Buying extra Electronics

[Magnechu]

I've found sites to buy extra products (Jaguars, Wago connectors, etc) but can't seem to find a site for the Dongle. We need an extra or 2 just in case, but they are nowhere to be found. Help?

[eitang]

if you mean the enable\disable switch:
from part 3 of the control system manual:

3.1.7 Competition Port Pinouts
The competition port is used to enable / disable the robot. A “dongle” is provided in the Kit of Parts
for teams to use for this purpose when not in a competition. If teams need to make a replacement
dongle or need additional spare dongles, a team-constructed dongle can be fashioned by
connecting pins 8 and 9 of the competition port to a switch. NOTE: it is essential that the other pins
© FIRST 2009 FRC Control System Manual: Section 3 – Component Datasheets, Rev 0.5 Page 8 of 38
of the connector be left unconnected, as some of the other pins contain power and/or ground –
accidentally shorting other pins of this connector can permanently damage the Driver Station.
An inexpensive dongle (shown in the photo below) can be fashioned out of components readily
available locally:
• PC Board Toggle Switch SPST
• D-Sub Connector 9 pin male
• D-Sub Connector Hood sized to fit

[David G]

I just built two for our team, here is the Radio Shack part numbers/cost:

PC Board Toggle Switch SPST

275-0645 - $3

D-Sub Connector 9 pin male

276-1427 - $2

D-Sub Connector Hood sized to fit

276-1539 - $2

So for each dongle: $7 of parts, a little scrap wire and a little soldering. The first one took 25 minutes, second one took 10 minutes.

[adengler]

Thanks for the post.