Controlling Solenoids With Victors

[Bduggan04]

You can also run the compressor off of a victor. This was actually within the rules last year but they changed it this year. Because it was in last years rules, I'm assuming that it has no adverse affects.

[NoRemorse]

Yes, you can control the M+ and M- completely independently of each other! Like I said in my previous post, it's best not to think of the pins as FWD and REV, just 2 different data pins that control 2 different relays (conveniently packaged on the same spike).

This is true that you can control them independently, but you CAN NOT turn them on at the same time. This is what I was getting at on my last post.

[FotoPlasma]

Originally Posted by NoRemorse

This is true that you can control them independently, but you CAN NOT turn them on at the same time. This is what I was getting at on my last post.

As far as I know, you're wrong. You can have 12V on both outputs at the same time.

<edit>
IFI thinks you're wrong, too. See the SPIKE manual, page 2.
</edit>

[Jay Lundy]

Originally Posted by NoRemorse

This is true that you can control them independently, but you CAN NOT turn them on at the same time. This is what I was getting at on my last post.

Please read the manual and/or test it yourself. I have done both and you can turn them both on at once.

[Rickertsen2]

Originally Posted by Jay Lundy

I wouldn't recommend it. From what I gather, the speed controllers output 12V pulses, not variable voltage from 0-12. This is due to the pwm nature of the signal. I don't have an oscilliscope to test this with, but using my multimeter on both AC and DC voltage it seems like this is correct.

And even at full power I don't think its a steady pulse of 12V, but it might be. Once again I don't have an oscilliscope to test it with.

By the way I don't know the ruling on this, so it could be illegal too.

Did you run out of spikes or relay ports? If you ran out of spikes you can order more. If you ran out of relay outputs you can just use digital I/O pins for the FWD / REV pins on each additional spike.

[Edit]Also, did you know that you can wire 2 solenoids to each relay? That means 1 double solenoid or 2 single solenoids per relay. Basically the M+ and M- pins on the relays are independent of each other. FWD controls M+ and REV controls M-.

If FWD is high (5V), M+ is high (12V).
If FWD is low (0V), M+ is low (0V).
If REV is high (5V), M- is high (12V).
If REV is low (0V), M- is low (0V).

Just wire all the solenoid grounds to the main battery ground, and all the power wires to a different M+ or M- pin. It helps not to think of them as just FWD and REV but as independent pins, just together on one relay.

Yea this is correcct. I have played with them and a scope a few times. If its full fwd or full rev, its pretty close to 100% duty cycle though so it won't matter. even if it isn;t exactly 100%, the victors operate at some really high frequency i don't remember right now, and the solenoids are purely electromechanical devices, except for one of them that had some LEDs, and those will still work fine too. To sum it up, it will definately work, but might not be FIRST legal.


Oh and btw. It is true that the M+ and M- on the solenoids are indepepdent, and can be turned on at the same time. If you don't believe us, test it for yourself.

[Mr. Lim]

Thanks Jay!

This is exactly what I needed to know. I'm relieved that I'm wrong, and now I can scrap half of our Spikes if needed. I wonder how many teams there are who have too many Spikes controlling solenoids because they aren't aware that FWD/M+ and REV/M- can be controlled completely independantly of each other. That both can be "turned on" to +12V simultaneously (and the LED on the Spike turns off to let you know what's going on).

-Shawn...

Originally Posted by Jay Lundy

Too much false information in this thread!

Yes, you can control the M+ and M- completely independently of each other! Like I said in my previous post, it's best not to think of the pins as FWD and REV, just 2 different data pins that control 2 different relays (conveniently packaged on the same spike).

The only problem I can see is if you blow a fuse (either on the spike or on the fuse panel) then you lose control of 2 solenoids. The only way that would happen with a solenoid is if you accidentally shorted the wires together though.

Once again, I recommend reading the manual. They tell you exactly how to do this in there.

http://www.innovationfirst.com/FIRST...sersManual.pdf

(Scroll down to "One or Two Solenoid Wiring")