Three Mini-CIMs in a gearbox?

[sanddrag]

We ran zero CIMs on our 2015 robot. We drove our swerve with four Mini-CIMs and it drove just fine for last year's game. In a game like 08, I'd want about 8 Mini-CIMs.

[Chris Fultz]

This paper compares some different CIM - mini-CIM drive combinations.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/3071

[BBray_T1296]

Another noteworthy point is thermal mass
Those power/time graphs are really showing functions of internal temperature. As the motor heats up, its performance diminishes and even after a match it takes a while for recuperation. source and source 2

3 miniCIMs weigh more than 2 CIMs, and thus have greater thermal mass. If both systems were loaded equally (and the motors were equally efficient) the decreased loading/motor and therefore amps/motor of the miniCIMs should result in them running cooler. This is not important on a 1 match basis, but in an eliminations scenario, every degree counts.