STEP 1: Install the National Instruments Update Suite

STEP 2: Update the RoboRio Firmware

STEP 3: Image the RoboRio

STEP 4: Configure the Radio

STEP 5: CAN Bus Tools - Updating CAN Devices Firmware

Resources and Documentation

Who owns all the pieces?

Install the National Instruments RoboRio Tools and Driver Station

The National Instruments Update Suite contains the DriverStation software and some of the tools required to configure the robot hardware.  Click the download button to the left.  You will need to create a National Instruments account to download the FRC Update Suite.  The activation key can be found in your Kit of Parts but is not required for a trial installation.

WPILib provides complete instructions for installing the National Instruments FRC Game Tools.  Key components in the suite are:

• Driver Station - used to connect to and drive the robot

• RoboRio Imaging Tool - used to re-image a RoboRio and assign a team number to the hardware

Configure the Radio

Configure the Radio in order to be able to connect to the robot wirelessly. 

The current radio configuration is version is 24.0.1 (Jan 2024).  It can be downloaded from the Configuring the Radio page below.

NOTE: Networking and connections issues are the most and frustrating and least well understood challenges in FIRST. The Radio Configuration Utility is no exception to this rule. 

It is important to carefully follow all of the steps in the documentation for Configuring the Radio.  

CAN Bus Tools

The CAN bus tools supplied by CTRE can be used to update the CAN Bus device Firmware.  This tool is required to update the firmware on the CTRE Power Distribution Panel (PDP) and CTRE Pneumatics Control Module (PCM) and to update any CAN based Victor or Talon speed controllers.

To install the CAN bus tools:

• install the Phoenix X Tuner from the Microsoft Store 

• Connect to the RoboRio using a USB Cable (do not use an Ethernet connection)

• Use the tool to set CAN id addresses and update the CTR device firmware.

REV SPARK MAX Controllers, REV Power Distribution Hub and REV Pnuematics Hub

The REV Hardware Client is required to update the firmware for ALL REV Robotics hardware, including the motor controllers, power distrubution hub, and the pneumatics hub.

To install the REV Hardware Client:

• download and install the REV Hardware Client.

• Connect to any REV device using a USB-C cable.  It may be possible to update multiple devices depending on the firmware level of the device, and whether the address overlaps with another device on the CAN Bus.  Each device can be updated individually by connecting directly to the device, and updating the firmware and the CAN Bus address and description.

SmartDashboard

The SmartDashboard automatically shows all of the Robot Data.

Shuffleboard

An updated SmartDashboard

Outline Viewer

Outline Viewer is a browser for all of the Network Table data shared between the Driver Station and the RoboRio including data that is not in the SmartDashboard portion of the network tables.  This tool is useful for debugging purposes.

NOTE:  These components are required to debug information coming from the RoboRio. They are distributed with the development tools.  Installation of the development tools is required on the DriverStation in order to get the Shuffleboard and Outline Viewer.  See installing the Development Tools