Was researching the VersaPlanetary for my mentor and he is deadset on the fact that motors need pinions in order to function with VersaPlanetarys even though I have shown him proof that they don’t. Could you please help me explain to him that they don’t need pinions?
" Another feature of the VersaPlanetary that makes it easy to use is the removable shaft coupler system. This system allows you to change motors without the need to buy a special pinion and press it on. "
This from the web page describing the versaplanetary.
But without knowing exactly how your discussion went, and what your team is actually doing (such as ordering parts?) it’s not easy to tell what the correct response is to your post. A lot more info would help us help you
Adding on to this, if you use the VersaDM, each motor needs a pinion.
We are trying to order the VersaPlanetary and he wants to know the how of how the VersaPlanetary does not need pinions, and because it “does” need pinions, which 6t or 8t pinion it needs. We are trying to use a bag motor and a 3:1 ratio for it.
Edit: I have shown him the quote you put from the website.
The 1:1 versaplanetary kit includes the coupler to make the Bag motor shaft drive the output shaft. Then you also have to buy a planetary assembly and ring gear, to get get any gear reduction. The planetary set includes the pinion gear that fits into the next unit.
The confusion is very easy to understand, because they don’t seem to show the actual parts you’re ordering, when you are ordering parts on the Vexpro web page. It usually takes me two orders to figure out how it works.
But let him know that if he orders a basic 1:1 kit, and a ring gear, and a planetary assembly of the ratio you want, then it will all fit together. If you need two stages, then get two ring gears, and two planetaries.
and tell vex to try to figure out how to improve their web page so it’s easier to understand.
The best way to understand how it works is to go through the User Guide. Page 4 tells you what comes in the box for the base, which includes:
That input coupler replaces a typical pinion. The various shaft couplers adapt it to work with a variety of motors normally used IN FRC.
Page 10 has an exploded view of the gearbox:
You can see here how the input coupler interfaces with sun gear in the planetary stage. That interface also allows the carrier plate from one stage to interface with the sun of the next. Vex also provides press-on couplers for the 775 and Falcon motors. You’ll need one of these if you’re using a Falcon - the standard coupler doesn’t work with the falcon!
Please note that if you are using a CIM, NEO, or Falcon motor, you also need the CIM adapter:
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I wonder why that information can’t be fit onto the ordering page, some how?
@Jon_Stratis has the answer, but if your mentor still doesn’t get it, just tell him that the proper “pinions” (which we know are actually the input coupler and its shaft couplings) come with the VersaPlanetary, so you don’t need to order them separately. If nothing else, that should get the proper point across.
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Not disagreeing with anyone, but stating it a slightly different way in case this makes sense to your mentor:
The VP couples the motor shaft to a female spline, which in turn engages which a male spline.
If the VP is used for reduction, that male spline in turn drives a sun gear, which for mechanical purposes could be considered the pinion inputting torque to the first stage.
Otherwise (there is no reduction), the male spline is directly connected to the output shaft.
So since we have some VP experts here. I just learned that there is an “old style VP” and a “new style VP” and they’re not compatible (one of my students told me). What is the mix/match status of old vs. new? It looks like maybe just threads on the housing?
(sorry for hijacking the thread.)
It’s just the input (motor side) and the output (shaft side) that differ between the V1 and V2 versions.
So, you need a matched set of V1 or V2 motor/shaft ends.
The threading for the screws are on the opposite piece.
So the old V1 style the gearbox is held together by bolts coming from the shaft end.(shaft end has a through hole while the motor end piece is threaded).
In the newer V2 version those bolts come from the motor end (through holes on the motor end and corresponding threaded holes in the shaft end).
The intermediate ring stages are the same in both V1 and V2 and just pass the bolts through without threading.
P.S.
There is a full description at the very bottom of the vexpro versaplanetary product page: https://www.vexrobotics.com/versaplanetary.html
As Mark mentioned, all the changes are in assembly and mounting from the ends. V2 is easier to swap portions of the gearbox (say change a motor) without taking apart the whole thing. It also has some raised faces that make the gearbox line up easier (exactly 2" tall if I recall correctly) and gives slightly more thread engagement for side mounting.
Thanks @Donut and @Mark_McLeod!
The link to the bottom of the VP page is just what I needed. I guess I’ve just never gone that far on the page.
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