Electrical and Programming
Tips and Tricks
October 22, 2011
Mr. Lim
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Member of the original Canadian FRC team
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First Canadian recipient of an FRC scholarship
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Kettering University / GMI
Former COO of Flatline Solutions Inc (FSI)
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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

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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
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Label every wire at both ends
At every disconnect (again at both ends)
Give every motor a number
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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
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Wire Management

Sticky Feet
Wire Looms
Zip Ties
Source: Sayal
Cable Track

CUT WIRES TO EXACT LENGTHS


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 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

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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

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
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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?