After 5624562 hours in the machine shop today, we finally solved most of our gearing problems! … we are just a couple pounds overweight , but we’ll attempt to fix that tomorrow. Our claw is working great, and the pneumatics is actually working for that as well.
Now, just like the title promised, I have a question (which may seem kind of obvious to the experienced, but as a rookie team I need to know):
Is it legal to mount electronics devices (e.g. Victors, spikes) on areas other than the chassis board? (E.g. we were planning on mounting the spikes on somewhat high on the arm component, and the Victors in the holes of the base of our component like our cylinders (see picture) etc. We figured the fuse blocks, battery, power distrubution block, etc should stay on the board. From most of the pictures I’ve seen on CD so far, all of the electronics seem to be mounted on the chassis itself on the same board. Is there any room for deviation?
I know <R58> states:
<R58> All wiring and electrical devices must be electrically isolated from the ROBOT frame; the
ROBOT frame must not be used to carry electrical current (this isolated ground arrangement
is necessary due to polarity reversals that occur under certain operating conditions such as
during motor direction reversals).
Does that just merely mean that we shouldn’t be sending electrical current through our parts, just so that if someone passed by and just happened to come in contact they wouldn’t become fried? Or is that regarding where I plan on mounting the electronics … hmm. (the Victors fit Perfectly in the holes!)
Or maybe I am just overanalyzing this a little too much… :yikes:
One thing you might consider is that the “pwm” cables are kind of fragile, and if you have to run power and the “pwm” cable far on the robot, you are increasing the probability of failure.
It seems to work best to keep the victors and spikes near the controller, safely tucked out of harm’s way.
It is legal for you to do it but it is no recommended because if you put your victor on your arm and then say the victor is then thrown off then you not only have a problem with your arm not working or what ever it is not working but also live wires on the robot that will break the rules. It’s a lot safer for you just to keep all the Motor controls in one centralized place and to run longer wires to the motor.
As stated, it is legal but might not be a good idea: The issue is one of damage (or at least potential damage). If the Spike or Victor is protected from damage, go for it. Remember that Victors also get damaged real quick from any conductive material getting inside - aluminum filings for example.
The PWM are fragile, but not as much as you might think. Proper routing, liberal use of wire ties, and fixing the ends in place (e.g., with hot melt glue) is a good idea.
Arille,
You may mount your controllers anywhere on the robot that you see fit. Please use caution as others have described above and be sure to insulate exposed wiring. Remember that in the heat of battle, other robots may have extensions that unintentionaly will come in contact with your robot. If a robot should come in contact with electrical devices, there is a potential for some serious damage or even loss of power during a match. I frequently have seen teams mount electrical devices where ever they could find space and then cover with Lexan to protect them. I also would caution that the Victors do need to breathe so don’t restrict the air flow.
… we are just a couple pounds overweight , but we’ll attempt to fix that tomorrow. Our claw is working great, and the pneumatics is actually working for that as well.