Answered: Follow-Up: Non-VEX LCDs

[Barin]

Original Q&A summary:
Non-VEX LCDs are legal provided they do not display anything related to the state of the robot.

@Game Manual <R7>d

Teams may add non-functional decorations provided that these do not affect the robot performance in any significant way or affect the outcome of the match. These decorations must be in the spirit of the competition. Inspectors will have final say in what is considered “nonfunctional”.

Emphasis added by me.

Would it be correct to interpret <R7>d as prohibiting “functional” use of non-VEX LCDs only during matches and skills runs?

Or must non-VEX LCDs be limited to “nonfunctional” nature for the entirety of an event, including time in the pits and practice fields?

For example, would this be legal:
When the joystick is plugged in to field control, the non-VEX LCD is automatically put into a “nonfunctional” mode that displays only static images, non-robot-related animations, etc. When not plugged in to field control, the non-VEX LCD displays sensor data. A manual override would be used to put the non-VEX LCD into “nonfunctional” mode should the robot fail to do so automatically for a match or skills run.

[Karthik]

@Barin

Would it be correct to interpret <R7>d as prohibiting “functional” use of non-VEX LCDs only during matches and skills runs?

Yes, this is correct.

@Barin

When the joystick is plugged in to field control, the non-VEX LCD is automatically put into a “nonfunctional” mode that displays only static images, non-robot-related animations, etc. When not plugged in to field control, the non-VEX LCD displays sensor data. A manual override would be used to put the non-VEX LCD into “nonfunctional” mode should the robot fail to do so automatically for a match or skills run.

Provided that no rules are violated in the process, this would be legal. However it will be up to you to prove that this LCD will not “affect the robot performance in any significant way or affect the outcome of the match”. I would be very cautious of trying this approach.