Fire at Michigan State Champs

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by Jaci

It is possible even if circuits are electrically isolated from the frame before the match. If the outer shielding of the wire (or a solder joint, or wire crimp) becomes damaged, it is very possible for it to contact the robot chassis. With the rigors of Stronghold, this is entirely within the realm of possibility.

From talking with some inspectors, that is the theory. The wire that caught fire went around a corner on a frame piece, and it is suspected that the insulation wore through because of robot movement.

In addition there were some other factors that may or may not have come into play. There may be a suggestion made on additional safety tests in inspection, or a change in wiring rules. I don't want to be more specific in case I am wrong.

[Ben Wolsieffer]

Thinking about this now, I realize that something like this could have happened to us. We had a almost unmeasurable frame short (later discovered to probably caused by a limit switch wire connected to a Talon SRX), which passed inspection because the resistance was higher than the required limit.

Last night and this morning we fried two Talon SRXes, and after a ton of troubleshooting we discovered that our LED ring power cable was being pinched and sometimes connecting positive to the frame. If the resistance was a little lower, I think the same thing could have happened to us. This appeared to be what destroyed the Talons.