Pump operation before match

[Matt Reiland]

Originally posted by Jeff Waegelin
So, in theory, could you accomplish what I'm thinking of by using a red spike and hooking the black wire of the compressor directly to ground? I'm already thinking it's not a good idea, but would that theoretically work?

Theoretically I can't see why it would not work, the pump would be on any time that the relay fwd or rev were set to 0 (Depending on which you wired it to) Strangely I can't find it in the rules where it states which devices can be tied to the GND Blocks.

Here is what it says:
Except as noted herein, each Ground (GND) wire from a speed controller, relay, or Robot
Controller must go directly from that item to one of the 12 Common (-) terminal tabs on the
circuit breaker/ fuse blocks.
Exception: The Ground (GND) wires from low current items such as solenoid control and
rotating light relays, custom circuit, optical sensors, LEDs, and fans may be connected as a
group to one common wire leading back to a Common (-) terminal tab.

But it doesn't specifically seem to say the output side of the spike or speed control to the motor, however the exception is for low current items only. Either way the RED is no longer available so it doesn't matter much.

[Lloyd Burns]

And last year, with red spikes still allowed, all you needed to do was have the compressor connecter to a Red (+) and a Blue (-) Spike, to have it turn on. As long as no one caught that you were using the different types of Spike, and as long as no one insisted that the compressor be connected with both leads to the same Spike.

Alas that is (and Red Spikes are) unavailable to you this year.

[IronSlayTallica]

Try having a spare battery, preferrably an old one used just for charging the tanks before the match. Just keep it outside the robot and plug it in the way any normal battery would be used. Have the compressor set to be run all the time and it'll switch off around 120 psi. Once that's done, plug the regular battery back in and you're ready.

[KenWittlief]

If there is anything running on your bot before the match begins (before FIRST enables the controllers) your bot will be disqualified.

You cant jury rig the wiring to bypass the intent of the judges match Start/Stop switch.

If you did this, you could also have motors and other actuators running before or after the 2 minute period.

Keeping your tanks full before the match is part of the challenge. make sure all your fitting have teflon tape properly used - all fitting are good and snug (the BIG grey solonide requires you to use a Hex wrench inside the fitting to tighten it)

and make sure all your hoses are pushed in, then pull them out firmly to seat them.

If your pnumatics leak then your bot is not properly assembled - you cant play well will a poorly assembled bot

if you are going to break the rules, you might as well break all of them, right?

[Josh Hambright]

Here is a picture of our external pump that i said i would post:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/pi...&quiet=verbose