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Unread 02-06-2016, 23:06
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GeeTwo GeeTwo is offline
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AKA: Gus Michel II
FRC #3946 (Tiger Robotics)
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Re: PD Board and Talon/Victor Alternatives

With 5-20A per circuit, your best bet is going down to the auto parts store and getting a fuse block. They are available with various numbers of fuses, usually using the standard automotive blade fuses, which I believe to be compatible with the FIRST small breakers. If you were looking for larger circuits (e.g. 40A), I would look for a MAXI fuse block sold on-line for high-end stereo and similar systems.

Another good place to look is in a marine shop or in the marine equipment section of your local hardware store. Marine departments and auto shops are great places to locally source FRC and FRC-similar electrical items.

Edit:

Motor controllers: I'm using the SPARK controllers controlled by an arduino (using the servo class) for a small project this summer. If you're looking at smaller motors, you may be able to use a motor controller shield for arduino. (I believe there are other shields out there that have slightly higher current capability, but I don't recall seeing any in the 20A range.)

Edit2:

Controller: I understand that the Pi does not have any hardware PWM circuitry, making it a poor choice to operate a motor controller. I'm planning both a pi for vision processing and an arduino (leonardo compatible) for the hardware control side of my summer ball launcher.
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Last edited by GeeTwo : 02-06-2016 at 23:15.
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