what is an OpMode for

An OpMode, which stands for "operational mode," is a computer program you write to customize and control your robot's behavior so it can perform tasks and score points during a match. You select the OpMode on your Driver Station device, and the Robot Controller executes it to make the robot run.

Depending on what you want the robot to do during the match, you will use different types of OpModes. For the autonomous period where the robot needs to run a strict, sequential set of instructions on its own, you will use a LinearOpMode. For the driver-controlled TeleOp period where you need to constantly read gamepad inputs and update the motors in a continuous loop, you will use a standard iterative OpMode.

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Control System Introduction > What’s an OpMode?

FTC Docs·BSD 3-Clause

During a typical FIRST Tech Challenge match, a team’s robot has to perform a variety of tasks in an effort to score points. For example, a team might want their robot to follow a white line on the competition floor and then score a game element (such as a ball) into a goal autonomously during a match. Teams write “OpModes” (which stand for “operational modes”) to specify the behavior for their robot.

An OpMode is a computer program that is used to customize the behavior of a competition robot. The Robot Controller can execute a selected OpMode to perform certain tasks during a match.

Teams who are participating in FIRST Tech Challenge have a variety of programming tools that they can use to create their own OpMode. Teams can use a visual (“drag and drop”) programming tool called the Blocks Programming Tool to create their op modes. Teams can also use a text-based Java tool known as the OnBot Java Programming Tool or Google’s Android Studio integrated development environment (also known as an “IDE”) to create their OpModes.

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Creating and Running an Op Mode OBJ > What's an Op Mode?

FTC Docs·BSD 3-Clause

During a typical FIRST Tech Challenge match, a team's robot must perform a variety of tasks to score points. For example, a team might want their robot to follow a white line on the competition floor and then score a game element into a goal autonomously during a match. Teams write programs called OpModes (which stands for "operational modes") to specify the behavior for their robot. These OpModes run on the Robot Controller phone after being selected on the DRIVER STATION device.

Teams who are participating in the FIRST Tech Challenge have a variety of programming tools that they can use to create their own OpModes. This document explains how to use the OnBot Java Programming Tool to write an op mode for a robot.

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What is an OpMode? | REV DUO Control System

This source does not publish a licence, so its text is not reproduced here. Open the source to read it.

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What is an OpMode? | REV DUO Control System

This source does not publish a licence, so its text is not reproduced here. Open the source to read it.

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Choosing Your OpMode Type

Telemark·Team owned

OpMode is the base class. It has init(), init_loop(), start(), loop(), and stop() lifecycle methods that are called by the SDK. You never write your own outer control loop in this model. The SDK handles the timing and repeatedly calls loop() for you.

LinearOpMode extends OpMode and gives you a single runOpMode() method. Inside runOpMode(), you control execution flow yourself using waitForStart() and while (!isStopRequested()) style logic.

The golden rule is simple:

TeleOp always uses OpMode.
Autonomous always uses LinearOpMode.

Why this rule works:

TeleOp needs the SDK's loop timing so gamepad input is refreshed correctly.
Autonomous needs sequential control flow: do this, then that, then this.

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FTC SDK API > com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode > OpMode

FTC SDK API·BSD 3-Clause

Base class for user-defined iterative operation modes (OpModes). The OpMode name should be unique. It will be the name displayed on the driver station. If multiple OpModes have the same name, only one will be available.

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Telemark·Team owned

| Category | OpMode | LinearOpMode | |---|---|---| | Used for | TeleOp | Autonomous | | Main method | loop() | runOpMode() | | Flow control | SDK handles it | You write it | | Gamepad input | ✅ Yes | ❌ Never | | Sequential steps | Awkward | Natural |

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LinearOpMode vs OpMode

Game Manual 0·CC BY-NC 4.0

There are two OpMode classes within the FTC® SDK: OpMode and LinearOpMode. The one you use affects how you write the program. For examples of how to use OpMode and LinearOpMode, refer to the example OpModes in the SDK (https://github.com/FIRST-Tech-Challenge/FtcRobotController/tree/master/FtcRobotController/src/main/java/org/firstinspires/ftc/robotcontroller/external/samples).

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LinearOpMode vs OpMode > Conclusion

Game Manual 0·CC BY-NC 4.0

Overall, the use of LinearOpMode or OpMode is up to preference. Game Manual 0 uses LinearOpMode everywhere for consistency.

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Creating an OpMode - Blocks | REV DUO Control System

This source does not publish a licence, so its text is not reproduced here. Open the source to read it.

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FTC SDK API > com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode > LinearOpMode

FTC SDK API·BSD 3-Clause

Base class for user defined linear operation modes (linear OpModes). This class derives from OpMode , but you are not able to override the methods defined in OpMode.

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FTC SDK API > com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode > OpModeManagerImpl.DefaultOpMode

FTC SDK API·BSD 3-Clause

DefaultOpMode is the OpMode that the system runs when no user OpMode is active.Note that it's not necessarily the case that this OpMode runs when a user OpMode stops: thereare situations in which we can transition directly for one user OpMode to another.

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Creating an OpMode - OnBot | REV DUO Control System

This source does not publish a licence, so its text is not reproduced here. Open the source to read it.

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LinearOpMode vs OpMode > OpMode Methods

Game Manual 0·CC BY-NC 4.0

init(): Code inside this method will run exactly once after you press the INIT button on the driver station.
init_loop(): Once the code in init() has been run, code inside this method will run continuously until the START button is pressed on the driver station.
start(): Code inside this method will run exactly once after you press the START button on the driver station.
loop(): Once the code in start() has been run, code inside this method will run continuously until the STOP button is pressed on the driver station.
stop(): Code inside this method will run exactly once after you press the STOP button on the driver station.

Note: As of SDK version 8.1, when executing OpModes there is a negligible delay of one millisecond between calls of loop(). Previously, it had unpredictable delays, however since 8.1 it is similarly performant to LinearOpMode.

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Sample OpModes

FTC Docs·BSD 3-Clause

The intent of this tutorial is to describe the available camera controls, allowing programmers to develop their own solutions guided by the SDK API (Javadoc).

Rather than reproduce sample code here, this page points to the OpModes in the FtcRobotController repository (https://github.com/FIRST-Tech-Challenge/FtcRobotController/tree/master/FtcRobotController/src/main/java/org/firstinspires/ftc/robotcontroller/external/samples), which are maintained alongside the SDK and updated each season. The same samples are available in Android Studio and OnBot Java, under FtcRobotController/external/samples.

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Managing OpModes in Blocks Blocks > Downloading an OpMode

FTC Docs·BSD 3-Clause

Once an OpMode has been saved to a device, the OpMode can be selected via the DRIVER STATION or edited again via the programming interfaces. However, that Blocks program only exists as a Blocks File (.blk) on the device. Often it is desirable to save a copy of the program on your laptop (or on another device, or in some other safe location) or provide the program for use by others (teammates, another robot, other teams, provide online, etc.).

In order to get a copy of the Blocks program from the device, you need to download the program from the device. You can do this in one of two ways, either through the editing interface or the main Blocks management interface.

Open FTC Docs