where can I find the 2005 electrical diagram? did they release it yet?
I cant find it either and ive been looking for 20 minutes now 
Its basically the same as last year (keep in mind I’m of mechanical origin, so I may be wrong). This is my 4th year doing this and from what I’ve read the only major changes are the new camera sensor bundle with its own servo outputs for tilt/pan and the like, and a new “smart” breaker panel. there is a spot on the robot interface for the camera sensors it looks like, there is a new set of 4 pins labeled as the ttl serial port to use with an adapter to connect he calera, and the smart breaker panel connects via db9 serial cable into the programing port of the RI to feed data back to the dashboard about which breakers are tripping, or have tripped. I’m not sure of any other changes, but I don’t think there are many besides the ones above. Check out IFI’s website, they have a pretty nice overview of this years electrical system.
Good Luck Teams!
There is no 40 amp breaker panel. All breakers are planned into the new IFI breaker panel. From first look, IFI has another winning design. The only downside if this is the only distro that can be used, there can be no split breaker panels. (i.e. one for each side of the robot.)
All the fuses (20amp, 30amp, and 40amp) plug into this new breaker panel.
Please correct if I am wrong.
It’s also a “SMART” panel that can send information to the controller, thus ultimately to the operator interface and even the dashboard! You’ll have to connect a serial cable into the program slot. The only downside is that we’ll have to remove it every time we need to download the program into the controller…
Matt, from the pictures I have seen, you are right, the 40 amp breakers are on the very top. I see what Al is saying though, in the past we have had our 40 amp breaker panal and are other breaker panal in differant locations. This year however it looks like we will be dealing with one central MDP. I like the new design, and I don’t forsee many problems due to the consolidation of the two panals in to one. I like the added features such as a data relay to the operator interface that allows for program critiques and design cretiques. You’ll know which breaker is tripping and when, which I can see as being a good thing to know, while we have done fine without it in the past, I think it will make it easier for certain troubleshooting events. I like the idea of a status led as well, and I’m looking foward to testing out the new hardware.
So I am guessing that nobody knows where the power distribution diagram is? Reason is because it helps a lot for rookies even if there very slight changes from last year’s diagram.
Rookie teams, or teams that want to brush up on the electrical side of things should check out this:
http://www2.usfirst.org/2005comp/Manuals/Guidelines_C.pdf
starting on the bottom of page 13. There is also some rules in section 5 of the manual pertaining to the electrical system.
http://www2.usfirst.org/2005comp/Section_5-The_Robot.pdf
The rules start on page 19. I have a feeling that I am missing a bigger electrical section somewhere, In past years the section was large, and full of large diagrams, and I really haven’t seen that yet this year, but I’m sure they are to come, or may already be tucked away in the manual for us to discover.
Be patient, nobody is wiring their competition robot this week. I am sure FIRST is just putting the finishing touches on it and will release it soon, perhpas as a team update. Stayed tuned…
Not true Al… Our mechanical group has committed to having the base built by Saturday and I have already commited to my controls team to have our competition base wired this weekend.
Mike,
Your final Final?
Until we change our collective minds (or break it)…
lol then you/your team has been around for a few years and between the image here and other robots you probably having sitting somewhere you can access fairly quickly…you all should be able to put this thing together without THE SCHEMATIC 
gl
As in “I am schizophrenic! And so am I!”
Yeah, we have 11 of them! However, old robots are a different subject altogether. We will likely have a team installing the camera on last year’s robot in parallel.
I was refering to this year’s drive base. We need it up and running to work on new sensors, linearizing the output stage, navigation, trajectory planning, et cetera.
Lots to do and the clock is ticking,
Not to mention a dead week we have because of midterms. Well, not entirely dead, but much more dead than is ideal.
That new scripting language is what I want to play with. But first we have to get all the encoders and accelerometers and such hooked up and good to go.
Electrical diagram is now available under robot documentation.
Al;
I also found it on the InnovationFirst website under the heading for the Robot controller. I looked for it late Saturday evening on my home dialup connection to no avail. Today it is found. Larry Upjohn (692)