Controller

Introduction

The VEX EXP Controller has buttons and two joysticks. Controller blocks can be used to check button presses, read joystick movement, enable or disable configured controller actions, or run blocks when controller events happen.

Configured controller actions are controller behaviors set in the Devices menu. Use the controller enable/disable block to temporarily enable or disable those configured actions during a project.

Below is a list of all blocks:

Values — Check controller button status or read joystick position.

• Controller pressed? — Returns whether a selected controller button is being pressed.

• Controller position — Returns the joystick position along a selected axis.

Actions — Enable or disable configured controller actions, or run blocks when controller input changes.

• Controller enable/disable — Enables or disables controller actions configured in the Devices menu for all connected controllers.

• when Controller button pressed — Runs the attached stack when a selected button is pressed or released.

• when Controller axis is changed — Runs the attached stack when a joystick’s position changes along the selected axis.

Values

Controller pressed?

The Controller pressed? Boolean block returns whether a selected Controller button is being pressed.

Controller pressed? Boolean block

    <Controller [L1 v] pressed?>

Parameter	Description
button	The button to check: L1 L2 L3 R1 R2 R3 ▲ ▼ A B

Example

When started, drives forward while the R1 button is pressed.

    when started
    [Drive forward while R1 is pressed.]
    forever
        if <Controller [R1 v] pressed?> then
            drive [forward v]
        else
            stop driving
        end
    end

Controller position

The Controller position reporter block returns the joystick position along a selected axis as a number from -100 to 100.

Controller position reporter block

    (Controller [1 v] position)

Parameter	Description
axis	The joystick axis to report: 1 — right joystick horizontal axis 2 — right joystick vertical axis 3 — left joystick vertical axis 4 — left joystick horizontal axis

Example

When started, drives forward while the left joystick is pushed up.

    when started
    [Drive forward while the left joystick is pushed up.]
    forever
        if <(Controller [3 v] position) [math_greater_than v] [0]> then
            drive [forward v]
        else
            stop driving
        end
    end

Actions

Controller enable/disable

The Controller enable/disable stack block enables or disables Controller configured actions from the Devices menu for all connected controllers.

Controller enable/disable stack block

    Controller [Disable v]

Parameter	Description
state	The Controller configured action state: Disable or Enable.

Example

When started, disables configured Controller actions while the robot drives forward.

    when started
    [Disable Controller configured actions until the drive movement is done.]
    Controller [Disable v]
    drive [forward v] for (6) [inches v] ▶
    Controller [Enable v]

when Controller button pressed

The when Controller button pressed Hat block runs the attached stack when a selected Controller button is pressed or released.

when Controller button pressed Hat block

    when Controller button [L1 v] [pressed v] :: hat events

Parameter	Description
button	The button to check: L1 L2 L3 R1 R2 R3 ▲ ▼ A B
button status	The button event that triggers the attached stack: pressed or released.

Example

When the R1 button is pressed, drives forward for 200 millimeters.

    when Controller button [R1 v] [pressed v] :: hat events
    [Drive forward when R1 is pressed.]
    drive [forward v] for (200) [mm v] ▶

when Controller axis is changed

The when Controller axis is changed Hat block runs the attached stack when a joystick’s position changes along the selected axis.

when Controller axis is changed Hat block

    when Controller axis [1 v] is changed :: hat events

Parameter	Description
axis	The joystick axis to check: 1 — right joystick horizontal axis 2 — right joystick vertical axis 3 — left joystick vertical axis 4 — left joystick horizontal axis

Example

When the joystick’s position changes along Controller axis 3, drives forward for 200 millimeters.

    when Controller axis [3 v] is changed :: hat events
    [Drive forward when the joystick's position changes along axis 3.]
    drive [forward v] for (200) [mm v] ▶