Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

We are currently in talks with FIRST to get some of our items in the Kit Of Parts. So... what would you like to see from Cooler Master in the KOP? We make all kinds of fun stuff so if there is something you think would be beneficial to have during the build season let me know!

http://www.coolermaster.com/

Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

Honestly, I'm fine with anything you guys make. No joke, it's all really awesome!

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

Fans. LEDs are an added bonus, but overall, a good, reliable, effective fan. If you do decide to use LEDs, choose Red :)

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

It would be nice to see a couple inexpensive and sturdy snap-on brackets that can hold common computer fans on to various motors - the CIMs, 550s, and 775 pros.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

In terms of products that CM already carries, I concur with Tom. Whatever high pressure 40mm or 60mm fans you have with design for a 3D printed that teams can make themselves to mount these to standard 550 and 775 sized motors. This could have many applications in other hobby markets outside of FRC as well.

Thanks for the support! :)

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

I've made 3D Printed fan brackets before, and I'd love to see something like that in the KOP.

But why stop at fans? Sealed liquid cooling anyone? :cool:

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

I admire the keyboards with per-key lighting. I'd never realized that was available before today and it seems like it seems like those models might be very useful as part of a robot's operator interface.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

This year we had a lot of issues keeping our shooter's BAG motors cool throughout even one match. Some form of heat sink and fan to attach to smaller motors (larger motors don't seem to have as many heat issues over one match cycle) would be awesome.

Would have certainly saved us the pain of smoking both simultaneously during a quarterfinals match. We did make somewhat of a jury-rigged solution out of a couple of the smaller fans that have shown up in previous years, but they couldn't possibly match up to a proper heat sink and fan cooler.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

In 2015 Nvidia donated Quadro 4000's to the virtual KOP. So computer parts donations are viable.

What I think would be cool is a bank of 5-10 cherry mx blue keys for custom driver consoles.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

Just to be clear, CIM’s can’t really be cooled effectively with fans, there is little to no point using fans on CIM’s during matches, but between matches they can help, but hollow-bolt CIM cooling is even better.
Most computer case or CPU fans are designed to reduce noise, and not designed for maximum airflow. When selecting a fan for cooling motors it is more primarily about the amount of airflow. If you do choose to use fans to cool motors, it would be best to go for extreme flow fans such as those for servers. I purchased a 120mm server fan from Delta Electronics, that is extremely powerful and draws 4 amps at 12volts and provides an airflow of 254CFM, the fan cost me about $8USD from Aliexpress but it is also extremely noisy( not that this matters much). The most powerful Cooler Master fan which is 120mm looks to be about 85CFM( as far as I can tell from the website), but they do have LED’s which is nice :).

I recently designed a 3D printable active cooling system for the 775pro which ensures continuous cooling even at stall. It utilises a 40mm server fan, again a Delta Electronics fan which can move 25+CFM, I don’t see any 40mm or 60mm fans available from CM. The normal KOP fans( 40mm) don’t give out a lot of airflow at all so wouldn’t be good for this purpose.

Example of were to purchase this fan: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Delta-FFB...-/172116043601

A heat sink or fan mounted to the motor( BAG, 550,775) will help reduce heat build-up over the long term, but unless the heat-sink is made of a super-conductor, it won’t be able to draw the heat away from the motor when it needs most to be, when the motor is at stall. With the 775pro you have a roughly 3.9second delay from when the motor is stalled and when it burns up. This is because the motor is air-cooled relying on a fan, connected to the armature and thus the output shaft to draw air through the motor casing from the front ports to the rear.

There are already quite a few low-cost COTs heatsinks and fan combo’s which can fit onto 550’s and BAG’s( mainly aimed at the R/C market) eg. http://www.integy.com/st_main.html?p...8#.Vz2jkPl97IU

The system I designed, connected the central and rear ports to duct which had a 40mm fan on it, similar in design the EBMpapst’s ICE box rs775 cooler that was included in the 2014 KOP( as far as I am aware). But with the 40mm fan at the rear, and 3D printable. I haven’t had a lot of time lately, so I haven’t had time to test it, but I will hopefully test it in the coming months, with some of the used 775pros we have. I want to do proper testing on it to ensure it actually helps, and improve the design if necessary before I release the CAD.

