Unable to Connect to roboRIO in Driver Station, Imaging Tool or LabVIEW

Updated Jul 25, 2023

Reported In

Hardware

  • roboRIO-FRC
  • roboRIO

Software

  • LabVIEW

Issue Details

  • I cannot connect to my roboRIO via USB in the FRC Driver Station or in LabVIEW.
  • I cannot ping my FRC roboRIO, even though I can access the Web Interface (WIF) and can see the device in the roboRIO imaging tool.
  • Why does it not connect to the Driver Station?
  • The roboRIO Imaging Tool does not find my FRC roboRIO

Solution

  1. Make sure you have the latest Update Suite installed, including both LabVIEW Software for FRC and FRC Game Tools.
  2. Make sure your roboRIO is getting the correct power: the POWER LED should be green.
    1. Follow the next document if a FRC roboRIO Light is Red .
  3. Make sure the roboRIO is booting correctly: the STATUS LED should turn off after booting (solid orange for one minute).
    a. If the STATUS LED is blinking twice, there is no software loaded into your roboRIO, you need to reimage it
    b. If the STATUS LED is blinking three times, it is in safe mode
    c. If the STATUS LED is continuously blinking, please contact NI.
  4. Connect the roboRIO to the computer using a USB cable.
    1. Make sure there are no other roboRIOs connected to the computer. This includes other USB ports, Ethernet, and WiFi.
  5. Check you can ping the roboRIO using this connection (command line: ping 172.22.11.2)
    1. If you cannot ping the roboRIO, it is possible the USB cable/port is not correct, or that your computer is not associating the correct driver to the port.
  6. Check that the Driver Station has connectivity. You can use the Diagnostics tab in the left of the DS to see the connection details.
    1. Ensure your Team Number is set on the gear tab of the driver station.
    2. Make sure your Windows Firewall is off, and there is no antivirus blocking the connection between the Driver Station and the roboRIO.
    3. Try running the driver station as administrator (right click on the program and select Run as Administrator).
    4. Ensure there is not a driver station already connected to the robot. If you are connecting through the radio, ensure that there is just one computer connected to the radio.
  7. Put your roboRIO in SafeMode: hold down the reset button until the the STATUS light goes solid and then release the reset button. The roboRIO will now restart in SafeMode which is indicated by the STATUS light flashing three times in a row.
  8. Reboot your computer and check if the behavior is persistent when using a different computer.
  9. Reimage your roboRIO with the new firmware and format it.
    1. If the Imaging Tool cannot detect the roboRIO after ie being successfully connected to the DS, I recommend you check that the Imaging Tool is run as admin and without a firewall.
    2. If you see problems upgrading the firmware, please refer to: 2019 FRC Firmware Update Failing.
  10. If LabVIEW still cannot connect to it, please visit: LabVIEW for FRC shows Connection Failed to my roboRIO.

Additional Information

In the case where you can see the roboRIO in the imaging tool and in the WIF (NI Web Interface) but cannot access it using LabVIEW for FRC or the Driver Station, it is likely a software incompatibility. If you have a software incompatibility (i.e. an older version of the LabVIEW For FRC Update Suite), be sure to follow the installation guide