Mounting / Orientation of cRIO

[Red_Snowman]

Our team (2491) is in the process of mounting our electronics, and we remember from last year that there was a rule that mandated that teams mount the cRIO in a vertical position (mounted on a "wall" as opposed to on the "floor" of the robot). We've checked this year, and there doesn't seem to be any rules about this particular issue. Can anyone tell me if there is a rule about it that we missed, and if not, are there any risks associated with not mounting it vertically (I seem to remember there being some problem with dust collecting on non-vertical cRIOs...)? Thanks!

[AdamHeard]

Our team (2491) is in the process of mounting our electronics, and we remember from last year that there was a rule that mandated that teams mount the cRIO in a vertical position (mounted on a "wall" as opposed to on the "floor" of the robot). We've checked this year, and there doesn't seem to be any rules about this particular issue. Can anyone tell me if there is a rule about it that we missed, and if not, are there any risks associated with not mounting it vertically (I seem to remember there being some problem with dust collecting on non-vertical cRIOs...)? Thanks!

Nope, not a rule, and wasn't last year either.

[EricH]

I can find no rule addressing the orientation of the cRIO within the robot.

[jhersh]

Our team (2491) is in the process of mounting our electronics, and we remember from last year that there was a rule that mandated that teams mount the cRIO in a vertical position (mounted on a "wall" as opposed to on the "floor" of the robot). We've checked this year, and there doesn't seem to be any rules about this particular issue. Can anyone tell me if there is a rule about it that we missed, and if not, are there any risks associated with not mounting it vertically (I seem to remember there being some problem with dust collecting on non-vertical cRIOs...)? Thanks!

It's simply a suggestion / best practice / good-idea-if-it-fits-in-your-design. It's much harder to get shavings and metal dust into places on the cRIO that can damage it if it is side ways.

If our cRIO had been sideways when we ran the robot into a table with a bowl of salsa on it, perhaps our cRIO would not have become the salsa bowl. (It did... true story.) Please learn from our mistake. ::ouch::

[Red_Snowman]

Thanks for the clarification!