[Jared Russell]

Keep in mind that not all main breakers are created equal. The spec sheet has pretty large error bars on tripping current vs. time and tripping current vs. temperature (close to a 20% swing). This could easily be the difference between tripping a breaker and not tripping a breaker in a match. Many teams opt to replace a main breaker once it has been tripped. There are two reasons to do so:

1) Anecdotally, teams claim to have observed that a breaker may fatigue after repeated tripping (though this is not that likely until there have been dozens of cycles). Would love to see some actual data behind this.

2) A breaker that has tripped is statistically more likely to be from the less forgiving end of the main breaker distribution. By replacing a breaker every time it trips, you are likely to end up with a more robust breaker in your robot for most of your matches.

A few other quick thoughts on this topic:

* When driven fluidly (whether through practice or software help), your drive draws less current and preserves more momentum when maneuvering.

* Well known teams with 6 CIM drives still occasionally pop breakers. Maximizing performance is all about balancing on a knife edge, and occasionally things go the wrong way. Attention to every little detail (wiring, mechanical efficiency, software, pre- and post-match maintenance) is necessary to minimize the frequency of problems, and most teams would be better off being more conservative in their gearing and motor allocation.

* At some point, browning out your control system becomes the limiting factor in power draw. The RoboRIO doesn't like temporary low voltage spikes any more than the cRIO did, and in some ways it is less forgiving (ex. disabling PWM outputs at around 6.5V).