Lab 0: Set Up and Create the TestBed Project#

Why it matters#

Before you can make anything move, you need the right tools on your laptop and a project that can reach the test bed. That's this lab. Nothing will spin yet. By the end you'll have:

• every program an FRC programmer needs, installed
• a robot project named TestBed, with REV's library added
• that project deployed to the test bed's roboRIO
• a message you wrote, printed by the real robot

You'll keep using this same TestBed project in every lab after this one, so take your time and get it right.

Read this#

• WPILib Installation Guide
• FRC Game Tools
• 3rd Party Libraries (vendor dependencies)
• Building and Deploying Robot Code

Walkthrough#

Part 1: Install the tools#

Install all four. Each one is free. Use this season's version of each, the same as the rest of the team.

Check your installs:

• WPILib VS Code opens (look for the WPILib logo)
• The FRC Driver Station opens
• REV Hardware Client opens
• In a terminal, git --version prints a version number

Part 2: Create the TestBed project#

1. Open WPILib VS Code.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P and run WPILib: Create a new project.

3. Fill in the form:

   Field	Value
   Project type	Template
   Language	Java
   Project base	Command Robot
   Base folder	Your robotics folder
   Project name	TestBed
   Team number	4674

4. Click Generate Project and open it.

The New Project Creator, filled in. Your folder, name, and team number will differ. From the WPILib docs, Creating a Robot Program (CC BY 4.0).

The team number matters more than it looks. When you deploy, WPILib uses it to find the robot on the network (as roboRIO-4674-FRC.local). The wrong number means "roboRIO not found."

Part 3: Look around#

Open these files. You don't need to change them yet, but you should know what each is for:

Part 4: Install REVLib#

The test bed's motor controllers are REV SPARK MAXes. WPILib doesn't include code for them, so you add REV's library, REVLib, as a vendor dependency ("vendordep").

1. Click the WPILib icon in VS Code's left sidebar and open Vendor Dependencies.
2. Find REVLib in the list and click Install.
3. If VS Code asks to build or refresh the project, say yes.
4. Check that a file like REVLib.json now appears in the vendordeps/ folder.

The Vendor Dependencies sidebar: installed libraries at the top, available ones below, each with an Install button. From the WPILib docs, 3rd Party Libraries (CC BY 4.0).

If you don't see the sidebar, use Ctrl+Shift+P → WPILib: Manage Vendor Libraries instead.

Part 5: Say hello#

Open Robot.java and find the constructor, public Robot(). Add one line at the top, with your real name:

public Robot() {
    System.out.println("Hello from the TestBed! Written by YOUR NAME.");
    // Instantiate our RobotContainer. This will perform all our button bindings, and put our
    // autonomous chooser on the dashboard.
    m_robotContainer = new RobotContainer();
}

This line runs once, when the robot program starts.

Part 6: Build#

Make sure the code compiles before touching the robot:

Ctrl+Shift+P → WPILib: Build Robot Code

You should see BUILD SUCCESSFUL in the terminal at the bottom. If it fails, read the first error: line, fix it, and build again (Lesson 2).

Where to look: BUILD SUCCESSFUL appears in the terminal panel (1). From the WPILib docs, Building and Deploying Robot Code (CC BY 4.0).

Part 7: Power up and connect#

1. Plug a charged battery into the test bed and turn on the main breaker.
2. Wait about 30 seconds for the roboRIO to boot.
3. Connect your laptop to the roboRIO with an Ethernet or USB cable. The test bed has no radio, so there's no Wi-Fi.
4. Open the Driver Station and set the team number to 4674 (the gear tab, on the left).
5. The Communications light on the Driver Station should turn green.

The Robot Code light is probably red. That's fine: there's no code on the robot yet, or it's someone else's old code.

Part 8: Deploy#

Ctrl+Shift+P → WPILib: Deploy Robot Code

This builds your code, copies it to the roboRIO, and restarts the robot program. It takes about 15 to 30 seconds. Near the end, the terminal shows lines like this:

-C-> . /etc/profile.d/natinst-path.sh; /usr/local/frc/bin/frcKillRobot.sh -t -r ...
BUILD SUCCESSFUL in 12s

frcKillRobot stops the old robot program and starts yours. When it finishes, the Robot Code light on the Driver Station turns green. That's your code running on real hardware.

Part 9: See your message#

Your println went to the robot's console. Open it either way:

• In VS Code: Ctrl+Shift+P → WPILib: Start RioLog
• In the Driver Station: click the gear icon above the message box and choose View Console

The RioLog window. Your messages appear in the big area; the buttons below pause, clear, and filter it. From the WPILib docs, Viewing Console Output (CC BY 4.0).

Look for:

Hello from the TestBed! Written by YOUR NAME.

If you missed it, restart the robot code from the Driver Station (Restart Robot Code on the Diagnostics tab) and watch it print again.

Part 10: Enable (nothing should move)#

1. Say "Enabling!" out loud.
2. In the Driver Station, choose TeleOperated and click Enable.
3. Watch the orange Robot Signal Light on the test bed: it blinks while enabled.
4. Click Disable, or press Enter. The light goes back to solid.

Part 11: Save it with Git#

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Lab 0: TestBed project with REVLib"

From now on, commit after each lab, so you can always get back to working code.

When it doesn't work#

Try it#

• Install WPILib, FRC Game Tools, REV Hardware Client, and Git
• Create TestBed from the Command Robot template with team number 4674
• Install REVLib and find its file in vendordeps/
• Add your hello message and build successfully
• Deploy to the test bed and get a green Robot Code light
• Find your message in RioLog or the Driver Station console
• Enable and disable, and watch the Robot Signal Light change
• Commit TestBed to Git

Check yourself#