New Speed Controller Announced

[dyanoshak]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

Also, it's hard to tell from their CAD model, but where will the fan intake be? The top doesn't appear to be open, so does it draw from an opening in the back? Or are those little rib-like things in the front of the sides the air intakes?

Air intake is on the top; the rendering doesn't show it very well. There are exhaust ports on the sides and back of the plastics. The things on the front are for cable retention.

[Greg Needel]

Originally Posted by dyanoshak

Air intake is on the top; the rendering doesn't show it very well. There are exhaust ports on the sides and back of the plastics. The things on the front are for cable retention.

you seem to know alot about these. Judging from your location what is your relationship with these controllers? do you have any pictures you can post? especially ones with a size comparison to a victor would be helpful.

Do you know the cost or when they will be available?

[Dowjonesbotics]

those are awesome

[pogenwurst]

This sounds awesome -- however:

Originally Posted by Press release

The Jaguar also includes features that will be utilized in FIRST Robotics Competitions after 2009. In addition to the powerful 32-bit computing and signal processing capabilities of the Stellaris MCU, Jaguar includes an industry-standard Controller Area Network (CAN) interface for real-time networking, a three-pin quadrature interface enabling precise position and speed control, and an analog input for an alternative method of servo operation.

Why would we not be allowed to use the quadrature interface until "...Competitions after 2009"? It seems a bit silly to buy speed controllers with 32-bit ARM chips, and then choose not to utilize the advanced features enabled by the use of such a chip.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by vivek16

Freaking awesome! This means we won't end up ripping victors off of old robots.

thanks, Vivek

It won't be so awesome for the teams who will have thousands of dollars in effectively useless Victors once FIRST transitions fully into the new control system.

I'm extremely concerned with the size of all the components of the new control system. All these pieces together are absolutely massive compared to what we've been using.

[sgreco]

Originally Posted by Cory

It won't be so awesome for the teams who will have thousands of dollars in effectively useless Victors once FIRST transitions fully into the new control system.

I'm extremely concerned with the size of all the components of the new control system. All these pieces together are absolutely massive compared to what we've been using.

I saw the new control system, but how big is the new speed controller?

[Tomasz Bania]

Originally Posted by Cory

It won't be so awesome for the teams who will have thousands of dollars in effectively useless Victors once FIRST transitions fully into the new control system.

I'm extremely concerned with the size of all the components of the new control system. All these pieces together are absolutely massive compared to what we've been using.

On the other hand, that may mean they will offer larger dimensions to fit all the new components in.

[acdcfan259]

Originally Posted by Cory

It won't be so awesome for the teams who will have thousands of dollars in effectively useless Victors once FIRST transitions fully into the new control system.

I imagine there's ways to recycle some of the components.

[psyco_klown]

Originally Posted by Tomasz Bania

On the other hand, that may mean they will offer larger dimensions to fit all the new components in.

i doubt they would allow the size length and width to change do it still has to go through a doorway, but the height could change.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Tomasz Bania

On the other hand, that may mean they will offer larger dimensions to fit all the new components in.

One can dream...doubt it though.

I'd rather get a weight allowance than a size allowance.

Originally Posted by Sgreco27

I saw the new control system, but how big is the new speed controller?

It looks significantly bigger, based on the fact that there would be no room for an RJ-45 connector on the 884's, but the new controllers have the jack plus room to spare.

[Richard McClellan]

Originally Posted by Cory

I'd rather get a weight allowance than a size allowance.

Getting more weight allowance is not likely. It has been 148lbs the last few years (with battery and bumpers) because by OSHA standards, two people cannot safely lift more than 150lbs. If they increased the weight limit, you'd have to get 3 people to carry each robot.

[Nate Smith]

It's possible that the speed controller people and the control system people didn't get together in time to make it happen for 2009, and rather than throw more variables into what I can only assume is a somewhat already tested control system, they are only going to have basic use of the speed controllers for 09, and add in new features for the 2010 hardware. It may also just be a case of "the features are there, but the control system only supports v883 style control out of the box...experiment at your own risk." I'm sure we will find out more as things get closer...

[Travis Covington]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

They also look like they might take up more mounting space than an 884 array. We'll have to wait to get the dimensional info.

It's like old Pontiacs with the plastic body cladding (think Aztek) - I'd gladly do away with the gee whiz turbo look for a cleaner, more compact exterior.

My concern, too.

[Qbranch]

When they announced the '09 controller, I didn't mind letting somebody else fiddle with it.

But these motor controllers... if they do everything they say they do well, they should be a knock out. I've been working with/around CANbus for about three years now and it's always been very stable and VERY robust (you can, afterall, short the bus completely out and nothing will smoke).

They have this unit at the NI Week convention in texas. I asked my remote observation unit (aka my dad) to go take a look at this new speed controller and see what he could find... it ended up he handed the phone to the guy from luminary so, just two minutes after I first read about it here, here I was talking to the guy who makes em! Funny ol' world, isn't it.

Anyhow, they don't have all the specs nailed down yet, but so far they do know the speed controllers take an input of up to FOUR MEGAHERTZ (meaning, if you put a 1024 count encoder on a CIM motor's shaft, it could run at it's free speed and the processor wouldn't bat an eyelash) on the quadrature encoder input.

Also, the chop rate on the drive's output is 16KHz so no more angry buzzing first robots, now we'll have a nice whine that's way up at the top of we human's audible range (could be annoying, but probably will be barely detectable. 32-bit resolution over the duty cycle range from full on to full off, linear accross the entire range with 1-bit resolution (meaning minimum throttle is 0.00000002% instead of 10%).

Oh how I wish we had these speed controllers this year! Our autonomous would have been SO much smoother!

-q

[RyanN]

When I was at the Championship, I talked with the people extensively about the new control system. They said that there was a very good chance that we will still be able to use Victors on our robot.