Re: Using the IR
 

Your best bet would to be referencing the ground of the IR board directly to the ground of the digital inputs by connecting it there at the ports that you connect the signal pins to. One wire then runs to a 12 volt supply panel.

Re: Using the IR
 

Could anyone give me link to http://johnmchilton.com/FIRSTIR.pdf at another site? I am looking into how to wire the IR board to the bot, but that site for some reason is blocked at our school.

Re: Using the IR
 

The IR board manual is still on the FIRST website, there are no links to it anywhere I can find. The URL on the card that came with the board still works, and the page has a link to the IR board manual. I just happen to have that card in my pocket, so…

www.usfirst.org/frc_decgift

Direct link to the PDF:

http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Community/FRC/FRC_Documents_and_Updates/2008_Assets/FIRSTIR%20-%20Instructions%20_121007.pdf

Re: Using the IR
 

do I have to use two wires each for both ground and power? or can i just use the wires that correlate to pin 1 and 3 ?
thanks

Re: Using the IR
 

There is no requirement to use two power and two ground
connections. Also, according to team updates, you can modify
the board to run off of the 5 volt rail by removing the voltage
regulator and installing the jumper across the pads provided for
this purpose. By doing this the power and signal wires can terminate
on the digital input rail of the RC with no extra wiring to the 12
volt supply.

Eugene

Re: Using the IR
 

[quote=eugenebrooks;697894] Also, according to team updates, you can modify the board to run off of the 5 volt rail by removing the voltage regulator and installing the jumper across the pads provided for this purpose. By doing this the power and signal wires can terminate on the digital input rail of the RC with no extra wiring to the 12 volt supply.

If I understand what you are saying, there may be a problem with your recommendation. We looked up the PWM digital output capacity and it could source 8 ma of current. From memory, the IR LED was configured with a 470 ohm resistor, so it uses 10ma. The IR board, when activated, flashes a LED. You will then exceed the 8 ma sourcing capacity and experience ?? .
My recommendation is rather than modifiying the IR board and removing the regulator to keep the 5V regulator
and wire it to +12V panel. :)