Just to clarify, the Quadro’s were donated to FIRST choice, the virtual KOP is the Voucher system.

Teams will definitely want different things depending on their level of experience and their existing resources.

I would suggest either donation to FIRST choice or through the virtual KOP scheme( allowing teams to use their voucher, to purchase a product they want from your website etc.)

It is really good the Cooler-Master is getting involved in FIRST, in fact I hadn’t heard of you before you started your Chief-Delphi presence now I’m thinking of buying on of your mechanical keyboards for personal use.

If you’d like to talk further, PM me I’d love to help you guys find a method that would work best/well for the FIRST/FRC community.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

Don't want to mess this thread up but figured id say that the Virtual KOP encompasses First Choice.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

According to this page, FIRST classifies the Virtual KOP and FIRST choice as different things

http://www.firstinspires.org/resourc...6-kit-of-parts

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

775pro, needs cooling options and some degree of EM shielding.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

The biggest thing would be 12V fans. FIRST's rules on fans have historically been pretty restrictive (see R29), and take nothing away from ebmpapst but their products are both expensive, small, and hard to find. I appreciate that no fan is going to make much difference on a CIM motor during the match, but if I can install them legally on the robot I can have them working in the pits while the programmers do their thing. From my time racing R/C cars, I know that kind of downtime with a fan blowing on a small-can motor does make a difference. :)

The most common FRC motors, if this helps you size your fans:

http://www.andymark.com/Motor-p/am-0255.htm (99.99999% of robots use CIMs)
http://www.andymark.com/Gearmotor-p/am-2971.htm (very close in size to the 775pro below)
http://www.vexrobotics.com/vexpro/mo.../217-3371.html (same mounting interface and diameter as the CIMs, just shorter)
http://www.vexrobotics.com/vexpro/mo...onics/bagmotor (been popular for small manipulators, but kinda took a backseat to the 775pro this year)
http://www.vexrobotics.com/vexpro/mo...tronics/775pro (probably the biggest heat-giver-offer other than CIMs, popular for the power)

Noise levels are irrelevant to this application--the crowd and music will be louder. Basic black fans are totally plenty for me, but if you donate fans to the kit you'll make a lot of people happy (and surely sell some product too) by asking FIRST to legalize the LED versions as well.

Hope this helps!

Edit: I should add that a good 12V bench top power supply has been great for our team this year. Doesn't have to power the whole robot, just supply enough to run some small motors and the robot electronics. I'll have to ask my programming lead what his was rated for.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

With your guy's experience in peripheral making, I would agree with Sperkowsky, and say some way of creating really great tactile interfaces for robots would be great. The TI Launchpad system is good, but a more in depth article with some Cherry MX (or similar) switches in the kit, with included mounting systems would be a life saver (especially for my team).

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

On the note of cooling fans, I will just add that cooling fans can be VERY useful for controlling the temperature of the KoP pneumatic compressors, which can otherwise get VERY hot during extended operation (and consequently, less efficient).

Thermal Grease would also be useful to have if coupled with something like a CIM cooler.

12vdc power supplies could be great for robot test benches (so that you wouldn't need a battery), but would likely require some sort of specialized adapter to functional for FRC uses.


On an unrelated note, I'm disappointed you guys don't seem to carry HAF Mid-Cases anymore, I used one for my PC build a few years back and absolutely love it. I tried to find one for a different build more recently and couldn't find them anywhere. =/

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

To build on what a few people have said here, a prebuilt Operator Interface would be great. A variety of switches (SPDT, DPDT, Rocker) potentiometers and a few gauges would be very useful for a variety of mechanisms. Teams have had the ability to build out Laundpad or Cypress Board based controls for years but only a handful of teams actually do that.

