Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

Ah, this makes more sense to me now. When I was introduced to SPICE it was rather sterile; having something like this might have made it more interesting. Is there someplace that says how much current I can draw from one of the pins?

It took me a second to figure out what mechanical devices were being referred to but I think it's these:
http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/211702
http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/212318

I can see why someone who was used to using those might need to be reminded about clearance issues when switching to something that lays flat.

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

Yes, those links are what I was referring to as planar boards.

If you poke around on that page, specifically on the board-only version, you'll see find that it uses the 90 degree connectors and has templates for accessories that using the mating 90 degree connector.

If you download the pdf Specifications, you'll find voltage, current, resolution, timing, and much more. Please keep in mind this is for a related product, and not the roboRIO. I'm not the HW guy and I don't actually have the details either. But this should get you in the ballpark.

Greg McKaskle

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

Just out of curiosity, are the horizontal and angled connector boards compatible in that I can swap one connector for the other? IE I have a board with a right angle connector for the MyRIO, can I de-solder that one, put in a vertical and now use it with a RoboRIO?

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

Sort of. You can swap the connectors, but then you may have to swap the orientation of the PCB (vertical vs. horizontal).

If you design a horizontal MXP for packaged myRIO-1900 and want to use this in the bare-board myRIO-1950 or roboRIO then you either have to:

a) use the same connector, but now the MXP is in a vertical "shark fin" orientation.
b) swap the connector, but now the MXP needs to be upside down to maintain proper signal connections, but it is horizontal.
c) swap the connector and spin the PCB so the signals are flipped. This gives you a horizontal board that isn't upside down.

This was a source of a very long debate during development. You could either flip the signals on the roboRIO/myRIO PCB when you go horizontal to vertical, or you flip the signals on the MXP boards. Maintaining a consistent pinout on "host side" of MXP was seen as more important, so that was the direction we went, but it does result in this little dance that happens when you go from horizontal to vertical MXP board-to-board connections.

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

For anyone looking, the relevant details seem to start on page 4 here:
http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/376047a.pdf

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

What does the user button do on the roboRIO?

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

Whatever you program it to ;) (it's just a button readable from user code)

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

That seems cool...

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

I just looked at both (myRIO and RoboRIO), and compared the pinouts and they appear they are not exactly the same as the myRIO standard. Or am I wrong?

http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/h...ector_pinouts/

Compare to here:

https://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-39578

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

They are the same. The only difference is the numbering convention and the notation that the DIO can also be used for PWM (which it can on the myRIO also, but is less important for that product).

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

I need to remind everyone that part of this rule is covered under the 2014
R53
CUSTOM CIRCUITS shall not directly alter the power pathways between the ROBOT battery, PD Board, motorcontrollers, relays, motors, or other elements of the ROBOT control system (items explicitly mentioned in R64). Custom high impedance voltage monitoring or low impedance current monitoring circuitry connected to the ROBOT’S electrical system is acceptable, if the effect on the ROBOT outputs is inconsequential.
I have to admit that even I forgot the implications here.

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

So per rule R53 a high impedance input from say an ATMEGA88 uController connected to the PWM signal line to monitor signal status would be Legal? It would be on the team to be show to show the inspector that it was actually an input it was connected to.

Although the PWM signal line is not really a power path way so maybe not?

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

Frank,
I think that would be a question for the GDC. In the past we always considered that rule for connections to the electrical power path not to the PWM path.

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

Actually if I wanted an PWM status indicator visible from the stands, I would hang a servo with a big arrow on a PWM splitter. Of course the only real difference there is the servo is a defined legal device.

Re: [FRC Blog] myRIO Expansion Port - What's the Deal?
 

Did you mean to be replying to this thread? http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...130303&page=11