus 0. You will
need to add another I2C device for this bus to be able to configure the color sensor.
3. Press the Add button to add another I2C device to this bus.
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Configuring a Color Distance Sensor
4. Select “REV Color/Range Sensor” from the dropdown selector for this new device. Use the touchscreen
keyboard to name this device “sensorColorRange”.
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Configuring a Color Distance Sensor
5. Press the Done button to complete the I2C sensor configuration. The app should return to the previous
screen.
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Configuring a Color Distance Sensor
7.8. Configuring a Digital Touch Sensor
The REV Robotics Touch Sensor is a digital sensor. An Op Mode can query the Touch Sensor to see if its
button is being pressed or not.
Configuring a Digital Touch Sensor
1. Touch the words Digital Devices on the screen to launch the Digital I/O configuration screen.
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Configuring a Digital Touch Sensor
2. Use the touch screen to add a “REV Touch Sensor” for port #1 and name the device “testTouch”.
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Configuring a Digital Touch Sensor
Notice that we are configuring the Touch Sensor on port #1 instead of port #0. This is because when the REV
Robotics Touch Sensor is connected to a digital port using a standard 4-wire JST sensor cable, it is the second
digital pin that is connected. The first pin remains disconnected.
3. Press the Done button to return to the previous screen.
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Configuring a Digital Touch Sensor
7.9. Saving the Configuration Information
Once you have configured your hardware, you must save the information to the configuration file. If you do not
save this information, it will be lost and the robot controller will be unable to communicate with your hardware.
Saving the Configuration Information
1. Press the Done button to go up one level in the configuration screens.
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2. Press the Done button again to return to the highest level in the configuration screens.
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Saving the Configuration Information
3. Press the Save button.
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4. When prompted, specify a configuration file name using the touchscreen’s keypad (use “TestConfig” for this
example).
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Saving the Configuration Information
5. Press the OK button to save your configuration information using that file name.
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Saving the Configuration Information
6. After the configuration file has been saved, touch the Android back-arrow button to return to the main screen
of the app.
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Saving the Configuration Information
7. Verify that the configuration file is the active configuration file on the main Driver Station screen.
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Saving the Configuration Information
8. Installing Android Studio
8.1.1. Android Developer Website
Android Studio is distributed freely by Google, and the most up-to-date reference for installing and using the
Android Studio software can be found on the Android developer website:
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
Android Studio is available on the Windows, MacOS, and Linux operating systems.
8.2. System Requirements
Before you download and install the Android Studio you should first check the list of system requirements on
the Android developer’s website to verify that your system satisfies the list of minimum requirements:
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html#Requirements
8.3. Java Development Kit
Earlier versions of Android Studio required that the user install the Java Development Kit software separately.
Current versions of Android Studio incorporate the Java development software as part of the entire install
package. It is no longer necessary (or recommended) to install the Java Development Kit separately. Instead, it
is recommended that you use the Java Development Kit that is included with Android Studio.
8.4. Downloading and Installing Android Studio
Once you have verified that your laptop satisfies the minimum system requirements, you can go to the Android
developer’s website to download and install Android Studio:
https://developer.android.com/studio/index.html
Click on the green “DOWNLOAD ANDROID STUDIO” button to start the download process.
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Accept the license terms and then push the blue “DOWNLOAD ANDROID STUDIO” button on the Android
Developer webpage to download the software.
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Once the setup package has downloaded, launch the application and follow the on-screen instructions to install
Android Studio.
9. Disabling Android Studio Instant Run
9.1. Introduction
If you are an Android Studio user, one of the most important steps to take is to disable Android Studio
Instant Run. Instant Run is a feature that is designed to streamline the development process by reducing the
time to apply code changes to your app. Unfortunately, Instant Run is limited in function and when used with
the FIRST Tech Challenge Android Studio project folder, can cause severe and difficult-to-troubleshoot
problems.
