FTC Phone Pairing

Introduction

The recent generation of FTC apps (after 6.2, 7.0 and 7.1) is extremely reliable for pairing, including between all models of FTC-legal phones.

When the Android phones have been suitably prepared, pairing via Wi-Fi Direct is fast and usually automatic. Here is a procedure that addresses various pre-existing conditions that can impede pairing.

This article does not cover the REV Control Hub or REV Driver Hub.

Legal Phones

As of POWERPLAY 2022-2023, these are legal FTC phones:

• Motorola Moto G 2nd Generation
• Motorola Moto G 3rd Generation
• Motorola Moto G4 Play (XT1607 & XT1609 supported)
• Motorola Moto G5
• Motorola Moto G5 Plus
• Motorola Moto E4 (XT1765, XT1765PP, XT1766, XT1767)
• Motorola Moto E5 (XT1920)
• Motorola Moto E5 Play (XT1921)

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Phone Cleanup and Prep

a. On RC phone: if needed, select Settings/Accounts/Google/select/3 dots/Remove account/confirm. Repeat for any other accounts. Also remove any non-FTC apps/games that might run in the background or attempt updates.

b. On RC phone: force quit (swipe away) all apps, including FTC app.

c. RC phone, Apps/Settings/Wi-Fi. Manually select and Forget any saved Networks.

d. RC phone, still in WiFi menu: navigate to Wi-Fi Direct menu (via More Settings or Advanced).

• d1. Select and forget/disconnect any connections with Peer Devices, including the current FTC phone pairing. This may take a few tries; OK to give up if disconnect not acknowledged.

  • If the top item shows 'Created Group', Disconnect it.
  • If you inadvertently create an Invitation pop-up on the other phone, Decline on the other phone and Cancel on this phone. In rare cases, the Invite prompt is underneath any open windows on the RC phone.
  • Pairing will be done later in the apps; see below.

• d2. Select and Forget all Remembered Groups, including any FTC phone pairings. (This can also be done from Advanced RC Settings from either FTC app.) Your goal after steps d1 and d2: 'Not visible', no 'Peer devices', no 'Remembered groups'.

• d3. If needed, Rename/Configure phone now to legal name, e.g. 12345-A-RC or 12345-RC. (This can also be done from Settings in each FTC app.)

• d4. Optional for Moto phones only: Configure device/Limit 2 devices, 'Inactivity timeout' Never, check box 'Auto connect remembered groups'. (Note: timeout is not persistent, re-check occasionally.)

e. Force quit to device home screen. Swipe down twice from top, do this in order:

• Airplane Mode ON
• Wi-Fi ON (usually toggles off when Airplane Mode is turned on), then Done
• Bluetooth OFF
• Location OFF, only for Android 6.x or 7.x

f. repeat above steps on DS phone.

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Pairing

1. On RC phone: open the current season's RC app (now 8.0 or 8.1.1). Check Self Inspect for any RC issues.

2. On DS phone: open the current season's DS app (now 8.0 or 8.1.1). Check Self Inspect for any DS issues.

3. On DS phone: Menu (3 dots)/Settings. Confirm 'Pairing Method' is Wi-Fi Direct. Open 'Pair with Robot Controller'. (Do not pair using phone/Android menu.)

4. Filter can remain on, be patient and wait for the app to find the matching device. Or turn off Filter to see all devices within a few seconds. Choose the corresponding RC phone, touch Back, and Back again to return to the DS home screen.

5. Look at RC phone, accept the Invitation there. In rare cases, the Invite prompt is underneath any open windows on the RC phone. Pairing will happen within seconds.

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Summary

The above procedure may seem long, but it covers conditions that should not have been present in the first place. Going forward, pairing will be fast and reliable -- usually automatic.

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