Two Digital Sidecars?

Technical Electrical
1

Hi all. My team is getting ready to do the electrical bits for our robot, and based on current design we need more than 10 PWM outputs. Thus, we need to know whether it is within the rules to use two digital sidecars. Any insight?

[R60] says “Every relay module, servo, and PWM speed controller shall be connected via PWM cable to **the Digital Sidecar **and be controlled by signals provided from the cRIO via the Digital Sidecar. They shall not be controlled by signals from any other source.”
My interpretation of “the Digital Sidecar” is that we can only use one, but I am very interested in someone disproving my hypothesis.

2

We used two last year, I don’t know of any rule stopping you.

I can’t quote any rules regarding it though. If you can use two NI modules for two sidecars…

Also the electrical diagram has two digital sidecars.

3

I don’t believe that it is illegal to use more than one sidecar.

Also, note that you can split a PWM signal to multiple Jaguars/Victors. I’m not sure about servos, since you are splitting a power supply, not just a signal.

4

It’s fully legal to have a second Digltal Sidecar, it’s accompanying DIO module would go in slot 4 on the 4-slot cRio or slot 6 on the 8-slot cRio.

As to why you would need that many PWM’s, I will say:
-Small motors can run on Spike relays if you don’t need variable speed control
-You can Y anything off of the DSC - I know of no technical limits to the number of splits.
-The servos/vex motor controllers use the 6v supply which can supply up to 3a. This should have no problem with several servos.

5

Yeah a Y splitter pwm cable comes in the kit of parts.

6

The kit drivetrain is designed to run off 4 CIMs. There are actually 2 of them and this is what they are intended for.

7

…or at least one typical way of using them.