CAN Design Kit

[Tom Line]

Originally Posted by Mike Copioli

The 2CAN is only one component of what would be a modular control system. It would be the core communications module. Other modules would be needed such as CAN to GPIO(general purpose input/output), CAN gyro, CAN to analog. CAN speed controllers such as the Jaguar, CAN accelerometers, CAN encoders. These devices could be developed by teams or purchased form a third party vendor. The advantage to using a device like the 2CAN is that a developer could use ANY processor using ANY platform to rapidly develop a fully functional robot. You could use a laptop, an arm processor, a PIC, a basic stamp. Any language c,c++, c#, basic, Java so long as the processor module supports either CAN or Ethernet or Both. Furthermore this device opens a door that will allow teams to develope their own CAN modules.

For years the primary focus of a FIRST team during design and the robot development cycle was mechanical and programming with some allowances for custom circuitry, leaving a very important field of engineering behind, Electrical. We mentor students on forces like inertia, and momentum, power to weight ratios with little or no focus on things like Ohm's Law, Thevenin's Theorem and Kirchhoff's laws. We do not have rules that require you to use a specific size axle shaft or sheet metal thickness because we want this to be part of the "Problem" that needs to be solved. But we have rules that require teams to use a certain gauge wire and specific breaker size. We disallow the use of power management devices in fear of fire. I argue a wheel flying off of the robot or an end of arm tooling that was under engineered is just as if not more dangerous than a rouge electronic component releasing the magic smoke in an arena with enough fire suppression capabilities to put out the earths core. Allowing teams to build their own speed controllers is as important as allowing them to build a transmission. Teaching them to use PCB layout and design software such as EAGLE or PADS or Altium is just as important as teaching them how to use Solidworks or Autodesk.

I hope the 2CAN is the gateway to these changes.

To a point, I agree. Picking up a hammer or a drill are life-skills, not just engineering skills, and a lot of the kids coming into FIRST have never even put a drill bit in a chuck due to their suburban - urban lifestyle and the throw-away mentality a lot of people have nowadays. I can definitely see an argument where the mechanical side of FIRST is more applicable for a larger subset of people.

The only way, however, to get MORE of those engineering skills out there is to do what you're doing. Which is pretty darn cool. Kudos Mike. That's a really cool bit of Kit that I think we'll try to use too