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WPILib

WPILib is the primary library used for programming FRC robots. It provides a wide range of tools and utilities to help teams develop their robot code efficiently. This section covers some of the key components and features of WPILib that we utilize in our robot projects. It is recommended to refer to the official WPILib documentation for more detailed information and updates. Also refer to the WPILib Javadocs for in-depth API references.

Geometry Types​

One important aspect of robot programming is handling geometry and spatial relationships. WPILib provides several classes to represent geometric concepts such as points, vectors, and poses. Computations involving these geometry types are essential for tasks like navigation, path planning, and kinematics, and they can tend to get complex quickly. It is recommended to look at the WPILib documentation for more details on how to use these classes effectively.

  • Translation: Represents a point or vector in 2D space with x and y coordinates.
  • Rotation: Represents a rotation in 2D space around the origin.
  • Pose: Represents a position and orientation in 2D space.
  • Twist: Represents a change in position and orientation in 2D space.
  • Transforms: Represents a transformation in 2D space, including translation and rotation.

These geometry types also have a 3D counterpart (Translation3d, Rotation3d, Pose3d, Twist3d, Transform3d) for handling spatial relationships in three-dimensional space, but we primarily use the 2D versions for our robot programming needs.

Command-Based Programming​

WPILib provides a command-based programming framework that helps organize robot code into modular commands. These are very powerful and allow for easy scheduling and execution of robot actions. However, unless implemented carefully, they can lead to complex interdependencies and make debugging more difficult. We have chosen to reduce our use of commands and keep behaviors more directly implemented in subsystems where possible. If you are interested in learning more about commands and how to use them effectively, refer to the Command-Based Programming documentation and the Commands page in this documentation.

NetworkTables​

NetworkTables is a key component of WPILib that enables communication between the robot and other devices, such as the driver station or vision processing systems. It is a publish-subscribe messaging system that allows for real-time data exchange. Data is published over a topic, and other devices can subscribe to that topic to receive updates. The full WPILib documentation for NetworkTables can be found here. Many of the complexity behind NetworkTables is handled by other classes in WPILib, such as the Shuffleboard and SmartDashboard classes, which provide user-friendly interfaces for displaying and interacting with data. If you want to use those refer to our Telemetry and Logging page in this documentation.

Build Tools​

WPILib provides a set of build tools to help manage the robot code development process. These tools include GradleRIO, which is a customized version of Gradle specifically designed for FRC robot projects. These tools help with tasks such as dependency management, code compilation, and deployment to the robot. There are shortcuts built into VS Code to make using these tools easier. Here are a few common tasks you may need to perform:

  • Building the Robot Code: You can build the robot code using the Build Robot Code command in VS Code. This will compile the code and generate the necessary files for deployment.
  • Deploying to the Robot: To deploy the code to the robot, use the Deploy Robot Code command in VS Code. This will transfer the compiled code to the robot's control system
  • Setting the Team Number: You can set the team number for your robot project using the Set Team Number command in VS Code. This will configure the project to use the correct team number for communication with the driver station and other devices.
  • Simulation: If you want to run your robot code in simulation, you can use the Simulate Robot Code command in VS Code. This will launch the simulator and allow you to test your code without needing a physical robot. See more about simulation here.
tip

You can access the command palette in VS Code by pressing Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + P (Mac). There should also be a WPILib icon in the top right corner of VS Code that you can click to access these commands. From there, you can search for the desired WPILib command to execute. All the WPILib related commands should be prefixed with WPILib: .