We are seeking clarification on whether our specific LED implementation is legal under the current Override game manual.
Our Setup:
A custom-made, non-VEX-branded 3-conductor wire with the appropriate 3-wire port connector on one end, plugged directly into a 3-wire port on the V5 Brain. The other end connects to an LED via a solderless crimp - no soldering, welding, gluing, or brazing is involved at any point. The LED has no independent power source and no independent microcontroller. It is powered and controlled entirely by the V5 Brain. The intended use is as a non-functional visual decoration to provide robot state feedback to our drive team. Question 1 - Does <R28> Apply to Our Custom Wire?
<R28> restricts modifications to electronic or pneumatic components of the VEX platform, specifically including "cables" and "any other electrical component of the VEX platform." Our 3-conductor wire is not a VEX component, it was fabricated from scratch and is not a modified or repaired VEX cable. We believe <R28> therefore does not govern this wire at all, as it only addresses modifications to existing VEX-platform components.
Is this interpretation correct, that <R28> does not apply to a custom-built wire that was never a VEX component to begin with?
Question 2 - Is There Any Rule Restricting What May Be Plugged Into a 3-Wire Port?
We are not aware of any rule in the current game manual that requires the wire or device plugged into a V5 Brain 3-wire port to be a VEX-branded component. <R20> governs custom V5 Smart Cables and restricts smart port usage to legal electronic devices, but we cannot identify equivalent language restricting 3-wire port connections to VEX-branded components only. The 3-wire port is a standard physical interface that VEX designed for external connections.
Is there any rule that prohibits plugging a custom (non-VEX) wire into a V5 Brain 3-wire port?
Question 3 - Legality as a Non-Functional Decoration Under <R23>
Assuming Questions 1 and 2 are resolved in our favor, we believe our LED qualifies as a legal non-functional decoration under <R23>. Specifically:
It does not affect robot performance or the outcome of a match. It serves no structural function. It does not mimic field elements or interfere with opponent sensors. It is powered solely by the V5 Brain battery, no additional power source. It is controlled by the V5 Brain, no additional microcontroller. In previous years, decorative LEDs controlled by the V5 Brain and used to provide visual feedback to drive team members have been permitted to an extent. The current <R23> continues to allow non-functional decorations, and we believe this use case falls within that permission.
Is a Brain-controlled LED, connected via a custom non-VEX wire plugged into a 3-wire port, legal as a non-functional decoration under <R23>, including for the purpose of providing visual robot-state feedback to drive team members?