My team likes the flashy lights. Especially the range of colors, which indicate whether the controller is set for BRAKE or COAST mode.
Test data made available by CTRE
indicates a bit less maximum motor voltage available with the SPARK, when compared to Talons or Victors. I am not sure whether that is due to differences in on-state resistance of the FETs (Rds_on), or modulation depth, or something else.
We plan to test SPARKs at the Whirlpool motor lab soon, by the
method(
s) Ether developed a while ago. Will post what we find.
------
edit: @JPBlacksmiths (below) -- we have not seen performance differences when testing SPARKs in our test drive train (see OP). Will have to wait for bench test results before commenting on component level differences.
__________________
Richard Wallace
Mentor since 2011 for FRC 3620 Average Joes (St. Joseph, Michigan)
Mentor 2002-10 for FRC 931 Perpetual Chaos (St. Louis, Missouri)
since 2003
I believe in intuition and inspiration. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.
(Cosmic Religion : With Other Opinions and Aphorisms (1931) by Albert Einstein, p. 97)