Lesson 35: Custom Dashboards

A dashboard gives drivers and programmers information about the robot while it runs. A good dashboard helps you make decisions quickly. A bad dashboard is just a wall of numbers.

What To Show

Show values that help someone act:

• Sensor readings for mechanisms being tested.
• Current robot state or autonomous step.
• Fault messages that need attention.
• Vision target status.
• Battery voltage or pressure when relevant.

Use Clear Names

Dashboard labels should make sense to the person reading them. "Arm angle" is better than "pot 0." "Shooter ready" is better than "flag 3."

SmartDashboard.putNumber("Arm Angle", armAngle);
SmartDashboard.putBoolean("Shooter Ready", shooterReady);
SmartDashboard.putString("Robot State", robotState.toString());

Do Not Depend on the Dashboard

The robot should still be safe if the dashboard is closed or disconnected. Use the dashboard for visibility and tuning, not as the only thing preventing a mechanism from damaging itself.

Driver View Versus Debug View

Drivers need a small number of high-signal items. Programmers may need many debug values during testing. Keep those views separate when possible so the drive team is not distracted.

Practice

Create a dashboard plan for one mechanism. Pick three values for programmers and one message for drivers.