Can I use any type of switch on my controler interface?
 

Posted by CArobot at 1/17/2001 9:48 PM EST


Other on team #619, CArobot, from Charlottesville Albemarle.



Can I use any type of switch on my controler interface?

no lighted switches...
 

Posted by Joe Johnson at 1/17/2001 9:58 PM EST


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.


In Reply to: Can I use any type of switch on my controler interface?
Posted by CArobot on 1/17/2001 9:48 PM EST:



I think yes. I have not read the rules that closely
yet, but I think that I recalled switches being allowed
as long as they were not lighted switches.

Joe J.

Re: no lighted switches...
 

Posted by Brian at 1/17/2001 10:07 PM EST


Student on team #56, Robbe Xtreme, from Bound Brook High School and Ethicon Inc..


In Reply to: no lighted switches...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/17/2001 9:58 PM EST:



Joe,
How come they dont allow lighted switches?
Just curious
I know curiousity killed the cat or something like that

Brian

Re: no lighted switches...
 

Posted by Matt Leese at 1/17/2001 10:37 PM EST


Other on team #73, Tigerbolt, from Edison Technical HS and Alstom & Rochester Institute of Technology.


In Reply to: Re: no lighted switches...
Posted by Brian on 1/17/2001 10:07 PM EST:



And satisfaction brought it back. ;) But seriously, I believe they don't allow lighted switches because of the way power is fed from the Operator Interface. First of all, if the power draw is too great then the OI might assume that the switch is tripped when it's not. The other reasoning would be that they don't allow other lights so why would they allow lights on switches. ;)

Matt

Re: no lighted switches...
 

Posted by Nate Smith at 1/18/2001 12:30 PM EST


Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.


In Reply to: Re: no lighted switches...
Posted by Matt Leese on 1/17/2001 10:37 PM EST:



From what I've heard from Innovation First and FIRST in the past, the +5V available on the joystick ports is a very low amperage, intended only for the potentiometers within the joysticks or in a custom control box/arm/whatever...the concern was that the amperage was not high enough to reliably power the lights within a lighted switch. However, you do have the LED driver pins in two of the ports that you can wire a LED to if you want to have a software-controlled light on your operator controls...

Re: no lighted switches...
 

Posted by Nate Smith at 1/18/2001 12:33 PM EST


Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.


In Reply to: no lighted switches...
Posted by Joe Johnson on 1/17/2001 9:58 PM EST:



: I think yes. I have not read the rules that closely
: yet, but I think that I recalled switches being allowed
: as long as they were not lighted switches.

: Joe J.

Yep...it was originally left out of the AHL, but was added in a later update(#3 i think)...and the official ruling is any non-illuminated, non-powered switches(no, they won't let you have a keypad with a circuit between the OI and the keypad - I asked last year =) that are wired within the rules for the control system are allowed.

nate