Minibot- activation

[Darknight1243]

What can you use/not use to activate your minibot, like I was thinking of using these limit switches we got from last year which, when activated, will cut power/signal to things like arms and kickers. My idea was to use the same idea only reverse, meaning when the switch is tripped the 'bots code would activate. Does anyone know if this would be a viable method?

[Bill_B]

Minibot builders need to print out the rules governing minibot construction, especially the rule that lists allowable parts. Make a copy for each member of your minibot sub-team, make another copy for the box of parts you have collected as having potential use for your minibot. Make more copies for those sub-team members who will claim to have forgotten them at your next meeting. Make one for yourself, laminate it, hang it on a lanyard around your neck in the manner you sometimes see football defensive and offensive coordinators do on the sidelines.

These and other actions will help convince your team members that the rules are important and also shorten your design cycles considerably.

Originally Posted by Darknight1243

What can you use/not use to activate your minibot, like I was thinking of using these limit switches we got from last year which, when activated, will cut power/signal to things like arms and kickers. My idea was to use the same idea only reverse, meaning when the switch is tripped the 'bots code would activate. Does anyone know if this would be a viable method?

As for your question - the switch you mention doesn't appear on my copy of the rules, so I doubt you can use it.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by Bill_B

As for your question - the switch you mention doesn't appear on my copy of the rules, so I doubt you can use it.

<R92-M>?

[Bill_B]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

<R92-M>?

I sit corrected - and am shredding my rules copy that has failed me miserably.
My guess is that I had already dismissed limit switches as not being able (usually) to handle the motor currents. However, the Honeywell spec. sheet this year shows 11A rating, and such a tiny thing it is too.

Thanks Gary and "Dark". Good thing it's so far to ship date.

[Bsteckler]

How about a light switch? you can use up to two of those.

[Bill_B]

Originally Posted by Bsteckler

How about a light switch? you can use up to two of those.

When I saw the household wall switches on the list, I related it directly to their inherent current carrying ability. I already had my eye on some neat rocker wall switches until I got shamed into reading the specifications for the limit switches. Maybe those little devils can do everything that needs to be done to control a minibot. Hard to beat the weight differential if they can.

[Andy A.]

Originally Posted by Bill_B

When I saw the household wall switches on the list, I related it directly to their inherent current carrying ability. I already had my eye on some neat rocker wall switches until I got shamed into reading the specifications for the limit switches. Maybe those little devils can do everything that needs to be done to control a minibot. Hard to beat the weight differential if they can.

For a maximum of 10 seconds, yeah, they can probably take whatever those little motors will ask from the battery.

Look carefully though. Switch current ratings are determined at a specific voltage and operating environment, and not all switches are created equal. Still, the rating applies to a steady state condition and you can safely exceed those ratings for short durations. Just continually check that the switch activates cleanly. These switches don't often fail catastrophically, but slowly become unreliable as their internal contacts get scorched and move around.

[cilginbilgin]

team 2905 :::: we thought like that we will run the program at the beginning of the match by our hands but the minibot will not do any action because we will put a touch sensor in last 20 seconds when the touch sensor will touch the pole motors will start to run ... is it possible

[JesseK]

We are using these. They're very cheap, work in the same manner as a bumper switch, and are lightweight. There will be 2 in series: The pole-bump switch will be "off" and the goal-bump switch will be "on". When we DEPLOY, the pole-bump switch will turn "on", completing the circuit and turning on our motors. When we get to the top, the goal-bump switch will turn "off", breaking the circuit and turning off the motors.

I'm sure we could do some fancy lever arm that can do both the pole-bump and goal-bump actions, yet simply adding another switch is simpler and about the same weight.