Teams who use Android Studio must disable Instant Run.
9.2. Locating Instant Run Settings
When you first launch Android Studio a Welcome screen should appear. You can navigate to the Instant Run
Settings from this Welcome screen by selecting the "Configure->Settings" item from the "Configure" dropdown
list in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
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On the left hand side of the Settings window, there should be a category called "Build, Execution,
Deployment". Within this category, click on the "Instant Run" subcategory to display the Instant Run settings for
your Android Studio installation. By default, Instant Run is enabled when you first install Android Studio.
Uncheck the "Enable Instant Run to hot swap code/resource changes on deploy (default enabled)" option and
then click on the "OK" button to disable Instant Run.
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9.3. Additional Information
The Google Android Developer website has additional information about Instant Run. It also has instructions
on how to disable this feature:
https://developer.android.com/studio/run/index.html#disable-ir
10. Downloading the Android Studio Project Folder
10.1. Downloading the Android Studio Project Folder
The FTC SDK can be downloaded from a GitHub repository. GitHub is a web-based version control company
that lets individuals and organizations host content online. In order to access the FTC software, you will need
to have a GitHub account. You can create one for free by visiting the GitHub website:
https://github.com/
For the 2019-2020 season and beyond, each new FIRST Tech Challenge season has its own unique public
GitHub repository.
The current season's public repository can be found at the following address:
https://github.com/FIRST-Tech-Challenge/SkyStone
Important Note for Advanced GitHub Users: This tutorial assumes that the user is a novice with respect to
using GitHub and the git version control software. If you are a GitHub power user, you can use git to clone a
local copy of the current season's public GitHub repository. This document, however, does not explain how to
use git to access the repository. It provides instructions on downloading the repository as a .ZIP file instead.
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From the main repository web page, click on the “releases” link to jump to the Releases page for the
repository. The Releases page should list the available software releases for the repository. The latest release
should be displayed near the top of the page.
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Each software release should include an Assets section that you can use to download the software that you
will need to program your robot. Note that you might have to click on the triangular symbol to expand this
Assets section.
Click on the Source code (zip) link to download the compressed Android Studio project folder.
10.2. Extracting the Contents of the Archived Project File
Once you have downloaded the archived (.ZIP) project file you can move this file to the location of your choice.
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Before you can import the FTC project into Android Studio, you must first extract the contents of the archived
project file. For Windows users, right mouse click on the file and select “Extract All” from the pop up menu.
Windows should prompt you to select a destination for the extracted project folder. The dialog that appears
should look similar to the one show in the figure below.
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Highlight the suggested name for the destination folder (in the figure above, the suggested name is “SkyStone-
5.0”) and change the destination folder name into something more user friendly. In this example, we will
change the name of the destination folder to “mycopy”.
After you have renamed the destination folder, extract the contents of the archive to the folder. After the
extraction process is complete, verify that the project folder was successfully extracted to its target destination.
Once you have successfully extracted the contents of the archived file, you are ready to import the FTC project
into Android Studio.
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10.3. Importing the FTC Project into Android Studio
In order to import the FTC Project, you will need to launch the Android Studio software on your computer. On
the main Android Studio Welcome screen, select the option to “Import project (Eclipse, ADT, Gradle, etc.)” to
begin the import process.
Android Studio should prompt you to select the project folder that you would like to import. Use the file browser
in the pop up dialog box to locate and then select the folder that you extracted in an section of this document.
Make sure you select the extracted project folder (and not the .ZIP file which might have a similar name to the
extracted folder). Hit the “OK” button to import the selected project into Android Studio.
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In the figure above the project folder called “SkyStone-5.0” is selected to be imported into Android Studio. It
might take Android Studio several minutes to import the project. Once the project has been successfully
imported, the screen should look similar to the one depicted in the image below.
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11. Enabling Developer Options
After you have configured your Android phone, you will also have to make sure that your phone is in developer
mode before you will be able to install apps onto the phone using the tools that are included with Android
Studio.
