Electrical and Programming
Tips and Tricks
October 22, 2011
Mr. Lim
Member of the original Canadian FRC team
First Canadian recipient of an FRC scholarship
Kettering University / GMI
Former COO of Flatline Solutions Inc (FSI)
Team 188
Started by 188 alumni
Former teacher @ Runnymede CI (Team 1310)
Current teacher @ Crescent School (Team 610)
Electrical Board Materials
Corrugated Plastic
Source:
¼” Birch Sheet (Baltic / Russian)
Source:
Front Lawns (Staples? Grand and Toy)
Lumber Yard (Home Depot?)
1/8” Lexan Sheet
Source:
Piedmont Plastics
Electrical Board Layout
Start w/ Battery
Breaker
Power Distribution Board (PDB)
Then work from PDB “outwards”
Footprint Cutouts
Mount a spare speed controller
Electrical Component Mounting
Zip Ties
Creating
plastic studs
Source: Sayal
Adhesive Velcro
Make
sure you are consistent which side goes where
Hook always on Component
Loop always on Electrical Board
Source: Home Depot
Wire Connectors
Battery Connector
Try
and use / cut the one they give you
Shorter length here MATTERS!
Source: Rosspar
Don’t
crimp without the proper crimper!
Solder using a torch…
Wire Connectors
Spade Tabs / Terminals
Replace
Motor-Side Ring Terminals with Spade Tabs
Source: Terminals: Sayal
Source: Tabs: Digi-Key
Disconnects at motor
Anderson
Power Pole (small)
Source: Rosspar
Wire Connectors
PWM Cables
Worth
it to make your own
ACCEPT ONLY PERFECT CRIMPS!!!
3 Conductor - 22 Gauge – Sheathed Wire
Source: Wire: Sayal
Source: Connectors: Digi-Key
Wire Labels
Most IMPORTANT Electrical Job
Label every wire at both ends
At every disconnect (again at both ends)
Give every motor a number
Usually numbered from bottom up
Motor’s speed controller is given the same number
Label all power wires 1, 2, 3, etc
Any motors wired BACKWARDS marked 1R, 2R, 3R, etc
Label PWM cables P1, P2, etc
Book of labels – Gardner Bender
Source: Sayal
Wire
Stranded – highest strand count you can afford
Automotive speaker wire is awesome, but expensive
6 Gauge: 6ft
12 Gauge: 50ft
18 Gauge: 50ft
BOTH RED AND BLACK
Source: Sayal
Wire Management
Sticky Feet
Wire Looms
Zip Ties
Source: Sayal
Cable Track
CUT WIRES TO EXACT LENGTHS
Cut
long, crimp one end, run wire, tie down, cut + crimp
Driver Controllers
Logitech Dual Action
Discontinued?
Logitech F310
Watch
the SWITCH
On the back
XBox controllers
Are
terrible
Driveability Algorithm
Complaint #1
Our robot drive control feels really sensitive
Easy Solution: Cubic Transfer Function
Encoders – Relative Rotation
What do they do?
Which one:
Grayhill
63R series
Source: Digikey
Hard to mount
Surgical
Expensive
Tubing!
Encoders – Relative Rotation
Which one:
US
Digital E4P
Source:
AndyMark
Easy to mount
Free!
Pinch 4 flaps on silver disk before installing
USE THE SPACER TOOL
Do not disconnect the wire… ever
Potentiometers – Absolute Rotation
What do they do?
Which one:
Bourns 6639
Source: Digikey
Continuous Rotation
1-Turn
Dead Zone
Potentiometers – Absolute Rotation
What do they do?
Which one:
Bourns
3590S
Source: Digikey
10-Turn
Switches
Avoid
Sensors
Gyro: Kit
No
complaints!
Free!
Ultrasonic
Measures
distance to wall, pole, robot, etc
LV-MaxSonar-EZ
Source: MaxBotix
PID Implementations
What is PID?
Arm
presets
Implement Through Code
Implement Through Jaguar’s Built-In PID
Play Time
Run and Inspect the Robot
Code is available at:
http://code.google.com/p/robotics610/
Questions?
0
