blog; Motor Controller Options for 2015

[donkehote]

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

As for Velcro, isn't it (usually) covered by exception G in R64? Its legality is not a very strong argument for thermal paste.

Best to let the Q&A sort it out, but by all means let FIRST know now that you anticipate it being an issue during the season.

Quoting the 2014 rules, NO exception for Velcro, any team who used it violated the modifying motor controllers rule. I wonder if we should check every robot, and overturn matches from this past season?

4.9.11 R64

The Driver Station software, cRIO, Power Distribution Board, Digital Sidecars, Analog Breakouts, Solenoid Breakouts,
RSL, 120A breaker, motor controllers, relay modules, Wireless Bridge, 12VDC-5VDC converter, and batteries shall not
be tampered with, modified, or adjusted in any way (tampering includes drilling, cutting, machining, gluing, rewiring,
disassembling, etc.), with the following exceptions:
Please note that the Driver Station application is a separate application from the
Dashboard. The Driver Station software may not be modified, while teams are expected
to customize their Dashboard code.
A. User programmable code in the cRIO may be customized.
B. DIP switches on the cRIO may be set (applies to cRIO-FRC only).
C. Motor controllers may be calibrated as described in owner's manuals.
D. Fans may be attached to motor controllers and may be powered from the power input terminals.
E. If powering the compressor, the fuse on a Spike H-Bridge Relay may be replaced with a 20A Snap-Action
circuit breaker.
F. Wires, cables, and signal lines may be connected via the standard connection points provided on the devices.
G. Fasteners may be used to attach the device to the OPERATOR CONSOLE or ROBOT.
H. Labeling may be applied to indicate device purpose, connectivity, functional performance, etc.
I. Brake/Coast jumpers on motor controllers may be changed from their default location.
J. Limit switch jumpers may be removed from a Jaguar motor controller and a custom limit switch circuit may be
page 63 / 93
substituted.
K. If CAN-bus functionality is used, the Jaguar firmware must be updated as required by FIRST (see Rule R67-D).
L. Devices may be repaired, provided the performance and specifications of the device after the repair are
identical to those before the repair.


Again, im saying that it should be left to the Q&A, and that lawyering rules to this point isnt what FIRST is about, and as I said in my first post in this thread

Originally Posted by donkehote

Your post reminds me of the bumper pool noodle tape issue from last year.

Some things don't need regulating IMHO.

The tape that many many teams had used for years to fabricate clean tidy bumpers was technically illegal, almost impossible to detect, and spawned a long thread on chief, only to be explicitly allowed by first. Why people keep dragging up the ridiculous argument against thermal paste (replace thermal paste with tape and your back in last years thread) is beyond me, just let the Q&A make the final call.

Come on guys, use some common sense, If adding fans is legal for the purposes of cooling, do you really think first wouldn't allow thermal paste for the same reason?