NetworkTables Networking

The advantage of the robot program being the server is that it’s at a known network name (and typically at a known address) that is based on the team number. This is why it’s possible in both the NetworkTables client API and in most dashboards to simply provide the team number, rather than a server address. As the robot program is the server, note this means the NetworkTables server is running on the local computer when running in simulation.

Starting a NetworkTables Server

Java

NetworkTableInstance inst = NetworkTableInstance.getDefault();
inst.startServer();

C++

nt::NetworkTableInstance inst = nt::NetworkTableInstance::GetDefault();
inst.StartServer();

C++ (Handle-based)

NT_Inst inst = nt::GetDefaultInstance();
nt::StartServer(inst, "networktables.json", "", NT_DEFAULT_PORT3, NT_DEFAULT_PORT4);

C

NT_Inst inst = NT_GetDefaultInstance();
NT_StartServer(inst, "networktables.json", "", NT_DEFAULT_PORT3, NT_DEFAULT_PORT4);

Python

import ntcore

inst = ntcore.NetworkTableInstance.getDefault()
inst.startServer()

Starting a NetworkTables Client

Java

NetworkTableInstance inst = NetworkTableInstance.getDefault();

// start a NT4 client
inst.startClient4("example client");

// connect to a roboRIO with team number TEAM
inst.setServerTeam(TEAM);

// starting a DS client will try to get the roboRIO address from the DS application
inst.startDSClient();

// connect to a specific host/port
inst.setServer("host", NetworkTableInstance.kDefaultPort4)

C++

nt::NetworkTableInstance inst = nt::NetworkTableInstance::GetDefault();

// start a NT4 client
inst.StartClient4("example client");

// connect to a roboRIO with team number TEAM
inst.SetServerTeam(TEAM);

// starting a DS client will try to get the roboRIO address from the DS application
inst.StartDSClient();

// connect to a specific host/port
inst.SetServer("host", NT_DEFAULT_PORT4)

C++ (Handle-based)

NT_Inst inst = nt::GetDefaultInstance();

// start a NT4 client
nt::StartClient4(inst, "example client");

// connect to a roboRIO with team number TEAM
nt::SetServerTeam(inst, TEAM);

// starting a DS client will try to get the roboRIO address from the DS application
nt::StartDSClient(inst);

// connect to a specific host/port
nt::SetServer(inst, "host", NT_DEFAULT_PORT4)

C

NT_Inst inst = NT_GetDefaultInstance();

// start a NT4 client
NT_StartClient4(inst, "example client");

// connect to a roboRIO with team number TEAM
NT_SetServerTeam(inst, TEAM);

// starting a DS client will try to get the roboRIO address from the DS application
NT_StartDSClient(inst);

// connect to a specific host/port
NT_SetServer(inst, "host", NT_DEFAULT_PORT4)

Python

import ntcore

inst = ntcore.NetworkTableInstance.getDefault()

# start a NT4 client
inst.startClient4("example client")

# connect to a roboRIO with team number TEAM
inst.setServerTeam(TEAM)

# starting a DS client will try to get the roboRIO address from the DS application
inst.startDSClient()

# connect to a specific host/port
inst.setServer("host", ntcore.NetworkTableInstance.kDefaultPort4)