Pump operation before match
 

Does anyone know how to make the compressor turn on before the start of the match? We would like to have our compressor be charging before the match starts, but I can't figure out how to do it. I know we did it last year, but I can't for the life of me remember how I did it last year. Can anyone help me with this?

As far as I knw, the pump should have been driven from either a Spike or Speed Control which would not have ad a PWM signal before the start of the match!? So I don't think it should have been running before the match but you can precharge the pneumatics system in the pits before you place your robot on the field. We will be doing this as we don't have the compressor on-board the robot

I'm assuming you want to charge your air tanks before he match starts so you are not wasting time trying to charge them during the match. To do this, simply hook up the compressor to a spike relay, and program it to be on all the time. The pressure switch will turn the compressor off at approx. 115 psi.

Re: Pump operation before match
 

Due to the requirement of having to run the compressor through the Robot Controller, there is no legal way to have the compressor charging while the control system is disabled. However, it is possible, as has been mentioned already, to pre-charge the tanks before you place your robot on the field, using the tether connection in the pit area...

Yeah, that was our plan up to this point. I guess we'll just have to live with pre-charging.

Last year with the Red relays you could have done it if I understand correctly that the Red relays where normaly closed switches, but what does it matter, no Red relays this year.

From the Spike Manual for RED

Table 1: Spike Red P-BASIC software control, Spike output, Motor function
INPUTS OUTPUTS
Fwd Rev M+ M- Indicator Motor Function
0 0 +12v +12v Orange OFF / Brake Condition (default)
1 0 +12v GND Green Motor rotates in one direction
0 1 GND +12v Red Motor rotates in opposite direction
1 1 GND GND Off OFF / Brake Condition

It appears that with no PWM signal 12V would be available at both terminals, so unless you put the pump to only one terminal and the other side to the ground, it shouldn't have worked on the RED spike either. (No voltage difference between Black & red on the pump)

I think the intention of the Control System is not to have any outputs functional when the Control System is Disabled

Either precharge your tanks using the tether cable or you could do what some teams have begun to do and just build a tank charger using a pump , battery, fuse and some kind of switch. Just open up your main relief valve and pump preasure into the system then when you get to 120 shut the valve and unplug the external pump. That way you start with fully charged tanks so your pump doesn't have to waste time charging them.

I hope i explained that clearly enough. We are working on finishing out external pump assebly tonight and i'll post pictures when its done.

A good pneumatic system without the slightest air leak would do fine with precharging, as all the air would stay there :) Unfortuneately, for most of us, it leaks a tiny bit, so I suggest charging it as late as close as possible to the match time.

Is there something like this available for the Spike Blue?

Why yes there is: (From Innovation FIRST Website)
Table 1: Spike Blue P-BASIC software control, Spike output, Motor function
INPUTS OUTPUTS
Fwd Rev M+ M- Indicator Motor Function
0 0 GND GND Orange OFF / Brake Condition (default)
1 0 +12v GND Green Motor rotates in one direction
0 1 GND +12v Red Motor rotates in opposite direction
1 1 +12v +12v Off OFF / Brake Condition

whoa i never knew the spikes brake.

Brake = Connect both leads together

I wish I knew that about the spikes last year. Could have been very useful.

So, in theory, could you accomplish what I'm thinking of by using a red spike and hooking the black wire of the compressor directly to ground? I'm already thinking it's not a good idea, but would that theoretically work?