Covering your electronics

[Squeje250]

how many people actually put a outside shell on there robot to protecet there electornics this year (like lexan). and if you have why do you think its nessary..... if you havent why do you think you dont need them?

[Jay H 237]

We covered our robot with thin stamped aluminum panels.

With all of our electronics and pnuematics mounted on a board right on top of the chassis there's a good chance (actually better than a good chance :rolleyes: ) that a tetra or something could land on top of it. There's a lot of expensive and critical parts to the robot that could get damaged.

Plus the covers give us space to display our sponsors. ;)

[Brandon Holley]

Our electronics are mounted DEEP inside our chassis, but we are still adding thin (1/16") lexan to ensure that nothing gets jammed inside. We felt it was necessary cause this year is going to have things moving everywhere. Tetras, robots, arms. Any could get stuck inside your robot. To us it just wasn't worth losing a match cause a tetra fell into our winch.

[Billfred]

On Ockham, all of the goods are tucked inside, nice and low and out of the way.

I would be more than shocked if anything happened to the electronics.

[Quatitos]

We covered up all our sides with lexan. In the front we went with strong stuff and put in a 1/4" thick piece to protect our lift and electronics from a frontal hit that is higher then our bumper. In the back we went lighter but still strong with 1/8" thick lexan. On our sides which didn't have very big open spaces we put 1/16" piece for the sponsor's stuff.

[TheMuffinMan]

We made our box all out of lexan, then bolted that in, we were able to easily remove it (or more easily) than if it was straight on robot. Our pneumatics is out in the open, but is built on a lexan sheet and is covered by a thin sheet on the back, and our arm plate on the top, but still easily accessible. Reason being was I think we were constantly in fear of some other robot accidently running into ours and knocking us out, so it's really well protected

[Greg Marra]

The covering gives us a nice big surface to write our team number on :cool:

[Confucius37]

We covered our robot with a good amount of lexan all around and we even made special plates to protect the solenoids mounted on the arm. They provide a great place to put sponsor/team stickers and have saved us many a time from stray robot arms last year.

[thoughtful]

Our robot like most, has pneumatics and electronics near the chasis. We have it covered with 1/8" lexaine. We did this mostly to protect it form flying/dropping tetras. Also a flipped over robot or an arm can really damage your controller and put you out for couple of matches

[Erics626]

Our electronics are protected from falling tetras by a carbon fiber platform that has been tested...and it works. On one of the first attempts to lift a tetra, the carbon fiber was the only thing that stopped the tetra from destroying the electronics. We also have a hinged piece of lexan in the front for easy access to the battery and for more protection.

[Ian Curtis]

We have a shell on our electronics becuase they were almost killed by a tetra in week 5. Also our electronics covers got scratched up pretty good last year. :yikes:

[EricH]

Why wouldn't you protect the electronics with lexan? Plus, graphics and sponsor labels get space.

[Kyle]

MOE used lexan to cover the sides of our bot and electronics panels, the top part has perferated(sp ?) metal sheets and another side has a different kind of perf board on it.
With out those pieces on the bot for the past fews years we would be torn apart in our first match.

[Andrew]

One year, a robot ended up on top of our robot with their treads spinning on top of our controller box. Had we had exposed controller and wiring, our controls would have been toast.

This year, with all of the "pokey sticks" out there, it will be a miracle if no one loses wiring or electronics to an accidental poke.

[CyberWolf_22]

We have made sure to protect our robot to the maximum ever since our second year when we forgot our front panel in a scrimmage and a robot had some form of a hook (I was not in robotics yet) and ripped all of our electronics and pneumatics out, on to the field. This year we have all four sides of our robot protected and a nice big slanted sheet of 3/16 in Lexan covering the entire top with a cut out for our mast, and a hinged door for our battery and backup battery. Normally we only use 1/8 in Lexan for protection but this year we were way under weight so we used 1/4 in or 3/16 in everywhere. The reason this year's game requires the robots to be protected is because the tetras and hooks/manipulators from other robots can find there way into small opening and damage your robot.

[MasonMM]

Why wouldn't you protect the electronics with lexan?

weight!

we dont have any skins or covering over our robot, but all of our electronics are in a sealed box in the heart of the base. A few wires are visable, and two potentiometers... but theres enough chain going around everything that i think a tetra would get stuck in that first before it hit us where it hurts...

