Our team wants to use the PIC Microcontrollers to host a summer camp for the local elementary school children, but we do not know how to regulate the start of matches using the PIC Microcontrollers.
Do the VEXnet Competition Switches work for the PIC Microcontrollers? And if so, what type of cables should we use?
At all the meets 4886c attended, I used a PIC and it did work with the VEXnex comp switches. I think instead of using a long Ethernet cable, we used a coiled up cable.
“Ready, Set, Go” also works to start the matches, and is much less trouble to set up.
Could explain more? The tethers for the old PIC controllers are different from Ethernet cables. And I’m pretty sure just stuffing them into the Ethernet ports on the competition switch wont work.
Hmm well I do remember that I had to plug into a certain one, and the coiled up controllers only had 1 port on each side of a comp switch
When you say PICs are you talking about using them with the crystal based transmitters not Vexnet?
I am basing the rest of my reply on that assumption.
If you already have a competion switches they need to be a Vexnet Alliance splitter to allow it to run with Crystal based transmitters.
You can see on the splitter there are two smaller 4 pin ports on each side.
These take the old tether cables. One port is used for each transmitter.
Make sure your tether cables are straight thru eg pin 1 - pin 1 else you can damage the transmitter.
Here’s the link to info on the competion switch.
https://vexforum.com/wiki/index.php/VEXnet_Competition_Controls#Using_the_Competition_Switch
Here’s a link to the tournament software.
https://vexforum.com/wiki/index.php/Tournament_Software
If you don’t have a current competition switches here is a link to a complete PIC Vex control method.
Note this is not connected to the Tournament manager.
[https://vexforum.com/wiki/index.php/Start-Stop_Circuit
Under this is a pdf to show the wiring.
Note it mentions making sure only two wires are connected to your transmitter or damage might occur.
Hope this helps.
Brent](https://vexforum.com/wiki/index.php/Start-Stop_Circuit)