Hello,
Are you allowed to use a separate power source to power decorative RGB LED’s on a competition FRC robot? Our team has tried running 12 volt 2 amp RGB LED strips powered off the robots 12 volt 2 amp VRM panel. However it keeps blowing out or draining power from the radio. We found that using Tetrix 2 volt 2 amp batteries to power them works really well. Is this allowed?
Thanks
You can power it off the power distribution board. Are you doing just one color or do you have a custom circuit board to vary the colors?
It is RGB and has an IR receiver and color controller. Where on the PDP would I plug it in?
Unless it’s a COTS computing device or camera or USB from one of them, no. See R38. As noted above, you can power most 12V LED strings (particularly if they’re designed for automotive lighting) directly from the PDP, or use a second VRM.
Use one of the regular outputs on the PDP, like you would for a motor controller. Probably one of the smaller ones, with a fairly small breaker. You can connect several to one PDP output, but if you do, only one wire can go into each connector on the PDP, then use a junction/bus farther down the wire.
Also, the IR receiver is OK, but the IR transmitter should not be part of (or carried by) the robot (R68) nor operated by the drive team during the match (R100, H12, esp. C) or anyone else (H01) during the match. I would make sure the IR sensor element is completely covered when the robot is on the field to avoid inadvertently communicating with it.
I am not 100% sure that using an IR receiver would be legal:
R68. No form of wireless communication shall be used to communicate to, from, or within the ROBOT,
except those required per R62 and R67.Devices that employ signals in the visual spectrum (e.g. cameras) and non-RF sensors that don’t receive human-originated commands (e.g. “beam break” sensors or IR sensors on the ROBOT used to detect FIELD elements) aren’t wireless communication devices and thus R68 doesn’t apply.
Only the Radio is allowed to be connected to the 12V2A connection on THAT VRM. The 2A is a limit for both connections, not just one. In fact, it is 2A peak, and 1.5A continuous.
If you want to run 12V2A RGB strip, then you can’t use a VRM because it only provides 1.5A continuous.
You can run it directly from a WAGO connector on the PDP. During high usage times (robot pushing match), the LED’s might dim or flicker off when voltage drops from the CIM’s drawing all the current.
We put our lights on a second VRM dedicated solely to the lights.
We have been using the SuperBrightLEDs for quite some time now
All you need to do is cut the wire from the wall A/C adapter. It will have two wires in the sleeve. One is positive and the other negative and connect these to the PDP board using a 20a fuse. This system is rated for 12-24v at 12amp.
You can change the color of the LED’s with the supplied remote. We installed quick connect clips on the IR receiver to remove it during matches. Though we have used electrical tape to cover it in the past and never had an inspection nor match issues with it.
Note… the adhesive on these is less than great and at times not completely covering the back. We had it short out one year… some minor blue smoke, thankfully it was in the pits and caught immediately. From then on we have been using double sided foam tape for extra insulation. It is also a good idea to add a few zip ties every so often to insure they do not peal off. As well do not use the flat turn ribbon cable they provide. Junky when used on anything slightly dynamic. It is best to just cut them and solder on wires. Use hot glue to seal it when finished.
Hope this helps,
Aloha!
I’m pretty sure that’s against rule R44…
" The one (1) ROBOT battery, a single pair of Anderson Power Products (or APP) 2-pole SB type
connectors, the one (1) main 120-amp (120A) circuit breaker (Cooper Bussman P/N: CB185-
120), and the one (1) CTR Electronics Power Distribution Panel (PDP, P/N: am-2856, 217-4244,
14-806880) shall be connected with 6 AWG (7 SWG or 16 mm2
) wire or larger, with no additional
devices or modifications, as shown in Figure 8-8."
It’s very specific about 1 pdp and no additional devices.
Ogehsim was talking about a second VRM, not a second PDP. Row six of table 8-3 within R56 explicitly allows additional VRMs (and PCMs), and specifies the breaker needed to connect them.
Unless you really want to use the stock color controller, you can use 3 Spike relays hooked up to the pdp, one for each color, then just connect the common channel of all 3 Spikes. We’re currently doing this because it allows us to control the LED’s inline with the robot code seamlessly.
Our team had LEDs powered through the 12V/2A VRM port. Using an ultra-sonic sensor we activated the LEDs through a spike when we got close to the feeder station and air ship.
One match we did an auto gear hang which triggered the LEDs to turn on, but it took too much power away from radio. This turned it off and we were down for the match.
We switched the power to the PDP and haven’t had a problem since.
We are doing this as well, but using only 2 Spikes. Each output of the spike is controlled independently (forward and reverse, or both), so you can control all 3 channels with 2 spikes.
Is this a legal attachment method?
One effective way to power your LEDs is to do it over the PCM. This is a legal way you can both power your LEDs, and also control by activating and not activating the solenoid number you plug in to.
The PCM only provides 500mA combined to all of its outputs. That’s not very much light, especially if you’re also doing pneumatics.