Electrical and Programming

Tips and Tricks

October 22, 2011

Mr. Lim

Member of the original Canadian FRC team Team 188

First Canadian recipient of an FRC scholarship Kettering University / GMI

Former COO of Flatline Solutions Inc (FSI) Started by 188 alumni

Former teacher @ Runnymede CI (Team 1310)

Current teacher @ Crescent School (Team 610)

Electrical Board Materials

Corrugated Plastic Source: Front Lawns (Staples? Grand and

Toy)

¼” Birch Sheet (Baltic / Russian) Source: 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 Tubing!

Expensive

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?