[apalrd]

My opinions on the topic:

-The serial bridge is ~1/8th the speed of the 2can, yes (115,200baud serial vs 1M?) - That's fairly significant if you update the Jaguars fast enough

-We have yet to use a CAN jaguar, or have any features we cannot do with purely a Victor and some software on our end. We like it this way for some things, as we can modify the control loop to fit our robot (a PID loop isn't great for everything), or add multiple control loops and add the output (e.g. control to distance + control to heading over the two sides).

-We will never use a Jaguar in drivetrains because of their high-current shutdown. We had a lot of issues on our Lunacy bot post-season, because after 5 minutes of driving (with super low cof wheels, remember) the shooter could randomly (predictably after a few minutes) shut down due to the extended current draw of forward-reverse slams.

-I've heard the black jags are far more reliable than the grey ones. We are willing to use a black jag if it gives us an advantage, but we haven't found an advantage yet. They are functionally the same over PWM, but if you only use PWM control, the Jaguars are physically bigger and can't handle the extended high-current draw that the Victors can.

-In my time on 33, I've only seen 1 Victor die, ever. We have some of the really old Victor 883's which we still use for practice and mock up robots, and they still work after many years of use. The Jaguars don't yet have that kind of track record, especially after the really bad grey jags.