Is it legal to adjust CIM's timming?

[Capt. Quirk]

If you have two drive motors and one is biased more for the foward direction, can you legally change the timing of a motor to match the performance of the other motor?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Capt. Quirk

If you have two drive motors and one is biased more for the foward direction, can you legally change the timing of a motor to match the performance of the other motor?

No. I think someone bragged about it once and was promptly told not to do it again. See Section 8:

<R61> So that the maximum power level of every ROBOT is the same, motors used on the ROBOT shall not be modified in any way, except as follows:
• The mounting brackets and/or output shaft/interface of the motors may be modified to facilitate the physical connection of the motor to the ROBOT and actuated part.
• The gearboxes for the Fisher-Price and Globe motors are not considered “integral” and may be separated from the motors.
• The electrical input leads on the motors may be trimmed to length as necessary.
The intent is to allow teams to modify mounting tabs and the like, not to gain a weight reduction by potentially compromising the structural integrity of any motor. The integral mechanical and electrical system of the motor is not to be modified. Note that FIRST will not provide replacements for modified parts.

[Eugene Fang]

is it the motor that's biased one way? because last year the victors that controlled each side of our robot were not 'zeroed' properly, causing our robot to turn when we pushed forward on our joystick. there sholud be documentation in the ifi website on how to reset the victors

[Pavan Dave]

Originally Posted by Pikat

is it the motor that's biased one way? because last year the victors that controlled each side of our robot were not 'zeroed' properly, causing our robot to turn when we pushed forward on our joystick. there sholud be documentation in the ifi website on how to reset the victors

There is.

On [THIS] Page (IFI 884 Home Page), there is a [USER's GUIDE] (direct link to manual) that shows how to calibrate the speed controllers.

Hope that helps!

Pavan.

[M4 Sherman]

Thats a technique that the RC car racers use.

I also thought about taking some turns out, but I'm pretty sure thats illegal also.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by M4 Sherman

Thats a technique that the RC car racers use.

I also thought about taking some turns out, but I'm pretty sure thats illegal also.

Yep. <R61> strikes again.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Thanks Eric for being on top of this. The good news is that CIM motors don't have that much of a bias. The bad news is that they do vary from unit to unit so it is best to check your motors and try to match them. You can also use software and sensors to keep them running together.
All of that said, there is no substitute for practice.