In past years we've had a lower base or there were balls that could easily bounce anywhere, but the tetras are so much bigger we arn't worried about them getting into the small hard to reach places.

[mgreenley]

I do not believe that this had come up yet, but I'm pretty sure that if you check out the indpection list (posted on the USFIRST site), and then reference the rule on entaglement (I'll edit this post and give a specific rule so you don't have to hunt, but I've got somewhere to be at 10:00 (and it's 9:58 :o )), you will find that it considers any space larger than 4in^2 to be a hazard. An uncovered robot would most certaintly then be considered a hazard.

[Shu Song]

Ours is covered on front and back with heavy duty laminated paper and lexan respectively. The sides are protected by lexan. There's no covering over the top because the front covering is slanted and will also deflect anything coming from the top.

The electronics this year got the most covering out of the other years I've been on the team as far as I know. I just dread that thought of something punching through the RC during a match, still keeps me up at night.

[Doug G]

We got so tired of the same ol' box shape we've been using for the fast 3 years, we decided to try and keep our frame to one level. We have lexan protecting our electronics and placed a "push bar" in the front, but we left our wheels, compressor and air tanks pretty much exposed. I'm a little nervous, we'll see in a few days at Sac Regional.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

weight!

we dont have any skins or covering over our robot, but all of our electronics are in a sealed box in the heart of the base. A few wires are visable, and two potentiometers... but theres enough chain going around everything that i think a tetra would get stuck in that first before it hit us where it hurts...

Mason,
Please remember that inspectors and IFI personnel need to be able to see the RC while the robot is powered.
As a reminder to all, entanglement issues are investigated to make sure "YOU" can continue to play. If another robot should get entangled in hoses and wires on your robot, you will likely receive more damage and may stop altogether.

Please also note that the team compliance statement on the inspection form has a place for the Team Inspector as well as captain and mentor.

[team222badbrad]

Why do we cover our robot with lexan?

A few dollars of lexan protect expensive equipment/electronics.

Money = Something we do not want to spend on something that could have been prevented from damage.

Also a place for team number, sponsers, and our TIGER EYES!

[jdiwnab]

we had are RC and breaker panel seprate from the rest of the electronics (space). We covered the places for the panels on all sides (and made sure not to get out of the box). The other electronics were almost hidden, but vulerable enough so we covered that too with lexan. Becuase of the location (CIMs, 7 victors, FPs all in a small pocket), we also put one of those big fans to keep it cool. Another reason that armor could be bad, but I would still use it.

Every year, we have armored. And there has been more and more armor each time (umbrella, slight cover, metal cover, full sheld, full sheld with metal bars surrounding). Nothing very dangerous has happened. But last year, we flipped and our armor came off when the battery flew out, which could have broken something. So we put it under the arm this year. The only way it could go anywhere is out the frount (small gap), where there is nothing.

[408Oxidation]

Ours is semi-covered. It's protected by the chassis but if something gets under the robot we're screwed. I wanted to add lexan around it but wasn't allowed... i'm definitely putting some on at UCF though, don't want anything breaking... *shudder*

[FusionDude364]

All of our electronics is mounted in the center portions of our robot, on the bottom base. Alot of our wires are run under the robot, zip tied up in the angle iron that forms part of our frame. It is protected from the side by the frame, on the back we have some carbon fiber on a vertical piece of the frame. On the top we covered the entire top of the robot with clear lexan. The only place we are vulnerable as far as accidental ripping out of electronics is from the front, but even that is covered with a small amount of lexan. Picture here (http://www.teamfusion364.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Magnish4&file=index&gallery_ID=9&image_number=0&cont=display_image_page) .

[Babyhueyhnx]

The bottom of our bot is sectioned in lexan and mounted to the frame. We also have (I'm not sure of the gage but i think its 24) sheet metal sides to protect the drive train and lexan front and back to see speed controllers and control panel. Then on top a cover to make sure no bot accidentally hooks our guts.

Remember you need to have easy access to your main breaker. First rules say that there should be no obstruction to the breaker.

[JMH]

you should always cover your electronics because the people who wired the system put a lot of time and effort in to it and they dont want to make any major changes to the wiring. So protect it please.

