[Andy A.]

To elaborate on the victors dynamic breaking feature.

The key to remember is that it is 'dynamic'. The resistance is proportional to the speed that the motor shaft is turning. So, at rest, there is no resistance to movement. As the shaft begins to turn resistance to movement rises. Movement will either accelerate or decelerate until a balance between resistance and the force causing motion is reached. Then acceleration stops but motion will continue.

Because the braking power is linked to shaft speed it can never completely halt motion. If the resistance where enough to completely stop movement, then the brake can no longer function (no shaft movement means no current generated). Watching a drooping arm with a victor braking it you can sometimes see a little herkyjerky behavior- thats the arm accelerating till it is stopped and then accelerating again over and over again. Other times it just looks like it's falling in slow motion.

A Victors dynamic braking alone will not hold a robot in place and will not hold an arm horizontal. It will slow movement down, but the arm will droop and the robot will be pushed. I wouldn't depend on it to hold a robot in place, because it can't. A brake, either in the drive train or an anchor, is preferable if you absolutely have to stay in place.

-Andy A.