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Terminology and Tips

 

Basic Electrical Terminology

 

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 if you can. Using zipties can be helpful if used properly.

 

 

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