lighted switches not allowed

[CarpeDiem]

I read some where it is not allowed to have lighted switches on the custom control box. Is this true?

[EricH]

Read Section 5.3.8 (Manual page 18), also known as Operator Interface rules. Nothing there about not having lighted switches, however you need to power the lights from a Joystick port (<R78>).

[CarpeDiem]

that wouldn't fry the OI? and do u know the pinouts of the joystick port?

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by CarpeDiem

that wouldn't fry the OI? and do u know the pinouts of the joystick port?

There have been rules in the past about not using lighted switches, but not this year. FIRST left it up to your team's good engineering judgment as to whether lighted switches will draw too much current.

The pinout and other important information about the joysticks is available from Innovation FIRST in the OI reference guide, available here: http://www.ifirobotics.com/oi.shtml

[chrisinmd]

"LED Drivers (see pinouts on pages 7-10)
PORT 1 and PORT 3 each provide four LED output drivers. These LED drivers allow the connection of
external LEDs that duplicate the function of the top eight Robot Feedback LEDs on the Operator
Interface. The LED drivers provide 5V that is current limited to 10mA. Connect the LED’s anode to
the desired LED drive pin. Connect the LED’s cathode to any ground pins."

This is from the 2005 OI manual.
From what I understand, the LED driver output pins 5,8,9,15 will power an LED, but I'm not sure about a lighted switch. The pin 1 +5v is for the joystick pots and other analog input devices. It only provides 100mA. I believe it's legal to use lighted switches, but you need an external power source. Would someone else please chime in because we want to do some feedback on the control board and the OI doesn't put out enough power for LEDs and switches, as shown below.

"[2] LED drivers provide 5V at 10mA
[3] +5V Aux is to be used for potentiometers in Joysticks and custom I/O boxes.
[4] Do not use +5V Aux for lamps or LEDs.
[5] The current limit of the +5V Aux from all 4 ports is about 100mA. The Aux Fault
illumination when the current draw from the +5V Aux Outputs total about 120
Aux voltage will have dropped to about 4.5 volts. Worse case, short condition:
seconds, the voltage will be at about 300 mV with a current of about 250 mA."

[EricH]

Originally Posted by chrisinmd

I believe it's legal to use lighted switches, but you need an external power source. Would someone else please chime in because we want to do some feedback on the control board and the OI doesn't put out enough power for LEDs and switches, as shown below.

If it's legal to use lighted switches, but you have to run them off an external power source, it's illegal.

<R78> All equipment connected to the Joystick Ports of the IFI Operator Interface must be powered solely through the power available through the port. External power sources of any type are not permitted on any equipment connected to the Joystick Ports. Portable computing devices may not be connected to Joystick input ports on the Operator Interface. Power-passive devices (e.g. joysticks that draw their power solely through the IFI Operator Interface joystick port) are permitted.

(Emphasis mine)
So, if you follow the method chrisinmd proposes, you won't be allowed to use a lighted switch.

[devicenull]

While they may or may not work on the joystick ports, they do work on the competition port. Yes, we have lighted disable/auto switches.

[sanddrag]

Why not just use a switch that is easy to see the position of and has good labels on the board?

[mechanicalbrain]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

Why not just use a switch that is easy to see the position of and has good labels on the board?

or a double switch (one switch two connections). One connection turns on the lights which is powered by a external power source.