2009 Distribution Block

[Russ Beavis]

The 120A main breaker will still be used. It's too difficult (but not impossible) to implement such a "large" power switch with current sensing/shutdown using semiconductors.

Russ

[Josh Hambright]

I will say, that from what I have seen and heard from some of the people who worked on the new power distribution block, its pretty sweet. They thought of many of the things we have all griped about over the years, and they even added some features that made me say "Wow! Thats such a cool idea" when I heard about them.

Only time will tell though how well any of the new control system will perform in competition. I'm going into the next season as thinking of all of us being Beta testers, there are bound to be issues, and we are bound to find problems, but in the long run there is a whole bunch of potential in the new control system.

[Dowjonesbotics]

I'm new at all this stuff so i was wondering ...

What are the benefits of the new distro board ?

[RyanN]

EDIT: Read my post below.

[EricVanWyk]

Originally Posted by RyanN

I don't know them all. But I know there is current sensing so the controller can detect an issue before anything goes bad and trips a breaker. The 2005 controller had this, but I'm not sure how many teams actually used it as the interface was somewhat cumbersome using serial, and you only had 2 serial ports on the controller. If you attempted to use the camera, then you were down to one and had to share it with the "Program" port.

But basically, you don't have to use the features, and can use it like any other year's PD board. I do know it has current sensing, but I thought there was something else they mentioned in Atlanta.

Sorry Ryan, no current sensing on the 2009 PD. You might be confusing it with the 7 current sensing mechanisms in its power supplies.

The PD is basically a consolidation and prettification of the power distribution system. It combines the functions of the Rockwell Block, the small 20/30A fuse panels and the shiny 40A fuse panels. It is actually a bit smaller and lighter than the old system, AND has a insignificantly smaller total path resistance.

It carries 3 switching power supplies to generate the voltages necessary to power the cRIO, the camera, and the wifi.

It uses interesting connectors which do not require crimping, and has "blown breaker" blinky lights for each of its thermal breaker slots. Remember, more blinky is more better.

It can also leap tall buildings in a single bound, violate zeno's paradox of motion, cure cancer (in electrons), and (when flipped upside down) hold three slices of delicious pizza.

[R.C.]

Quick question, is 12 gauge wire still going to be used next year and does anyone know where to get the terminals that 968 used on their batteries?

Thanks everyone

-rc

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by EricVanWyk

hold three slices of delicious pizza.

mmmm....Pizza....

Sorry for being late to the discussion: We also had absolutely no problems with the rockwell block. We found that tightening the screws to the recommended torque made for a far more reliable connection than just cranking down with a screwdriver. The recommended torque is actually quite low - we used a torque screwdriver - and stripped (the wire!) according to spec, and nevr had a wire come loose.

[RyanN]

Originally Posted by EricVanWyk

Sorry Ryan, no current sensing on the 2009 PD. You might be confusing it with the 7 current sensing mechanisms in its power supplies.

The PD is basically a consolidation and prettification of the power distribution system. It combines the functions of the Rockwell Block, the small 20/30A fuse panels and the shiny 40A fuse panels. It is actually a bit smaller and lighter than the old system, AND has a insignificantly smaller total path resistance.

It carries 3 switching power supplies to generate the voltages necessary to power the cRIO, the camera, and the wifi.

It uses interesting connectors which do not require crimping, and has "blown breaker" blinky lights for each of its thermal breaker slots. Remember, more blinky is more better.

It can also leap tall buildings in a single bound, violate zeno's paradox of motion, cure cancer (in electrons), and (when flipped upside down) hold three slices of delicious pizza.

I would have bet money that they said that in Atlanta, but I must be wrong (darn, I hate it when that happens...).

That must have been what they were trying to explain to me in Atlanta, but the work being done in all the pits drowned out the voices of everyone that talked to me.

Well excuse my previous post. I've corrected it.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Ryan,
The IFI PD block had sensing to tell which breaker tripped and when. You could use it for a dashboard robot health monitor. Most teams don't know when or if their breakers are tripping. It happens more than you think.

[Daniel_LaFleur]

While I'm not a particular fan of the Rockwell distro, I have to say we only had 1 failure attributed to it and that was after a particularly violent collision during autonomous mode. Needless to say, it wasn't the Rockwells fault.