pic: SolidWorks Electrical KOP - Beta

[DonRotolo]

We're just at the start of the learning curve - our electrical team is particuarly CAD-deficient - and find the curve to be not as steep as expected.

More soon, but what I am tasking electrical with is to stake out their space on the robot, so the mechanical gorillas can use their stone knives and axes to beat their mechanisms into some functional shape without touching our stuff...

[mplanchard]

Originally Posted by DonRotolo

We're just at the start of the learning curve - our electrical team is particuarly CAD-deficient - and find the curve to be not as steep as expected.

More soon, but what I am tasking electrical with is to stake out their space on the robot, so the mechanical gorillas can use their stone knives and axes to beat their mechanisms into some functional shape without touching our stuff...

Teaching basics in schematic layout is a good place to start. Lines and symbols are very smart. This is really 80% a 2d word which is hard for a SolidWorks user to say.

The challenge is you need to know all the pinout from the 2D symbol or it won't route correctly into 3D. This has been a challenge for us. We should have purchased a kit.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by DonRotolo

...what I am tasking electrical with is to stake out their space on the robot,...

Please remind them not to bury the D-Link router deep in the robot. Have them find a place up high where its radio antennas won't be bothered by proximity to the cRIO, battery, speed controllers, 12v-to-5v converter, motors, or metal framing.

[mplanchard]

One of our electrical engineers asked if the current layout of the kitbot would produce noise. I'm not certain if the DLink is too close to other NI components.

[BBray_T1296]

When the rookies put together our KOP base, they wedged the router between the sheet-metal frame and the battery. Not so good to place your antenna up against 13lbs of lead

[Michael Hill]

I can't be the only one confused about the wire running straight through the 40-amp breakers, can I?

Anyway, I look forward to using SolidWorks Electrical next year. It seemed like a bit too much to learn in too little time for this year.

[DELurker]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

I can't be the only one confused about the wire running straight through the 40-amp breakers, can I?

Nah. It's blue, so it cannot be a current carrying wire ...

Looks awesome!

[Nate Laverdure]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

I can't be the only one confused about the wire running straight through the 40-amp breakers, can I?

You noticed that and you didn't notice the missing Anderson Connectors on the battery leads?

[mplanchard]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

I can't be the only one confused about the wire running straight through the 40-amp breakers, can I?

Anyway, I look forward to using SolidWorks Electrical next year. It seemed like a bit too much to learn in too little time for this year.

Good catch - usually wires dont do that. That's why its in Beta - needed to put a few more points in to route the wire.

This is human error - at least you can see that you got an issue. Marie

[TJ_Watson]

It's important the teams know what the errors are in the current electrical model, so they don't try to wire it "like the picture" and blow the PD board or something.

Here is a list of errors in the wiring in no particular order:
-There are two cRIO components, and they are wired together
-No power to cRIO
-No power to Analog Breakout
-Signal Light is not plugged in
-All three versions of the ESCs (i.e. all speed controllers) are present, you should choose one set for the model, not have all 3 chosen and visible
-No power to DLink (also no power to converter)
-Battery bypasses main breaker and feeds into the 12v output on the PD board

That's why we beta test! All of that being said, I can't wait to sink my teeth into Electrical, it makes virtual wiring look really nice.

[mplanchard]

Thank you TJ for finding these issues. We will take the SolidWorks Electrical KOP down, fix the issues and create a Beta 2 SolidWorks Electrical KOP.

Teams can still download SolidWorks Electrical and review tutorials and the installation process.

But we want to do what is right - every one of the control components contains alot of information. We have to make certain they are defined electrically correct - its like making a spec sheet come alive.

Thank you for everyone who has provided feedback for beta 1.

Marie

[baumgartensam]

Are there any updates on this? I noticed a little while back the download link was pulled. For a while it said that a Beta 2 was being created, now, there is no mention of it.

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by mplanchard

One of our electrical engineers asked if the current layout of the kitbot would produce noise. I'm not certain if the DLink is too close to other NI components.

I'd be more worried about it being next to the Jaguars and that big hunk of lead (battery).

[scca229]

I wasn't on CD when this thread first came around and since it was already necro'd, I figure I'll add to this particular posting...

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

Please remind them not to bury the D-Link router deep in the robot. Have them find a place up high where its radio antennas won't be bothered by proximity to the cRIO, battery, speed controllers, 12v-to-5v converter, motors, or metal framing.

Another reason to not bury it is purely selfish on my part. As an FTAA I like to be able to see the status LEDs so that I can tell a drive team that the radio isn't in bridge mode before a match, hence they aren't connecting to the field. The second main reason being why they couldn't drive for a 10 second period during a match while the radio was busy rebooting and they probably ought to check the power connections and not try to call a field fault. I can't believe how many radios are buried at the bottom of the bot preventing this.

[mplanchard]

Working on beta 2 this summer to be ready for the Fall. Some components have not been defined yet.

You can apply for a SolidWorks sponsorship now for the next season at www.solidworks.com/first.

You receive SolidWorks and SolidWorks Electrical software now.