Competitor bases say I must have a port with 3 pins enabled. Why does the module (Remote Robot Trigger) have 4 pins?

The module has 4 pins since 2 are for power and 2 are for general use for robots,

The RDY pin only serves so that the judge and the competitors can confirm that the module is working correctly since it is connected directly to the red LED, that pin we leave enabled to have greater availability and versatility in the future, however, to current competencies, you don't need to plug it in.

The GO pin is the one that really has to be connected to the robot's microcontroller, since it is the one that will indicate when the robot should switch to combat and / or competition mode when the robot controller detects a change in this pin. positive state, that is, from 0 to 5V.

I don't have any pin available to connect the module, what can I do?

All or most of the microcontrollers have a reset pin (including the arduino).

You can connect the "GO" pin to that pin in addition to powering the module correctly. That will allow the microcontroller to stay reset until the go pin is activated.

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Will there be any warning or punishment for not connecting the RDY pin?

No, there will be no type of punishment for not connecting that pin since it is only for confirmation of the module's operation (Remote Robot Trigger).

Can the (Remote Robot Trigger) module be damaged?

The module contains semiconductor parts and components that could be damaged if connected in reverse polarity to that indicated or by static, so it should be handled with the same care with which any semiconductor component is handled.

Should I solder the module to my printed circuit?

It is recommended not to do this, as it is likely that the competition organizers will decide to use modules (Remote Robot Trigger) with special programming to be used in the matches.

It is highly recommended to use a 3 or 4-pin Female Header type connector to mount the module on your printed circuit.

Why should I buy the module (Remote Robot Trigger) ?

In some events there will be loan modules for participants, however, depending on the number of attendees, it may be possible that there are not enough modules available to do tests or it may be necessary to wait a considerable time until a loan module is available. available. Under these circumstances it may be beneficial to have at least a basic competition kit to have the necessary tools to be able to test well before the competition takes place.

If I buy my module (Remote Robot Trigger ) and in the future they update the bases or release a new version, will mine be obsolete and unusable?

The modules (Remote Robot Trigger) are designed to be reprogrammed, so if there is a major change in the programming, we will put an update stand in the different competitions in which our modules are concerned, to update them free of charge.

We could release versions with minor changes in hardware, however we will always maintain compatibility between all versions that have been released.

My training control was working well and after a few days I already have a behavior that is not correct. That could be happening?

The Judge's control is used with a 3V battery that must be in good condition to function correctly, preferably the battery should be alkaline or lithium, since low quality batteries can generate erroneous behavior since they drain quickly the voltage with little use.

When the control is not in use, the battery should be removed to prevent it from discharging as although the circuitry draws very little current when not in use, it could discharge the battery after a few days.

Do I need to use libraries to be able to use the (Remote Robot Trigger) module?

You do not need any type of libraries to use the module, since the pin that you must read will only change its state once and it is not necessary to check it again later.

It is very similar to reading a button.

As I understand it, the dynamics of using the module   (Remote Robot Trigger) in competitions is new, what assurance do I have that it works correctly if I use it in my competition?

The module was used for the first time in the 2nd Robotics Competition of the Mexican Association of Mechatronics 2014, it was used by more than 150 teams in both the follower and Mini Sumo categories without problems. The general opinion was that the modules helped to make the competitions and fights more fair.

Thanks to the results obtained, the module is already used in many other competitions.