Bypass Switch That Will Lower A Lift After The Game has ended.

FIRST General Forum
1

At the end of the game, if our lift is at full extension, can we have a bypass switch that will lower the lift after the game has ended so we can get the robot off the field?

We are aware that controls are cut off from the robot at the end of the match. We want to know if there can be a button (Either on the robot, or joy pad) that we can press that will lower a lift we have on our robot for easy retrieval as well as a safety hazard.

2

The robot will be disabled when the match ends. Regardless of where you place the switch, you will not be able to power a motor after the match ends.

3

Technically the robot will still have power, we would only have our controls cut off from the robot.

4

See this thread.

5

Sorry, that persons also from my team.

I just thought if we opened several posts on the same subject we’d get different answers.

6

If the robot is in the disabled state, your Jaguars, Victors and Spikes can not power anything. Your switch cannot be in the power pathway between any of these devices and the motors.

7

Can you clarify:

“Your switch cannot be in the **power pathway ** between any of these devices and the motors.”

8

Check the Robot section of the manual. If you look and can’t find it I’ll give you the specific rule, but the language I used should be helpful.

9

team did a quick discussion on this… what we came up with:

you could have a 2nd thing wired from your power board with a light switch for direct power to the motor as well… just make sure its off during the match… that way you have 2 sets of power going to that motor… 1 will be for after the match… if you cant find the answer i say try it and if they say take it off its simple enough to remove.

best of luck… and great idea (:

-2057

10

Illegal. See <R48>

11

Thanks guys!

In rule <R48> it only states that all motors must be connected to a speed controller, it says nothing about bypassing the speed controller at the end of the match.

One of my mentors also came up with the sketch.
Maybe it can help out a little.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=9882&d=1296350411

12

Kevin is correct. But, if you could easily diconnect the wires (sure as have a male-female connection in line) and hook them to a handheld battery, you might be able to get away with not violating T15. If you do try this, you need to be able to do it in a timely maner.

13

Good suggestion Alex, I could see some chance of this being legal. I would ask the Q&A to be sure though.

14

Thanks!
But in rule <R48> it only states that a motor needs be connected to a speed controller, it says nothing about bypassing it at the end of the match.

One of our mentors also came up with this sketch. Maybe it can clarify things.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=9882&d=1296350411

15

Thanks!
But in rule <R48> it only states that a motor needs be connected to a speed controller, it says nothing about bypassing it at the end of the match.

One of our mentors also came up with this sketch. Maybe it can clarify things.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=9882&d=1296350411

16

Can you send me a link to the FIRST Q&A because one of my colleagues posted this question on the forums.usfirst.org, and from what I concluded by browsing through the forum; no one has ever been answered.

17

Excuse my last post I found the correct section in the forum.

18

Go ahead and ask the GDC. But <R48> doesn’t merely say you cannot use an alternate way of powering your motors during a match. <R48> says your robot cannot have an alternate means of powering a motor. Robot rules are not checked just on the field - in fact, most of them are not checked on the field unless there is reason to suspect something is wrong. Robot rules are checked in inspection before matches start.