Stellaris® MDL-BDC24 same as Jaguar??

[baumgartensam]

Hey everyone,
I was looking for specs on the maximum operating temperature for a jag and I noticed jags don't seem to really exist outside the world of FIRST. I found this TI spec page (http://www.ti.com/lit/ug/spmu064c/spmu064c.pdf) for the Stellaris® MDL-BDC24 and it seems identical to a Jag. I don't plan on buying any to use on a robot but do these specs seem to be the same as a Jag (aka is the jag just a rebranded Stellaris® MDL-BDC24). There are a lot of useful specs in that datasheet and overall there is more documentation on these than Jags. Thanks!

[StevenB]

Yes - depending on which Jaguars you're talking about. The 2011 KOP checklist lists the MDL-BDC24 as the KOP Jaguar motor controller.

The Jag was originally made by a company called Luminary Micro using their Stellaris microcontroller. These are the "brown jags", part MDL-BDC. Luminary was bought by TI back in 2009, and an updated version of the controller was released. These are the "black jags", part MDL-BDC24.

I can't speak for the "modern" Jags distributed by VexPro, but I think they're essentially the same. TI (or Luminary Micro for that matter) never really wanted to be in the motor controller business, they just made the Jag because it was something neat to do with the Stellaris microcontroller. So manufacturing it got passed off to IFI within the last couple years.

[wt200999]

Originally Posted by StevenB

TI (or Luminary Micro for that matter) never really wanted to be in the motor controller business, they just made the Jag because it was something neat to do with the Stellaris microcontroller.

Its not that TI doesn't want to be in the motor controller business (because they certainly are), TI just doesn't generally provide products to end users. Calculators are the exception to that rule.

[s1900ahon]

Generally, companies like TI who supply product (semiconductors) to their customers do not like to compete with the products made by their customers (motor controllers). Reference designs often provide an example of what can be done with the company's technology, but aren't intended to be sold to the end user.

Jaguar was a bit of a strange creature in that it was designed to suit the needs of FIRST (per a request FIRST made for a new motor controller back in 2008), but the justification within LMI to undertake the effort was that it must also be a reference design.

So, the "don't sell a product that can compete with a customer's motor controller" rule was broken in this case due to the philanthropic good of supporting FIRST.

[Coach Norm]

Originally Posted by s1900ahon

Generally, companies like TI who supply product (semiconductors) to their customers do not like to compete with the products made by their customers (motor controllers). Reference designs often provide an example of what can be done with the company's technology, but aren't intended to be sold to the end user.

Jaguar was a bit of a strange creature in that it was designed to suit the needs of FIRST (per a request FIRST made for a new motor controller back in 2008), but the justification within LMI to undertake the effort was that it must also be a reference design.

So, the "don't sell a product that can compete with a customer's motor controller" rule was broken in this case due to the philanthropic good of supporting FIRST.

You would know since you were the lead on this project.

[sparkytwd]

I'd just add that if you happen to get an MDL-BDC24, it will need to get flashed with the FIRST approved firmware

[RufflesRidge]

Originally Posted by sparkytwd

I'd just add that if you happen to get an MDL-BDC24, it will need to get flashed with the FIRST approved firmware

Only to use it with CAN. The stock firmware is perfectly fine for FIRST PWM operation.