Thread: Brake vs. Coast in the Drive
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Unread 10-11-2011, 15:09
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FRC #0254 (The Cheesy Poofs), FRC #0341 (Miss Daisy)
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Brake vs. Coast in the Drive
Question for the CD graybeards (both figuratively and literally)...

At various times (depending on drive system, robot CoG, and game challenge), our drivers have had a preference for having the drive system speed controllers placed in Brake mode vs. Coast mode. In Brake mode, letting go of the sticks causes the robot to stop fairly quickly, while in Coast mode, the robot rolls to a stop over a sometimes-considerable distance. It's a preference.

For a robot with 4 drive motors, is there any harm in having one speed controller per side in Coast mode and one in Brake? We tried it briefly this season, and the result was that the robot wouldn't stop so violently as in 100% Brake mode, but it didn't roll as far as in 100% Coast mode. My question is, is this a good idea? Is there any risk of damage to the Victors or Jaguars in such an arrangement?