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Phoenix Tuner X Training

Phoenix Tuner X is the primary application used to configure, test, and diagnose hardware made by CTRE (Cross The Road Electronics). Over the past few years, our team has transitioned to using CTRE devices for nearly every major robot mechanism, including motors, encoders, CANcoders, CANrange distance sensors, Pigeon gyroscopes, and more.

In this lesson, you will learn how to:

  • Connect to a robot using Phoenix Tuner X.
  • Navigate the application’s interface.
  • Configure and test CTRE hardware.
  • Understand where to find documentation for CTRE devices.
  • Generate a complete swerve drivetrain project using CTRE’s Swerve Project Generator.

This training is designed to familiarize you with the software—not to make you memorize every feature. The goal is that, when you encounter Phoenix Tuner X during the season, you’ll recognize where tools and settings are located and know where to find the information you need.

Before You Start

Installation

Your first step is to install via the Microsoft Store, Apple app store, or Google Play Store. Search up “Phoenix Tuner X” and install it.

Before working on a robot, spend some time reading through CTRE’s official documentation.

Documentation: CTRE Phoenix Tuner X Documentation 

If you ever need these resources again, simply search “CTRE Docs”. The documentation contains guides for every CTRE device and software tool our team uses.

Read through every article in the Phoenix Tuner X section, stopping before the Profile page. Once you’ve finished those articles, continue to the Swerve Project Generator documentation and read through that as well.

As you read, focus on becoming familiar with:

  • What tools Phoenix Tuner X provides.
  • How devices are discovered and configured.
  • Where important settings are located.
  • How to troubleshoot common issues.
  • How the Swerve Project Generator creates a robot project.

Again, don’t worry about memorizing every button or menu. The objective is simply to recognize what exists so you know where to look when you need it later.

Hands-On Activity

Once you’ve finished the reading, let one of the programming leads know that you’re ready.

You will be paired with 1–2 other learning students and an experienced programming student on an available swerve drivetrain.

Together, you will:

  1. Connect to the robot using Phoenix Tuner X.
  2. Discover the robot’s CTRE devices.
  3. Configure a motor.
  4. Practice modifying and applying a configuration.
  5. Test motor movement and graph data.
  6. Explore the robot’s sensors and other connected devices.
  7. Generate a new swerve project using CTRE’s Swerve Project Generator and understand how the generated code is organized.

By the end of this activity, you should feel comfortable opening Phoenix Tuner X, connecting to a robot, navigating the software, configuring CTRE hardware, and knowing where to find help in the official documentation whenever you need it.

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