[savage]

this year for team 1368 i made all of the eltronics in a box that was made out of 1/4 lexan it weighd 13.5 pounds and i could be taken out in less then 5 mins. it whent in the front of the robot i posted a pic of it a while ago.

i felt the need this year to do that because last years eltronics was a rats nets.

and i felt it would look great whitch i got a lot of complements at the fl regoinal at ucf.

also are arm would come right down on top of it

ben 1368

[Al Skierkiewicz]

After having been Lead Inspector at Boilermaker over the weekend, I do need to remind everyone of a few things electrical. You must use the SLU70 compression connectors provided in the kit. These must be on all #6 (or larger) wires attached to batteries, 120 amp circuit breaker and breaker panel input. And please remember that all connectors and battery terminals need to insulated. Should a tool fall on the unprotected terminals of a battery, the tool may weld itself in place causing a permanent dead short. All batteries must be the EX18 or ES18 stated in the robot manual and inspection checklist and can be charged with the six amp chargers specified. Inspectors and IFI people need to be able to see the RC, OI, speed controllers and Spikes to help you when problems arise. You must have version 10 firmware loaded in the RC. This is available on the IFI website with the instructions and loader software.
Don't forget you need a student for team inspector and team captain as well as a mentor to sign the compliance statement on the inspection checklists.
See you during inspections at the Midwest Regional on Thursday.

[Btower]

As field manager for two regionals, I have a couple of observations:

1. Protect the Electronics
2. Cover the unused I/O Pins on the RC especially when you are working on the bot. Between GLR and Detroit we saw at least 10 cases of contamination causing comm or control problems on otherwise functional bots. After the pins were cleaned, operation returned to normal.
3. The Field manager, refs and IFI reps all want to help have technically flawless competitions, therefore make the RC, spikes etc visible as we check before the start of each match.
4. Accessibility, battery lugs will loosen, you will occasionally need to reset the RC, etc. Make the electronics as accessible as possible.



Good Luck,

Ben Tower

[Mike]

Wait, pleeaase don't tell me some teams don't protect their electronics. I beg you, have mercy on your robot's brain.

[The Lucas]

2. Cover the unused I/O Pins on the RC especially when you are working on the bot. Between GLR and Detroit we saw at least 10 cases of contamination causing comm or control problems on otherwise functional bots. After the pins were cleaned, operation returned to normal.


Check the RC Hardware LED on your controller. If it is yellow, you have a short. Clean off the I/O pins immediately. It will make your sensors stop working. I saw this twice at Pitt.

[WhatevaForever]

We had to mount our electronic board vertically on our arm...so the electronics would be completely unprotected if we didn't cover it with lexan. We also mounted the board itself so it acted as a wall of the arm...therefore the mount itself is lexan as well.


how many people actually put a outside shell on there robot to protecet there electornics this year (like lexan). and if you have why do you think its nessary..... if you havent why do you think you dont need them?

[danield710]

We use lexan every year to cover up our electronics and pneumatics, first off the lexan gives u protection from tetras that can fall on the electronics or if a robot rams into your side the lexan protects everything on the inside, also like many of you have said before its a good space for graphics and labels for your sponsors and team number and name

[Bcahn836]

We mounted our electronics and pneumatics stuff to a lexan board and mounted the board upside down and put it on hinges, so you can fold it up and work on it. This works really well because most of the debris falls on to the chassis of the robot and out of the electronics board. And we mounted the OI right side up with some spaces so it is under the lexan but facing up so you can see it.

[KTorak]

Our electronics are exposed. Only thing really protected is the Robot Controller. We orginally has a "rib-cage" made out of lexan, but during finals...we were in too much of a hurry t remember to grab it...it didn't matter thiugh, but a tetra would easily kill our circuit box. I want to try and find some 1/8" lexan and maybe make something for nationals thats a little better.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

We mounted our electronics and pneumatics stuff to a lexan board and mounted the board upside down ...
How did you guys pass inspection, IFI people need to see the lights on the RC when you compete?

[Bcahn836]

How did you guys pass inspection, IFI people need to see the lights on the RC when you compete?


This year we used the transmission support plate from the kit, turned it upside down and mounted the fuse panel, OI, main circuit breaker and the back up battery. To cover those components we took a piece of lexan mounted all the remaining electronics and pneumatics stuff to it and turned it upside down, making sure nothing was covering the OI. The radio was mounted on the frame, high on the arm.