[JamesCH95]

Originally Posted by eagle33199

Here is a better test setup that any FRC team can do with items from the KoP:
Hook up a motor to a Jaguar, and into a gear box. On the other side, hook up the output shaft on something that will produce a moderate load on the motor (for example, have it lift a bucket of sand, or a concrete block) and a rotary encoder from the KoP. Control it all through the cRio. You need a moderate load on there to ensure the motor is actually working - without a load, it's a lot easier for the motor to actually do its job, and a lot harder to tell if something isn't right.

Your program should be pretty simple - spin the motor for x seconds, and record the revolutions from the encoder. Repeat a few times so you can have some consistent readings. Swap in a different motor, and do it all over again.

You'll have to record the voltage during the test and recharge the battery often - you'll see as it wears down that the characteristics of your output change, even if the motor/Jaguar stays the same.

If done right, this type of test can help provide your team with valuable insight into how all of these components work, and how they may deteriorate with time.

I like this, though I think it would be a good idea to put the motor under load during the test, otherwise it doesn't really mean much. Ideally there would be a load schedule, where load varies with time. Testing just the free speed of a motor is, IMHO, largely useless because the motor will be generating little power and drawing little current, this won't exercise the system very well.

The load could be a water pump, fan, another CIM motor (used as a generator) connected to an extra 100W lightbulb, a metal disc spinning through a magnetic field (eddy current brake), etc.