TI and future Jaguars

[Levansic]

I guess what is confusing me a little about this RFP, is that it looks like FIRST is not soliciting a contract manufacturer, but a full-service company to completely take over all development and support of hardware and software. TI chips are to be retained, as is the Jaguar name.

What I am missing, is why this isn't a more open-ended solicitation, where applicants could propose totally new designs that meet the requirements. It reads as though they want an improved Jaguar, in a Jaguar package. Whoever wins this will be responsible for support of the new Jaguars. Will they also be responsible for supporting the tan and black Jaguars? That could be quite a burden for a small company.

If I were to change or add features to the current model (one part of the proposal), I would probably focus on software features to add more configurable parameters for the PID controls. For the hardware, I would add a pair of 7-segment LED's to the current single multicolor LED, to indicate CAN address, error states, or operation mode. As an educationally focused motor controller, this would be a valuable addition for troubleshooting. I think the cost of adding this could easily be offset in reduced support calls for ambiguously blinking LED's.

-- Len