View Single Post
  #5   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 25-01-2014, 18:22
NotInControl NotInControl is offline
Controls Engineer
AKA: Kevin
FRC #2168 (Aluminum Falcons)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Rookie Year: 2004
Location: Groton, CT
Posts: 261
NotInControl has a reputation beyond reputeNotInControl has a reputation beyond reputeNotInControl has a reputation beyond reputeNotInControl has a reputation beyond reputeNotInControl has a reputation beyond reputeNotInControl has a reputation beyond reputeNotInControl has a reputation beyond reputeNotInControl has a reputation beyond reputeNotInControl has a reputation beyond reputeNotInControl has a reputation beyond reputeNotInControl has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Robot not driving and programmer is unavailable

Since you have two motors per side you need to make sure that both motor controllers are driving the wheels in the same direction so that the motors are not fighting each other.

There are many ways to do this, one of the simplest ways is remove all the drivetrain motor controller breakers from the power distribution board.

Then plug in only one breaker, turn the robot on, and spin that side of the drive train with the joystick controls, and note which direction the wheel spins. Turn the bot off, Remove that breaker and plug in the breaker for the other motor controller for the same side of the drive train. Turn the robot back on, and drive the wheel again, noting the direction the wheel spins.

Repeat this for the other side as well. If you have a single side, where the wheel spins in opposite directions, then your motors are fighting each other, and you need to correct it.

If this is the case, and you do not have the option to fix it in code, you can safely invert the wires on the MOTOR side of the motor controller, to get the motor spinning in the correct orientation.

Note: Make sure you only invert the M side of the motor controller, because inverting the power side, will fry the motor controller.

Hope this helps,
Kevin
__________________
Controls Engineer, Team 2168 - The Aluminum Falcons
[2016 Season] - World Championship Controls Award, District Controls Award, 3rd BlueBanner
-World Championship- #45 seed in Quals, World Championship Innovation in Controls Award - Curie
-NE Championship- #26 seed in Quals, winner(195,125,2168)
[2015 Season] - NE Championship Controls Award, 2nd Blue Banner
-NE Championship- #26 seed in Quals, NE Championship Innovation in Controls Award
-MA District Event- #17 seed in Quals, Winner(2168,3718,3146)
[2014 Season] - NE Championship Controls Award & Semi-finalists, District Controls Award, Creativity Award, & Finalists
-NE Championship- #36 seed in Quals, SemiFinalist(228,2168,3525), NE Championship Innovation in Controls Award
-RI District Event- #7 seed in Quals, Finalist(1519,2168,5163), Innovation in Controls Award
-Groton District Event- #9 seed in Quals, QuarterFinalist(2168, 125, 5112), Creativity Award
[2013 Season] - WPI Regional Winner - 1st Blue Banner