5.9        The FIELD Management System

The FIELD Management System (FMS) is all the electronics responsible for sensing and controlling the FIRST Robotics Competition FIELD. The FMS encompasses all FIELD electronics, including computers, REFEREE touchscreens, the wireless access point, sensors, stack lights, A-Stops and E-Stops, etc.

When a DRIVE TEAM connects the Ethernet cable from their assigned DRIVER STATION to their OPERATOR CONSOLE, the Driver Station Software on the OPERATOR CONSOLE computer communicates with FMS. Once connected, the open ports available are described in Table 8‑5.

Note that ROBOT code cannot be deployed while connected to the FMS. Additional information about the FMS may be found in the FMS Whitepaper.

The FMS alerts participants to milestones in the MATCH using audio cues detailed in Table 5‑1. Please note that audio cues are intended as a courtesy to participants and not intended as official MATCH markers. If there is a discrepancy between an audio cue and the FIELD timers, the FIELD timers are the authority.

Table 5‑1 Audio cues