Important Note for Control Hub Users: The Control Hub has Developer Options automatically enabled from
the factory, so you do NOT need to do this step for your Control Hub.
The Android Developer website contains information on how to enable Developer Options onto your phone. If
you visit the following link and read the section entitled “Enabling On-device Developer Options” you will see
that you can enable Developer Options on you Android phone by going to Settings->About phone on the
phone, and then tapping the Build number seven times.
https://developer.android.com/studio/run/device.html#device-developer-options
In order to be able to use the Android Studio tools to install apps onto your phone, you will need to make sure
that the Developer Options and USB debugging are enabled for both of your phones.
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When you first connect a phone to your computer with Android Studio running, the phone might prompt you if it
is OK to allow the computer to have USB debugging access to the phone. If this happens, make sure that you
check the “Always allow from this computer” option and hit the OK button to allow USB debugging.
12. Creating and Running an Op Mode (Android Studio)
12.1. TeamCode Module
If you successfully imported the FTC Android Studio project folder, you will see on the project browser an
Android module named "TeamCode". The FTC Android Studio project folder will be used to build a version of
the FTC Robot Controller app that includes the custom op modes that you will write to control your competition
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robot.
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When you create your classes and op modes, you will to create them in the org.firstinspires.ftc.teamcode
package that resides in the TeamCode module. This package is reserved for your use within the FTC Android
Studio project folder.
12.2. Javadoc Reference Information
The Javadoc reference documentation for the FTC SDK is available online. Visit the following URL to view the
FTC SDK documentation:
http://ftctechnh.github.io/ftc_app/doc/javadoc/index.html
12.3. Enabling Auto Import
The auto import feature of Android Studio is a convenient function that helps save time as you write your op
mode. If you would like to enable this feature, select the Editor->General->Auto Import item from the Android
Studio Settings screen. This will display the editor's auto import settings.
Check the "Add unambiguous imports on the fly" so that Android Studio will automatically add the required
import statements for classes that you would like to use in your op mode.
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12.4. Sample Op Modes
A great way to learn how to program a robot is to examine the sample op modes that are included with the
FTC Android Studio project folder. You can locate these files in the FtcRobotController module in the package
"org.firstinspires.ftc.robotcontroller.external.samples".
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If you would like to use a sample op mode, copy it from the
"org.firstinspires.ftc.robotcontroller.external.samples" package and move it to the
"org.firstinspires.ftc.teamcode".
In your newly copied op mode, look for the following annotation,
@Disabled
and comment out this line to enable the op mode and allow it to be run on the Robot Controller:
//@Disabled
12.5. Creating Your FIRST Op Mode
Right mouse click on the "org.firstinspires.ftc.teamcode" package and select New->Java Class from the pop-up
menu. The Create New Class dialog box appear. Specify the name of the new class as
"MyFIRSTJavaOpMode" and specify as its superclass the class LinearOpMode which is in the package
"com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode".
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Press the OK button to create the new class. The source code for the new class should appear in the editing
pane of the Android Studio user interface.
Modify the main portion of your op mode so that it looks like the following code (note that the package
definition and some import statements have been omitted in the following source code):
@TeleOp
public class MyFIRSTJavaOpMode extends LinearOpMode {
private Gyroscope imu;
private DcMotor motorTest;
private DigitalChannel digitalTouch;
private DistanceSensor sensorColorRange;
private Servo servoTest;
@Override
public void runOpMode() {
imu = hardwareMap.get(Gyroscope.class, "imu");
motorTest = hardwareMap.get(DcMotor.class, "motorTest");
digitalTouch = hardwareMap.get(DigitalChannel.class, "digitalTouch");
sensorColorRange = hardwareMap.get(DistanceSensor.class, "sensorColorRange");
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servoTest = hardwareMap.get(Servo.class, "servoTest");
telemetry.addData("Status", "Initialized");
telemetry.update();
// Wait for the game to start (driver presses PLAY)
waitForStart();
// run until the end of the match (driver presses STOP)
while (opModeIsActive()) {
telemetry.addData("Status", "Running");
telemetry.update();
}
}
}
We will use this source code as the framework for your first op mode. Note that Android Studio automatically
saves your source code as you are editing it.
