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Re: TI and future Jaguars
The modules are:
1. Power Mosfets
2. H-Bridge driver
3. CPU for fancy stuff and coms
4. Brown-out support (supercap etc that could be in a separate module)
5. on-board indicators (if desired)
6. Thermal management (for higher power systems, bigger fan, heatsinks, etc.)
In reality 1 & 2 would be one module (that is the Sparkfun link above).
3 - 5 would be the second module.
6 may be a selection of fans.
Have you seen the Raspberry Pi - a $30 Linux PC! that could give Stellaris a run for its money as the CPU module. Though we need an RTOS, but there probably is an open source RTOS that could be ported.
The problem we have is the lack of profits in this particular segment that would drive anyone to produce a Jag killer.
Maybe paying $150 per motor controller is not all bad if they don't break and we get to reuse them over many seasons...
BTW: I talked to a few teams that use other processors in addition to the cRio, and I was told the only thing FIRST cares about is that you run each motor control throughthe cRio so they can shut it down for safety. Otherwise you can mount a Cray on each tetacle of the robot. Is that so?
Dean
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