What is the FRC cRIO Imaging Tool?

The FRC cRIO Imaging Tool can be used to:

• Reformat the cRIO with the latest software
• Properly update the controller IP address
• Switch between the LabVIEW and WindRiver software Image.

How to Use the FRC cRIO Imaging Tool

1. Ensure power and connections
   

   Make sure that the FRC cRIO is powered on and connected to the host PC. Be sure to use a cross-over ethernet cable for connecting directly to a PC. Make sure the power supply is pluged in and the power LED is on.

2. Set your PC's IP address

   Manually set your computer’s IP Address to a static address. This is necessary to properly communicate with the FRC cRIO.  Go to Start»Control Panel»Network Connections.  Right-click on your network connection and select Properties.  Scroll down to your TCP/IP connection and select Properties.  This will be slightly different on a Windows Vista machine.

   To communicate with the FRC cRIO you need set your PC’s IP address to 10.XX.YY.6, where XX is the first two digits of the team number and YY are the second two (example, team 103 is 10.1.3.6; team 1690 is 10.16.90.6).

   

   Host PC's IP address setup for team 1124




3. Open the FRC cRIO Imaging Tool

Now open the FRC cRIO Imaging Tool. Again, this is where we will reformat the controller, install the latest software, update the IP address, and install a new FPGA image.  Go to Start»Programs»National Instruments»LabVIEW 8.5 and run the FRC cRIO Imaging Tool.



4. Run the FRC cRIO Imaging Tool

You should see your FRC cRIO in the list of devices.  If not, please refer to the FRC cRIO Operating Instructions and Specifications.

1. Select the appropriate development environment: WindRiver if you are programming in C/C++, and LabVIEW if using LabVIEW. 
2. Check the Format Controller checkbox, and select the image that you wish to use.  You can download the latest image from www.usfirst.org/frccontrolsystem.
3. Enter a device name for your FRC cRIO. Your Team ID and Robot Number will be used to assign a unique IP address to your cRIO.

4. Now, click Apply to start the re-imaging process.  This may take several minutes.

5. Once the Imaging Tool has finished running click OK.