Congratulations! You've written an op mode. It does not do much, but we will modify it to make it more useful.
12.6. Examining the Structure of Your Op Mode
It can be helpful to think of an op mode as a list of tasks for the Robot Controller to perform. For a linear op
mode, the Robot Controller will process this list of tasks sequentially. Users can also use control loops (such
as a while loop) to have the Robot Controller repeat (or iterate) certain tasks within a linear op mode.
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If you think about an op mode as a list of instructions for the robot, this set of instructions that you created will
be executed by the robot whenever a team member selects the op mode called “MyFIRSTJavaOpMode” from
the list of available op modes for this Robot Controller.
Let’s look at the structure of your newly created op mode. Here’s a copy of the op mode text (minus some
comments, the package definition, and some import package statements):
@TeleOp
public class MyFIRSTJavaOpMode extends LinearOpMode {
private Gyroscope imu;
private DcMotor motorTest;
private DigitalChannel digitalTouch;
private DistanceSensor sensorColorRange;
private Servo servoTest;
@Override
public void runOpMode() {
imu = hardwareMap.get(Gyroscope.class, "imu");
motorTest = hardwareMap.get(DcMotor.class, "motorTest");
digitalTouch = hardwareMap.get(DigitalChannel.class, "digitalTouch");
sensorColorRange = hardwareMap.get(DistanceSensor.class, "sensorColorRange");
servoTest = hardwareMap.get(Servo.class, "servoTest");
telemetry.addData("Status", "Initialized");
telemetry.update();
// Wait for the game to start (driver presses PLAY)
waitForStart();
// run until the end of the match (driver presses STOP)
while (opModeIsActive()) {
telemetry.addData("Status", "Running");
telemetry.update();
}
}
}
At the start of the op mode there is an annotation that occurs before the class definition. This annotation states
that this is a tele-operated (i.e., driver controlled) op mode:
@TeleOp
If you wanted to change this op mode to an autonomous op mode, you would replace the “@TeleOp” with an
“@Autonomous” annotation instead.
You can see from the sample code that an op mode is defined as a Java class. In this example, the op mode
name is called “MyFIRSTJavaOpMode” and it inherits characteristics from the LinearOpMode class.
public class MyFIRSTJavaOpMode extends LinearOpMode {
You can also see that the OnBot Java editor created five private member variables for this op mode. These
variables will hold references to the five configured devices that the OnBot Java editor detected in the
configuration file of your Robot Controller.
private Gyroscope imu;
private DcMotor motorTest;
private DigitalChannel digitalTouch;
private DistanceSensor sensorColorRange;
private Servo servoTest;
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Next, there is an overridden method called runOpMode. Every op mode of type LinearOpMode must
implement this method. This method gets called when a user selects and runs the op mode.
@Override
public void runOpMode() {
At the start of the runOpMode method, the op mode uses an object named hardwareMap to get references to
the hardware devices that are listed in the Robot Controller’s configuration file:
imu = hardwareMap.get(Gyroscope.class, "imu");
motorTest = hardwareMap.get(DcMotor.class, "motorTest");
digitalTouch = hardwareMap.get(DigitalChannel.class, "digitalTouch");
sensorColorRange = hardwareMap.get(DistanceSensor.class, "sensorColorRange");
servoTest = hardwareMap.get(Servo.class, "servoTest");
The hardwareMap object is available to use in the runOpMode method. It is an object of type HardwareMap
class.