Documentation is what would really sell the device.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

I will look into the 12v dc power supply but I don't think we have those.

Speaking of test benches...

We had a mix-up at the factory and our logo was printed at a slight angel. Everything else is in perfect working condition. They retail for $59.99 but seeing as they are just collecting dust and we really like robots I just added them to the robot section on our store for $20.

Also, if your team gets one, send us a picture of how you used/modded it for your team. If we like it, we will send you something cool!

http://www.cmstore-usa.com/first
Coupon Code: CMROBOT

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

The suggestion was more along the lines of taking a typical PC power supply (which generally output 3.3V, 5V, 12V and -12V DC) and having teams adapt them for FRC testing purposes. Not sure if this is practical or not for the loads that would be required, but it would be an effective way to allow teams to test electronics if it worked. Other, standard AC-DC power supplies for such applications are prohibitively expensive.

I wonder if some sort of mounting board for electronics would be up your alley? This would help out many teams immensely throughout the entire build season, it also would kind of go with what I know cooler master trades. (Computer towers)

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

The highest flowrate 40 and 60mm flans you have would be killer useful as cooling devices on the robot.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

Thanks for doing this! I looked into buying one, but unfortunately the code wasn't working. I don't know if you could check on this, but I'd love to get one to make a programming testbed for my team.

As far as things to add to the kit of parts: I agree with the guys before me. There is a need for something to cool motors between matches. Along with that if you have a keypad that we could use for drivers to have a few mechanical switches to play with, that'd be cool.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

Fixed it! Thanks for letting us know. Please send a picture when you got it set up, we love to see how the teams use our gear.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

Yup, if a keypad (not a whole keyboard) with programmable mechanical switches could be added, that would be real beneficial. There are a lot of functions to remember, and as the driver of a team with only one driver, it would be really, really beneficial to just slam a button and activate custom macros.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

FIRST approved CIM water cooler. That is all.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

CoolerMaster clearly has the ability to design and mass manufacture sheet metal components designed to house fairly sensitive electronic components. I would be interested to see what could be done with those resources. A standard board for mounting electrical components would be an obvious start, it would go a long way to making rookie electrical systems more stable and could end up being a fantastic teaching tool, giving new teams a physical example of effective layout and wire routing practices.

Another interesting product might be a driver station sized case with designed in battery power, a hybrid between a laptop and desktop. It would give teams more flexibility and computing customization options for their driver stations.

A small sheet metal assembly that provides shock mounting for the roborio and radio would be pretty neat.

Sheet metal fan ducts and higher powered fans (or fans designed to be powered by a 775pro) would help teams explore more inflatable mechanisms.

An improved adjustable camera mounting system for the Microsoft lifecam.

I'll post more things as I stare at our robot and dream.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

Someone did this in South Africa with our switch tester. They have step by step directions and everything. If anyone has a team that is willing to tackle this project and do a build log with pics, and integrate it into the driver station, send me a pm so we can talk.

https://youtu.be/GGB6EvkvXwc

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

Brandon, two more things that I can think of including are a notebook fan cooler (although most teams can just custom mount a fan to the driver station).
And also if you guys have any rgb lighting strips. A lot of teams would put them on their bots.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

Or they can use one of our MANY laptop coolers and integrate it into the drive station ;)


Also, here is another resource for those of you asking about a small keyboard to do stuff with http://imgur.com/a/eDI7W

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

Nice! Thanks for this, If you guys do include a switch tester in the KOP I'm sure many teams will do this. I however, will probably go ahead and do this project just to see how it will be to use in a actual driving scenario.

Oh and obviously people will want you to place mechanical keyboards in KOPs too (I want you to do that too), but in 99 percent of cases it will probably just get taken over by a team member (it would be me in my teams case) :D :P

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

We know keyboards are a hot item which is why we lowered the price so much in our store for the teams.

Re: Help us fill the gaps in the "Kit Of Parts"
 

And compressors. Last year was really hard on our compressor since we used pneumatics to grab totes.