FTC Self Inspect
This page describes the Self Inspect screens in the FTC Driver Station (DS) app and the FTC Robot Controller (RC) app.
A Self Inspect screen provides a snapshot of device status, as it relates to FTC rules for the control system. These rules are described in each season's Game Manual 1, and many are summarized in that manual's Field Inspection Checklist.
The Self Inspect screen is provided only as a quick, handy reference to help teams confirm that certain control system elements are up-to-date and properly configured. Self Inspect also helps teams prepare for Field Inspection at an FTC tournament, but is not a comprehensive or official standard of compliance with FTC rules.
The challenge is to maximize useful information in a small screen. The Self Inspect layout and graphics evolve with FTC requirements; this page clarifies some of the brief but meaningful captions.
Pairing technology is a key aspect of Self Inspect reporting. It's helpful to remember that RC phones host via WiFi Direct, while Control Hubs host via standard, or 'infrastructure', WiFi.
FTC teams know that RC and DS phones must have Airplane Mode ON, and WiFi ON but not connected to any standard/infra WiFi host such as an internet router or hotspot. It's best if the phones are set to Forget any local WiFi networks.
FTC control devices may use these combinations:
- DS phone, RC phone
- DS phone, Control Hub
- Driver Hub, RC phone
- Driver Hub, Control Hub
This means that the Self Inspect screens can report as follows:
- DS Self Inspect, on DS phone paired to RC phone
- DS Self Inspect, on DS phone paired to Control Hub
- DS Self Inspect, on Driver Hub paired to RC phone
- DS Self Inspect, on Driver Hub paired to Control Hub
- RC Self Inspect, appearing on RC phone OR on paired DS phone
- RC Self Inspect, appearing on RC phone OR on paired Driver Hub
- RC Self Inspect, appearing on DS phone paired to Control Hub
- RC Self Inspect, appearing on Driver Hub paired to Control Hub
These combinations require slight differences in Self Inspect categories reported, graphics, and pass/fail results. Click the blue link to explore the Self Inspect screen for that device and combination.
For example, a Control Hub is capable of hosting a paired DS phone, while the Control Hub is connected to standard WiFi. This is not recommended, and is reported in Self Inspect.
Likewise a Driver Hub is capable of pairing with an RC phone, while the Driver Hub is connected to standard WiFi. This is also reported.
## DS Self Inspect, on DS phone paired to Control Hub
## DS Self Inspect, on Driver Hub paired to RC phone
## DS Self Inspect, on Driver Hub paired to Control Hub
## RC Self Inspect, appearing on RC phone **OR** on paired DS phone
## RC Self Inspect, appearing on RC phone **OR** on paired Driver Hub
## RC Self Inspect, appearing on DS phone paired to Control Hub
## RC Self Inspect, appearing on Driver Hub paired to Control Hub
The Self Inspect screen is a quick, handy reference to help teams confirm that certain control system elements are up-to-date and properly configured.
Self Inspect also helps teams prepare for Field Inspection at an FTC tournament, but is not a comprehensive or official standard of compliance with FTC rules.
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Questions, comments and corrections to [email protected]
Here are clean Self Inspect screens from DS and RC phones.
Here the RC Password status for RC phone is not meaningful. That password cannot be changed by the user; it will never be "password" as with Control Hubs. Ref. rule RS07 and the Inspection Checklist which apply a password requirement only to Control Hubs.
On the DS phone, the RC Self Inspect screen (not shown) is identical to that on the RC phone, but without the 3-dots menu at top right. That menu is discussed separately at the end of this report.
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To illustrate rejected items, here are several 'not clean' self-inspection reports:
When paired with an RC phone, the DS phone should not have an active Standard WiFi Connection to anything (hotspot, internet router, Control Hub, etc.), even though it's possible. A status of Yes is rejected here.
These DS reports reject a non-FTC-legal WiFi Direct Name. Such a name cannot be created in the DS app's Settings, under Driver Station Name. But it can be entered in the DS phone's Android WiFi Direct settings.
Under Apps Installed, the RC app is rejected not for its version, but for being installed on a DS phone. Likewise a DS app must not be installed on an RC device.
The right-side screen is from an obsolete ZTE Speed, to cause rejection of the Android version. But the report also lists Driver Hub OS Version; this inspection was done from a Moto e4 DS phone! This report also accepts the RC app version 5.4, not legal now. Looking into the source of these anomalies might reveal loopholes affecting legal hardware.
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Moving from RC phones to Control Hubs, still from DS phone, here are clean and not-clean RC self-inspections:
The right-side screen is from an old Dragonboard Control Hub, to cause OS rejection. Note the color change for low CH battery, and rejection of the default "password".
And here are not-clean DS self-inspections, paired to Control Hub, with and without DS WiFi enabled:
The right-side No/Red rejection (circled) is an artifact of the DS WiFi being disabled while connected to a Control Hub. It changes to Yes/Red if this DS phone re-enables WiFi and tries to pair with an RC phone, but also auto-reconnects to the Control Hub network. It then changes to No/Green if that Standard/infrastructure connection is closed (Forget network).
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For comparison, here are clean Self Inspect screens from the REV Driver Hub, running the released version 6.2.
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For pairing to an RC phone, the Driver Hub should not also have an active Standard WiFi Connection to anything (hotspot, internet router, Control Hub, etc.), even though it's possible. From this PR, these DS reports show the difference:
However when connecting to a Control Hub, the Driver Hub does use Standard WiFi. Here a Yes is correct on the DS report:
Note that Airplane Mode has been omitted from the DS inspection, only for Driver Hub. The current version of Rule RS07 excludes the Control Hub, but doesn't exclude the Driver Hub -- which does have an Android setting to turn Airplane Mode on or off. In the future, this may be reinstated to Self Inspect, or FTC may exclude it in Rule RS07.
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Here are clean Self Inspect screens from the Driver Hub, for Robot Controller (phone and Control Hub), running this PR.
On these screens, the Standard WiFi Connected status does actually refer to the RC device (phone or Control Hub), not the DS device (Driver Hub). The RC phone is capable of connecting to an outside hotspot or internet router, and it shouldn't. The Control Hub must use its Standard WiFi to connect to the Driver Hub displaying this report.
Again, the RC Password status for RC phone is probably not needed.
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Here are some 'not clean' inspections for RC phones, from the Driver Hub:
The Hub Firmware status of N/A indicates no Expansion Hubs are connected to the RC phone.
The DS app must not be installed on an RC phone.
The DS Self Inspect screen has a 3-dots menu at top right. Likewise for the RC Self Inspect screen, on the RC phone. The menu's only entry does work, per this sequence:
However the FTC apps now quickly re-connect automatically. This Disconnect action seems out-of-place in Self Inspect, and the DS phone's Pairing menu already offers "None - Do not pair with any device" -- with a longer-lasting effect.
It's possible this Disconnect feature was placed here to allow quick robot shutdown in case of a Field Inspection malfunction. If not needed, this feature may be evaluated for removal.
Each inspection screen updates automatically, with or without a Restart Robot. This allows quick verification that issues have been resolved.
Possible future changes
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RC Passwordresult "Not default" does not apply for RC phones. Might omit, or list "N/A" with check-mark. - Might reinstate
Airplane Modefor DS inspect on Driver Hub, or change Rule RS07. - Might omit 3-dots menus on DS Self Inspect.