Note that when you attempt to retrieve a reference to a specific device in your op mode, the name that you
specify as the second argument of the HardwareMap.get method must match the name used to define the
device in your configuration file. For example, if you created a configuration file that had a DC motor named
“motorTest”, then you must use this same name (it is case sensitive) to retrieve this motor from the
hardwareMap object. If the names do not match, the op mode will throw an exception indicating that it cannot
find the device.
In the next few statements of the example, the op mode prompts the user to push the start button to continue.
It uses another object that is available in the runOpMode method. This object is called telemetry and the op
mode uses the addData method to add a message to be sent to the Driver Station. The op mode then calls the
update method to send the message to the Driver Station. Then it calls the waitForStart method, to wait until
the user pushes the start button on the driver station to begin the op mode run.
telemetry.addData("Status", "Initialized");
telemetry.update();
// Wait for the game to start (driver presses PLAY)
waitForStart();
Note that all linear op modes should have a waitForStart statement to ensure that the robot will not begin
executing the op mode until the driver pushes the start button.
After a start command has been received, the op mode enters a while loop and keeps iterating in this loop until
the op mode is no longer active (i.e., until the user pushes the stop button on the Driver Station):
// run until the end of the match (driver presses STOP)
while (opModeIsActive()) {
telemetry.addData("Status", "Running");
telemetry.update();
}
As the op mode iterates in the while loop, it will continue to send telemetry messages with the index of “Status”
and the message of “Running” to be displayed on the Driver Station.
12.7. Building and Installing Your Op Mode
Verify that the Robot Controller phone is connected to your laptop and that the laptop has USB debugging
permission for the phone.
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Or, if you are using a Control Hub, verify that the Control Hub is powered by a freshly charged 12V battery, and
that it is connected to your laptop through its USB Type C port. Note that the Control Hub should automatically
have USB debugging permission enabled.
When using the Control Hub, please make sure you use the Type C port (and not the USB Mini port) to
connect the Control Hub to your development laptop.
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Look towards the top of the Android Studio user interface and find the little green Play or Run button (which is
represented by a green triangle) next to the words “Team Code”. Press this green button to build the Robot
Controller app and to install it onto your phone.
Android Studio should prompt you to select a target device to install the Robot Controller app. Your screen
might look something like the image shown below.
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Make sure that you select the correct target device. In the figure above the Motorola phone is selected as the
target device. Hit OK to build the APK file and install it on the target device.
Note: If you previously installed a copy of the FTC Robot Controller app from the Google Play store, the
installation of your newly built app will fail the first time you attempt to install it. This is because Android Studio
detects that the app that you just build has a different digital signature than the official version of the FTC
Robot Controller app that was installed from Google Play.
If this happens, Android Studio will prompt you if it's OK to uninstall the previous (official) version of the app
from your device and replace it with the updated version of the app. Select "OK" to uninstall the previous
version and to replace it with your newly created Robot Controller App (see image above).
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If the installation was successful, the Robot Controller app should be launched on the target Android device. If
you are using an Android phone as your Robot Controller, you should see the main Robot Controller app
screen displayed on the phone.
Although the Control Hub lacks a built in screen, if you are Control Hub user, you can verify that the app was
installed onto your Control Hub properly by looking at your Driver Station. If the Driver Station indicates that it
is successfully connected to the Control Hub (after momentarily disconnecting while the update was occurring)
then the app was successfully updated.
12.8. Running Your Op Mode
If you successfully built and installed your updated Android app with your new op mode, then you are ready to
run the op mode. Verify that the Driver Station is still connected to the Robot Controller. Since you designated
that your example op mode is a tele-operated op mode, it will be listed as a “TeleOp” op mode.
On the Driver Station, use the “TeleOp” dropdown list control to display the list of available op modes. Select
your op mode (“MyFIRSTJavaOpMode”) from the list.
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Press the INIT button to initialize the op mode.
