Jaguars not working

[mama_tree]

Our team is working on connecting the jaguars for testing purposes. There is continuity from the power distribution panel to the jaguar but when they turn the power on the light does not turn on. How can we check this?

[Alan Anderson]

Which connections on the Power Distribution board are going to which screws on the Jaguar? What size circuit breaker have you installed? When you apply power, can you measure voltage across the PDB terminals, and across the Jaguar power input?

If you're lucky, you have a faulty or missing circuit breaker. If you're unlucky, your Jaguar is broken. If you're very unlucky, you've connected power to it incorrectly and you have destroyed it.

[RyanN]

Checking the continuity is only part of the testing procedure.

First off, to prevent any more damage, make sure everything is wired correctly. Make sure the polarity to the Jaguar's is correct.

The Jaguar's suffer from a somewhat fatal design flaw. There is no information printed on the Jaguar itself to indicate battery input, motor output, or even the polarity for them.

Here's a picture from the Jaguar manual to show how to wire it.



If you have verified that is correct, then power on the system and check the voltage at the points shown in this picture.
NOTE: Wiring in the sketch is just for demonstration. Don't use it to rewire your robot accordingly.


If no voltage is at the Power Distribution board, make sure you have the circuit breaker in the right spot, and if it is, try to move it to a different section.

My best bet is that the Jaguar's are wired incorrectly. In that case, they are probably toast.

[Vikesrock]

Originally Posted by RyanN

The Jaguar's suffer from a somewhat fatal design flaw. There is no information printed on the Jaguar itself to indicate battery input, motor output, or even the polarity for them.

This is not correct. The Jaguars have raised lettering next to each of the terminals indicating V+, V-, M+, and M-.

They are faintly visible in this picture:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/img...82b43f8c_l.jpg

[RyanN]

Originally Posted by Vikesrock

This is not correct. The Jaguars have raised lettering next to each of the terminals indicating V+, V-, M+, and M-.

They are faintly visible in this picture:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/img...82b43f8c_l.jpg

That's news to me. Was it always there, or added this year? Their website's flyer doesn't have the labeling there. I also thought that I remember not seeing any labeling last year.

[kevin.li.rit]

I believe vikesrock is correct. The lettering was there last year too.

[Bryan Herbst]

Originally Posted by Coffeeism

I believe vikesrock is correct. The lettering was there last year too.

Confirming this. They have always had all jaguars, victors, and spikes labeled with the correct terminals.

[mama_tree]

Thankfully, they figured it out!!

Thanks

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Originally Posted by mama_tree

Thankfully, they figured it out!!

Thanks

Inquiring minds want to know...It might help others with the same problem.