[EricVanWyk]

Thanks Mark!


Kelly - Q1 normally provides protection against reversed power. A huge pulse of current can damage it in the way shown. This could be the result of a chassis fault (motor current returning through the DSC), or from wiring the power backwards coupled with an ESD event (ESD can blow the gate and disable the protection).

Note: This may be a mildly dangerous repair. Please test with a bench top supply limited to less than half an amp, and keep an eye on the current draw. Testing with an FRC battery runs the risk of a small fire. On occasion I've had parts blow off the board while testing similar faults, but that only happens when I've bypassed at least one more layer of protection.

Before going through the effort of desoldering Q1, try shorting around it by plugging power into the usual connector and power return into one of the PWM power return lines. If it comes up correctly, replace Q1 and throw it on a non-competition bot. Otherwise, it may be irreparable.