Motor Controllers
 

So this is a question that I have had for a few years now, and never really gotten a good answer to it:

Which motor controller is the best for which situation? Meaning is there specific applications were one controller is better then the other, or is there just one motor controller which is the best, period?

This question has resurfaced for me especially with the creation of the new motor controllers such as the spark.

Thanks,
JP
Co-Captain Team 806

Re: Motor Controllers
 

In 2013 we liked the Talon because chips and aluminum dust kept destroying our Jags. We also like the 888 because the fan is already installed.
Going forward we are trying out the new Talons with a CAN bus.

Would like to here from others on how they connect the Talon green and yellow CAN wires together. Vex sells a nice device but it's expensive and it takes up a lot of room.

Dave

Re: Motor Controllers
 

My personal favorite is the Victor 888, but I chose the Spark because it does basically the same thing, costs about half, and it's still available. I would say the only case where I wouldn't use the Spark or Victor is if I wanted to do built-in PID control, where I would use the Talon SRX.

I've used Jaguars a number of times (against my will) and all I can say is NEVER AGAIN. They take up a ton of room, are prone to breaking (I had one that screeched at me), using CAN is practically impossible, and therefore it doesn't do much more than the Victor 888 or Spark.


Can you not just crimp or solder them (cue debate on crimping vs soldering)?

Re: Motor Controllers
 

Ya my team also despises Jaguars

Re: Motor Controllers
 

At this point, I'd still have to consider the Talon SR my favorite, based on the number of motors and hours we have utilized them with zero mishaps. Spike relays would be second for the same reason (no mishaps, fewer hours, though you may not consider them a controller).

It didn't take much use of the Talon SR to send the Jaguars and Victors (a few each 884s and 888s) into our "unused parts" collection.

Being a bit of a "never buy serial number 1 of anything" guy, I have high hopes for most of the various controllers on this list, but none of them has become a favorite yet. I really like the features of the Talon SRX; if it proves to be robust it will probably top my list next year. The Victor SP, Spark, and SD 540 are all in a runoff to displace the obsolescent Talon SR, with cost, reliability, and limit switch capability as ranking factors to be determined. The Jaguar is my least favorite ever controller since becoming associated with FRC in 2012, squarely behind both the Victor 884s and 888s. Every one that the team ever owned has died a painful, stinky death. As much as we wanted to stop using them, we couldn't stop using these fast enough to get any of them out of use before it went up in smoke.

For the record: no vote cast, because my only solid decision among the controllers listed is not jaguar.
Edit:
Ditto Talon SR.

Re: Motor Controllers
 

Wondering why Victor 884/888 was left out of voting yet Jaguar was included?

--Michael Blake

Re: Motor Controllers
 

These JST-SM style connectors are a royal pain to crimp BUT are simply amazing for connecting the talons together:



They are locking. They are cheap. And they are small. Simply awesome.

Crimping guide here explains how to crimp them (and APPs as well): https://www.ebikes.ca/documents/GrinConnectorGuide.pdf

They are just small enough that they are a royal pain to crimp though.

EDIT: We got ours from here because I know someone will ask: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-...352919222.html

Re: Motor Controllers
 

Let's look at this logically:
-There's no reason for a Jaguar to be anyone's favorite
-Some people have chosen the Jaguar as their favorite

Therefore, there is there must be some fraction of people who are answering randomly. We'll assume that the people who choose randomly choose each option with equal probability.

-At this time we see 4/22 people have chosen "Jaguar" as their favorite.
-There are 5 different choices for the poll

Therefore 4/22*5 should give us the fraction of people who are choosing randomly. This comes out to approximately 90%.

QED :D

Re: Motor Controllers
 

We used the 2-position "0.100" Latching Polarizing Connectors" from Hansen Hobbies for the CAN wires on the Talon SRX's last year and had zero problems throughout the competition season plus the 3 or 4 off-season events. The pins can be crimped with the same crimper used for the normal PWM cables. We also crimped Anderson connectors onto the input and output wires so that the whole motor controller can be swapped out quickly and easily (did not have to) or it can be re-used as is. Just be sure to do a pull-test immediately after each and every crimp and to have someone else inspect the work (and repeat the pull-test) to ensure it was all done correctly. We coiled up the excess wire and tied it up neatly using small cable ties. The connectors for the CAN connections were contained within the loop, guaranteeing that no physical strain is put on the connection.

http://hansenhobbies.com/products/co...nlpconnectors/
http://hansenhobbies.com/products/co.../pt1in_lp_1x2/

Re: Motor Controllers
 

Even before I saw the last paragraph about bending the hook, I knew the instructions for removing the pin were wrong. You shouldn't pry the pin up. You just need to push down the spring (referred to in the document as the "ledge") in order to release the pin and let it be pulled out. This is true for the small Anderson connectors and for the large SB50 battery connectors.

Re: Motor Controllers
 

Would agree with that but not my guide... I do think someone needs to create a similar guide for FRC's common connectors though.

Re: Motor Controllers
 

I wonder if the 2016 FRC rules will consider this a "FABRICATED ITEM" and disallow it's use, if it was terminated before kickoff?

So many fun things to consider....

Re: Motor Controllers
 

The 2015 rules has a specific exception for wiring terminations to COTs devices. I would think the 2016 rules would have the same exception. We will see. As a robot inspector, this is not an area I would focus on unless told to anyway.

Re: Motor Controllers
 

It is always a risk when "future proofing" something. What you may have done one year may not be legal the next. At the very least, one can use these motor controllers on a practice robot with very little effort.

Re: Motor Controllers
 

It would have been allowed last year under R12c.
However, this exception was not included for the withholding allowance; if you wanted a pre-terminated controller as a spare part, it needed to be included in the withholding allowance.