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The op mode will execute the statements in the runOpMode method up to the waitForStart statement. It will
then wait until you press the start button (which is represented by the triangular shaped symbol) to continue.
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Once you press the start button, the op mode will continue to iterate and send the “Status: Running” message
to the Driver Station. To stop the op mode, press the square-shaped stop button.
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Congratulations! You ran your first java op mode!
12.9. Modifying Your Op Mode to Control a Motor
Let’s modify your op mode to control the DC motor that you connected and configured for your REV Expansion
Hub. Modify the code for the program loop so that it looks like the following:
// run until the end of the match (driver presses STOP)
double tgtPower = 0;
while (opModeIsActive()) {
tgtPower = -this.gamepad1.left_stick_y;
motorTest.setPower(tgtPower);
telemetry.addData("Target Power", tgtPower);
telemetry.addData("Motor Power", motorTest.getPower());
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telemetry.addData("Status", "Running");
telemetry.update();
}
If you look at the code that was added, you will see that we defined a new variable called target power before
we enter the while loop.
double tgtPower = 0;
At the start of the while loop we set the variable tgtPower equal to the negative value of the gamepad1’s left
joystick:
tgtPower = -this.gamepad1.left_stick_y;
The object gamepad1 is available for you to access in the runOpMode method. It represents the state of
gamepad #1 on your Driver Station. Note that for the F310 gamepads that are used during the competition, the
Y value of a joystick ranges from -1, when a joystick is in its topmost position, to +1, when a joystick is in its
bottommost position. In the example code above, you negate the left_stick_y value so that pushing the left
joystick forward will result in a positive power being applied to the motor. Note that in this example, the notion
of forwards and backwards for the motor is arbitrary. However, the concept of negating the joystick y value can
be very useful in practice.
The next set of statements sets the power of motorTest to the value represented by the variable tgtPower. The
values for target power and actual motor power are then added to the set of data that will be sent via the
telemetry mechanism to the Driver Station.
tgtPower = -this.gamepad1.left_stick_y;
motorTest.setPower(tgtPower);
telemetry.addData("Target Power", tgtPower);
telemetry.addData("Motor Power", motorTest.getPower());
After you have modified your op mode to include these new statements, press the build button and verify that
the op mode was built successfully.
12.10. Running Your Op Mode with a Gamepad Connected
Your op mode takes input from a gamepad and uses this input to control a DC motor. To run your op mode,
you will need to connect a Logitech F310 gamepad to the Driver Station.
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Before you connect your gamepad to the phone, verify that the switch on the bottom of the gamepad is set to
the “X” (i.e., the "Xbox" mode) position.
Connect the gamepad to the Driver Station using the Micro USB OTG adapter cable.
Your example op mode is looking for input from the gamepad designated as the user or driver #1. Press the
Start button and the A button simultaneously on the Logictech F310 controller to designate your gamepad as
user #1. Note that pushing the Start button and the B button simultaneously would designate the gamepad as
user #2.
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If you successfully designated the gamepad to be user #1, you should see a little gamepad icon above the text
“User 1” in the upper right hand corner of the Driver Station Screen. Whenever there is activity on gamepad #1,
the little icon should be highlighted in green. If the icon is missing or if it does not highlight in green when you
use your gamepad, then there is a problem with the connection to the gamepad.
Select, initialize and run your “MyFIRSTJavaOpMode” op mode.
If you configured your gamepad properly, then the left joystick should control the motion of the motor. As you
run your op mode, be careful and make sure you do not get anything caught in the turning motor. Note that the
User #1 gamepad icon should highlight green each time you move the joystick. Also note that the target power
and actual motor power values should be displayed in the telemetry area on the Driver Station.
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13. Controlling a Servo (Android Studio)
In this section, you will modify your op mode to control a servo motor with the buttons of the gamepad.
13.1. What is a Servo Motor?
A servo motor is a special type of motor. A servo motor is designed for precise motion. A typical servo motor
has a limited range of motion.
