SD540 Motor Controller

[aldaeron]

Originally Posted by philso

The motor controllers are mission critical components. The Build Season starts in 2 1/2 weeks. Once a team commits to using a particular controller and builds their robot, they would have very little time to change to a different controller if they are not happy with it.

This is a very important comment that needs some highlighting.

Below is my summary of this thread, especially for newer teams struggling to read between the lines. This is my opinion only and does not represent my team or any other individual. I have never seen or tested one of these devices in person. Based on the test data released and statements in this thread:

The test data supplied by Mindsensors and others, number of last minute changes, questionable design choices and lack of properly instrumented testing in a truly representative FRC game environment make buying this motor controller a very risky investment at this point, especially for high current, high duty cycle motors like the drive train.

By comparison and using the same publicly released data, the REV Spark controller looks less risky.

If you are considering buying these because they are lower cost than previous controllers, just be aware of the risk you are taking. DC motors have been the main source of power for FRC since its inception and I do not expect that to change. If your motor controllers are not working well, you are very likely to have a bad experience this coming season. If you choose a certain controller for 4-6 drive motors, plus at least one spare, you have invested a few hundred dollars in that controller. If you cannot afford buying a whole new set of controllers mid season, I would stay away from any of the new controllers (MS SD540 and REV spark).

It is possible that these controllers will work fine and all the bugs and concerns voiced in this thread will be fixed. Maybe not. Just take care that you can turn your motors consistently and reliably. No one wants to see a team chasing "motor controller demons" during the competition.

-matto-