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Originally Posted by Matt Leese
A bit of a more in depth explanatioin (I think this is going to date me...), I know for a fact that the Eric-designed control system was used at least from 1997 to 1999 (I believe that was the only time period it was used; there was something else before that). The control system did have relay outputs but they were physically part of the robot controller (there was a positive lead and a negative lead on the robot controller that you connected to). Originally, variable speed applications were used with Tekin speed controllers. Unfortunately, the Tekins had a tendency to catch on fire when too high of a current was used. In 1999, Innovation FIRST came out with the Victor 883 speed controller which was used for high current applications (at the time, it was required on drill and fisher price motors and other motors could use the Tekins). The Eric-designed Robot Controller needed to be returned to FIRST after the season (you could pay a deposit and keep it until October if you wished).
I don't remember ever hearing that the IFI guys were ex-military (they maybe). I had heard that they were FIRST graduates but that's just hearsay.
Matt
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Matt, you're bringing it all back to me. Yeah, I do remember the relays existing and located in the RC. I used to ask the electrical engineer on my old team (175, Buzz), Rich DesJean, about putting the high powered relays with the low powered control electronics all the time.
I remember when there was the requirement to use the Victor 883s instead of the Tekins as well.
Rich DesJean actually designed a control system using hobby radios and such that you could use when you had to return the FIRST one, which he then made into a whitepaper. Our sponsor, Hamilton Sundstrand SSI, Hamilton Standard SSI at the time printed many copies of the spiral bound white paper and distributed them at our regionals.
Ahh... the memories. I started FIRST when I was a Sophomore in high school which was back in 1999.