[tpope]

We built a motor test board with an old (circa 2013) power distribution board, main breaker, a few talons and a small PWM generator that fed off the 5V rail. I don't recall the brand, but it had a 1.5" boxy yellow enclosure. We were never able to split the signal three ways, but on good days can run two talons at once off the thing.

It's been a useful tool, though quite bulky of course.

With a test board like that in mind I would second the request for either 12v or 5v input, ideally with a standard radio connector. I would also love something that had three PWM outputs and could drive all of them at once with the same signal. When we want to test a 3-CIM gearbox for instance, having all three motors running at the same speed is pretty important. Call that one the Pulsinator Pro and include mounting points and instructions for test board creation. I'm sure lots of teams have a big box of pre-2015 controllers and power boards they could use for this, and in situations like that there is some value in having a full setup like that.

On the flipside, what you are going for is a worthwhile exercise (eliminating extra bulk and cables) but I'd love to see you go one step further. What I really want for quick testing in the pit would be something that is in essence just one single, somewhat lumpy cable. On one end we have a battery connector and on the other we have wires that we can terminate how we please. In the middle we have the controller package.

In the short term, perhaps selling (or even just publishing STL files for) a custom bracket that would let you snap the Pulsinator in one side and bolt an old Talon SR or maybe new Spark motor controller on the other side would work. Attach the two together and then wire on the outside.

In the longer term, perhaps work with Rev Robotics and see if you could build a custom enclosure that housed the guts of both the Pulsinator and their Spark, with internal wiring. That would give you a clean single-package solution.

Actually, we might just pick up a couple and play around with this as a summer project. Might be fun...

Either way, it's great to see more options like this available!