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In the figure below, “standard scale” 180-degree servo is shown. This type of servo is popular with hobbyists
and with FIRST Tech Challenge teams. This servo motor can rotate its shaft through a range of 180 degrees.
Using an electronic module known as a servo controller you can write an op mode that will move a servo motor
to a specific position. Once the motor reaches this target position, it will hold the position, even if external
forces are applied to the shaft of the servo.
Servo motors are useful when you want to do precise movements (for example, sweep an area with a sensor
to look for a target or move the control surfaces on a remotely controlled airplane).
13.2. Modifying Your Op Mode to Control a Servo
Let’s modify your op mode to add the logic required to control a servo motor. For this example, you will use the
buttons on the Logitech F310 gamepad to control the position of the servo motor.
With a typical servo, you can specify a target position for the servo. The servo will turn its motor shaft to move
to the target position, and then maintain that position, even if moderate forces are applied to try and disturb its
position.
For the FIRST Tech Challenge control system, you can specify a target position that ranges from 0 to 1 for a
servo. A target position of 0 corresponds to zero degrees of rotation and a target position of 1 corresponds to
180 degrees of rotation for a typical servo motor.
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In this example, you will use the colored buttons on the right side of the F310 controller to control the position
of the servo. Initially, the op mode will move the servo to the midway position (90 degrees of its 180-degree
range). Pushing the yellow “Y” button will move the servo to the zero-degree position. Pushing the blue “X”
button or the red “B” button will move the servo to the 90-degree position. Pushing the green “A” button will
move the servo to the 180-degree position.
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Modify your op mode to add the following code:
// run until the end of the match (driver presses STOP)
double tgtPower = 0;
while (opModeIsActive()) {
tgtPower = -this.gamepad1.left_stick_y;
motorTest.setPower(tgtPower);
// check to see if we need to move the servo.
if(gamepad1.y) {
// move to 0 degrees.
servoTest.setPosition(0);
} else if (gamepad1.x || gamepad1.b) {
// move to 90 degrees.
servoTest.setPosition(0.5);
} else if (gamepad1.a) {
// move to 180 degrees.
servoTest.setPosition(1);
}
telemetry.addData("Servo Position", servoTest.getPosition());
telemetry.addData("Target Power", tgtPower);
telemetry.addData("Motor Power", motorTest.getPower());
telemetry.addData("Status", "Running");
telemetry.update();
}
This added code will check to see if any of the colored buttons on the F310 gamepad are pressed. If the Y
button is pressed, it will move the servo to the 0-degree position. If either the X button or B button is pressed, it
will move the servo to the 90-degree position. If the A button is pressed, it will move the servo to the 180-
degree position. The op mode will also send telemetry data on the servo position to the Driver Station.
After you have modified your op mode, you can build it and then run it. Verify that gamepad #1 is still
configured and then use the colored buttons to move the position of the servo.
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14. Using Sensors (Android Studio)
14.1. Color-Distance Sensor
A sensor is a device that lets the Robot Controller get information about its environment. In this example, you
will use a REV Robotics Color-Distance sensor to display range (distance from an object) info to the driver
station.
The Color-Range sensor uses reflected light to determine the distance from the sensor to the target object. It
can be used to measure close distances (up 5” or more) with reasonable accuracy. Note that at the time this
document was most recently edited, the REV Color-Range sensor saturates around 2” (5cm). This means that
for distances less than or equal to 2”, the sensor returns a measured distance equal to 2” or so.
Modify your op mode to add a telemetry statement that will send the distance information (in centimeters) to
the Driver Station.
telemetry.addData("Servo Position", servoTest.getPosition());
telemetry.addData("Target Power", tgtPower);
telemetry.addData("Motor Power", motorTest.getPower());
telemetry.addData("Distance (cm)", sensorColorRange.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM));
telemetry.addData("Status", "Running");
telemetry.update();
After you have modified your op mode, build and install the updated Robot Controller app, then run the op
mode to verify that it now displays distance on your Driver Station. Note that if the distance reads “NaN” (short
for “Not a Number”) it probably means that your sensor is too far from the target (zero reflection). Also note that
the sensor saturates at around 5 cm.
