Basic Terminology

• Terminology and Tips

Terminology and Tips

Volts (Power), V

The potential difference in charge between two points

The size of the force that sends the electrons through a circuit

Amperes (Current), Amp, I

The unit used to measure electric current

The number of electrons flowing through a circuit. 

Watts, W

A measure of the rate of energy transfer of an appliance

The rate of energy generated or consumed

Ohms (Resistance), 𝝮

A measure of the opposition to current flow in an electrical circuit

Circuit:

 A closed loop of conductive material.

Continuous flow of electric current. Positive to negative or ground. (+, -)

Series: 

Components are chained together from positive to negative to positive, etc.

Parallel: 

Negative to Negative and Positive to Positive

CANchain - 

The chain of CAN devices and their connections gives information to each other. Also referred to as CAN bus, there may be multiple for different parts of a robot.

Electrically, the FRC CAN network is a two-wire bus, designed to allow dozens of devices to talk to each other with a single network. 

Needs two 120-ohm resistors to terminate the ends of the bus.

Bandwidth:

the ability to measure a signal

Multimeter: 

• Electronic measurement tool

• Used to measure various electrical values

• Analog vs Digital 

Tips:

• Generally, follow your subsystem leader before acting on anything

• Have someone pull test your connections after you’ve done them (you can save so much time in the pits)

• Work closely with the programming and mechanical subteams to make sure that what you’re doing aligns with team goals and mechanisms

• Follow the safety guidelines mentioned in What is Electrical?

• Always sanity check (you never know)

• Always cross-check with leaders, resources, or mentors if you are stuck or unsure about anything

• Have a system for batteries whilst in the pits to maximize organization, time, and battery output

• Always say no to pneumatics (just kidding)

• Try and keep wire connections outside of hidden locations and easy to access if needed in a situation

• Always make sure you have enough crimps, wire, whatever before and/or during the season to prevent a shortage of what can be done

• Be sure to mount your devices with actual mounts and not zipties