Editing 1997 (section)

===Control system===

<gallery perrow=4 heights=200px widths=230px>
File:44428 - 1997 control system kit of parts.png|The robot controller with [[BASIC Stamp]] in the 1997 [[kit of parts]] [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/44428]
File:3660 - 1997 control system dean kamen kickoff woodie flowers.jpg|[[Dean Kamen]] and [[Woodie Flowers]] with the control system at [[kickoff]] [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3660]
File:3637 - 1997 1997frc31 build control system frc45 robot.jpg|[[frc45|Team 45]] wiring the 1997 control system, showing an RNet radio plugged into the receiver box, two drill battery holders, two drill motors, and two Tekin speed controllers [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3441]
File:45584 - 1997 control system.jpg|1997 transmit board [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/45584]
</gallery>
As in several previous years, robots were powered by two 12 volt drill batteries. For the first time, the control system included a software-programmable microcontroller and programming software. The robot side of the control system included the receive box which contained a BASIC Stamp microcontroller and hardware to output PWM and relay controls. The kit of parts included software to program the controller in PBASIC. One 2048 byte EEPROM in the receive box contained the default program which would output controller buttons right to PWM outputs like some previous control systems and while the other could be selected and programmed with custom code. 26 bytes of RAM were available to user programs. This increased the potential complexity of mechanisms and automated control and allowed for more complex driver control.

The driver station side of the control system includes the transmit box with ports for two PC joysticks, with CH Products joysticks once again included in the [[kit of parts]]. An array of switches and potentiometers was included in the kit to build a third custom controller. 16 digital switch signals and 8 channels of proportional output can be sent from the joysticks and custom control box. All custom controls are subject to the same parts rules as the components of the robot, although custom controls are not counted in the weight of the robot itself.

The kit of parts included two Hitec servos, four Tekin REBEL reversing speed controllers, two drill motors and mating gearboxes, four Delco seat motors, two Delphi tape drive window motors, two McCord-Winn Textron air pumps, and two Numatics valves. The two drill motors had to be controlled by the Tekin speed controllers and would typically be used in the drivetrain, leaving two controllers free for proportional control of seat or window motors.

The pneumatic accumulator could be charged before a match as long as it was filled by the pumps provided in the kit. The compressor did not need to be mounted to the robot but did still need to be powered from two 12 volt drill batteries.