Connecting an external air compressor to robot's pneumatic system

[feverittm]

The rules for a detached air compressor are fairly close to those of a compressor on the robot.

What we did is place another vent valve on the detached compressor separate from the fitting/tube used to fill the robot.

This allows you to use your off-board compressor to fill the tanks (connect tube and open robot valve, then close the compressor vent valve), then when you are done you can close the valve on the robot and then vent the pressure in the tube with the second valve. This makes removing the tube significantly easier.

Personally I like our students to just put most of the required components on the off-board compressor anyway since you already need to have the pressure relief valve, and I am saying you should include the manual relief there too. Having a gauge right there is nice to check your pressure quickly.

Also make sure to insulate and clearly mark your electrical connections for the outboard compressor from the robot. These are not standard 12V, but are compressor power (switched by the cRIO). These connectors can sometimes be hard to find on the robot during competition.

Enjoy!