RoboRIO

The roboRIO (a portmanteau of robot and RIO (Reconfigurable Input Output)) is the latest incarnation of an onboard FRC computer. It follows the cRIO (compact Reconfigurable Input/Output), a device that could be used for more than FRC robots.

The roboRIO is a mess of ports which all accept different voltages and communication standards. More information can be found here:



From the NI roboRIO user Manual for FRC:


 * 1) Digital Input/Output (DIO): Used for certain digital sensors, like limit switches or encoders (more about these later).
 * 2) R2-232
 * 3) I2C port: Can be used with one of the NAVX gyros
 * 4) CAN (Controller Area Network) port: Used to power/signal TalonSRX's and the pneumatics control module
 * 5) Power connector: Gets wired to the Power Distribution Board
 * 6) USB device port: This port provides one way that the laptop can interface with the roboRIO (for loading code or driving the robot, for example). It is more reliable than the ethernet connection. This port is USBb female.
 * 7) USB Host Retention Mount: used for securing USB devices plugged into the RIO (like a camera, for instance).
 * 8) USB Host ports: used for interfacing the roboRIO with USB devices like a camera or the NAVX gyro
 * 9) Ethernet port: used for communicating with the wireless mesh radio or interfacing with the laptop (through an ethernet cord).
 * 10) Serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus: used for interfacing with certain sensors like the Gyro included in the Kit of Parts.
 * 11) LEDs for status: