Quote:
Originally Posted by Maximillian
I am the member of a small rookie team. We have about 10 kids on the team. We have decided to go with the Simbotics Kitbot on Steroids for our drive base.
My question is should we use the Victor 888 or Jaguars for our motor controllers?
We get 2 Victors and one Jaguar in our kit of parts. Then we get two more of each with the IFI PDV. If we use Victors we dont have to buy any for our drive train. But if we use Jaguars we have to buy one more controller for the robot.
Sorry if this has already been answered. From what I have read there is no use to the Jaguars unless you use CAN. Due to use being a rookie team I doubt we will end up using CAN anyways so there will be no use for that.
Thanks for the help.
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It seems like there might be a couple misperceptions here. The Kitbot on Steroids was developed with the 2011 kitbot in mind. Since then, the rules restricting robot size have changed (robots are smaller now). Also, the kitbot will be quite different this year from previous years (as per the FRC blog). Most of these changes are for the better, but it does mean that the Kitbot on Steroids isn't necessarily legal for this season and it's features may not directly apply to this years kitbot. However, many of the concepts in KBoS, like the electronics board and changes with the wheels can still likely be adapted to this year's kitbot to help you improve your drive base. It's awesome that you are looking to Kitbot on Steroids for inspiration, just want to make sure you're aware that the exact design isn't necessarily legal for this season.
As for jaguars vs. victors, I agree with RC and Brennon that victor 888's will be the more reliable option for you. However, it's not that there is 'no use' in using jaguars if you don't use CAN. Jaguars will also work on PWM, but they are heavier, have a larger footprint, and are less robust than victors. So the jaguar you get in the kit isn't 'no use' because you choose not to use CAN (I support this choice by the way), but I would suggest that any additional motor controllers you get be victor 888's or talons.