14.2. Touch Sensor
The REV Robotics Touch Sensor can be connected to a digital port on the Expansion Hub. The Touch Sensor
is HIGH (returns TRUE) when it is not pressed. It is pulled LOW (returns FALSE) when it is pressed.
The Expansion Hub digital ports contain two digital pins per port. When you use a 4-wire JST cable to connect
a REV Robotics Touch sensor to an Expansion Hub digital port, the Touch Sensor is wired to the second of the
two digital pins within the port. The first digital pin of the 4-wire cable remains disconnected.
For example, if you connect a Touch Sensor to the “0,1” digital port of the Expansion Hub, the Touch Sensor
will be connected to the second pin (labeled “1”) of the port. The first pin (labeled “0”) will stay disconnected.
Modify the code in your op mode that occurs before the waitForStart command to set the digital channel for
input mode.
// set digital channel to input mode.
digitalTouch.setMode(DigitalChannel.Mode.INPUT);
telemetry.addData("Status", "Initialized");
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telemetry.update();
// Wait for the game to start (driver presses PLAY)
waitForStart();
Also, modify the code in your while loop to add an if-else statement that checks the state of the digital input
channel. If the channel is LOW (false), the touch sensor button is pressed and being pulled LOW to ground.
Otherwise, the touch sensor button is not pressed.
// is button pressed?
if (digitalTouch.getState() == false) {
// button is pressed.
telemetry.addData("Button", "PRESSED");
} else {
// button is not pressed.
telemetry.addData("Button", "NOT PRESSED");
}
telemetry.addData("Status", "Running");
telemetry.update();
Build and install the updated Robot Controller app, then reinitialize and restart your op mode. The op mode
should now display the state of the button (“PRESSED” or “NOT PRESSED”).
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Appendix A – Resources
Game Forum Q&A
https://ftc-qa.firstinspires.org/
Anyone may view questions and answers within the FIRST® Tech Challenge game Q&A forum without a
password. To submit a new question, you must have a unique Q&A system user name and password for your
team.
Volunteer Forum
Volunteers can request access to role specific volunteer forums by emailing
FTCTrainingSupport@firstinspires.org. You will receive access to the forum thread specific to your role.
FIRST Tech Challenge Game Manuals
Part 1 and 2 - https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/ftc/game-and-season-info
FIRST Headquarters Pre-Event Support
Phone: 603-666-3906
Mon – Fri
8:30am – 5:00pm
Email: Firsttechchallenge@firstinspires.org
FIRST Websites
FIRST homepage – www.firstinspires.org
FIRST Tech Challenge Page – For everything FIRST Tech Challenge.
FIRST Tech Challenge Volunteer Resources – To access public volunteer manuals.
FIRST Tech Challenge Event Schedule – Find FIRST Tech Challenge events in your area.
FIRST Tech Challenge Social Media
FIRST Tech Challenge Twitter Feed - If you are on Twitter, follow the FIRST Tech Challenge Twitter feed for
news updates.
FIRST Tech Challenge Facebook page - If you are on Facebook, follow the FIRST Tech Challenge page for news
updates.
FIRST Tech Challenge YouTube Channel – Contains training videos, game animations, news clips, and more.
FIRST Tech Challenge Blog – Weekly articles for the FIRST Tech Challenge community, including outstanding
volunteer recognition!
FIRST Tech Challenge Team Email Blasts – contain the most recent FIRST Tech Challenge news for teams.
Feedback
We strive to create support materials that are the best they can be. If you have feedback about this manual, please email
firsttechchallenge@firstinspires.org. Thank you!
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