Speed Controller Limits
 

Hi all,

The rules say that you can't spend more than $100 per electronic component, but the speed controllers cost more than that... does that mean you are unable to have more than 4 (The number supplied in the kit)... It just makes me curious because in the Restricted Parts List it says one per every additional motor....

*confusion*

From page 24 of the robot:

Additional speed controllers
(Victor 884)
Allowed
Falls under Electronics; listed as
allowed

or from page 43
Speed Controller (Victor 884) Any amount - when used with motor



You can add as many as you want

Except you can't add any more motors unless they are spare.

The speed controllers don't count as "extra" electronics. When they made this rule, they intended it to limit the custom circuitry built by some teams. For example, last year our team built a small 555 timer circuit to blink 12V LED's inside the robot (purely aesthetic).

I see that speed controllers must be used on motors and that the addition of them are not restricted (since they gave us 11 motors but only 4 speed controllers) - but, then in the update they catagorized the speed controllers as "electronics".
So my question is, if you are indeed limited to no more than $200 in "electronics" towards the $3500 (K3 rule) - and each additional one costs $115 - This means I could only add 1 (2 would put me over). That means I could only have a maximum of 5 motors being used - something is not right, does anyone else see what I talking about? Is the $200 limit for a single electronic purchased part? If so does anyone see a different limit on electronics?

Speed controllers don't count as electronics. They count as speed controllers. Ditto on relays.

"Electronics" refers to things like WildStang's StangSense, the previously mention 555 timer, or other electronic goodies you come up with. This would include additional sensors, microcontrollers, etc.

My thoughts exactly...

you can use any amount of Speed Controllers as you want. As long is you are running one speed controller per motor.

Follow the flow chart and you will see that the speed controllers are not a part of the $200 limit.

But the speed controllers can only take 40 amp circuit breakers, right? If so, the limit on 40 amp circuit breakers is 4, therefore limiting your overall # of speed controllers. Correct me if im wrong, but thatd be quite a limitation.

If I understand correctly, the Victor 884 speed controllers can safely handle no more than 40 amps.

Thus, you're allowed to use them in unlimited quantity with 40, 30, and 20 AMP fuses, provided you are following the wiring diagrams and rules.

The 4 40 amp breakers are provided for the drive motors. That means that the chiapuah and bosch motors must use speed controllers on 40 amp breakers. Other speed controllers can be added on 30 amp breakers for the other motors such as the window motors.