Basic Terminology
Terminology
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:
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Electronic measurement tool
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Used to measure various electrical values
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Analog vs Digital
Must-Knows
FRC Electrical Must-Knows:
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COMMON TERMS |
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TERM |
DEFINITION |
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CAN |
"CONTROL AREA NETWORK" A COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL USED BY DEVICES FOR BIDIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION ON A CHAIN. COMMONLY FOUND AS A 22AWG GREEN AND YELLOW TWISTED PAIR. MUST BE TERMINATED USING 1200 RESISTOR BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW (YELLOW AND GREEN RESPECTIVELY) |
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PDH |
"POWER DISTRIBUTION HUB" WHICH CONNECTS DIRECTLY TO BREAKER AND BATTERY AND DISTRIBUTES POWER. BREAKERS AND FUSES FOR OVERCURRENT PROTECTION. CONNECTS TO CAN FOR DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION |
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ROBORIO |
MAIN ROBOT COMPUTER |
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RSL |
"ROBOT SIGNAL LIGHT" USED TO INDICATE STATUS OF ROBOT |
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VRM |
VOLTAGE REGULATOR MODULE" USED TO SUPPLY SENSORS AND DEVICES WITH REGULATED 12V OR 5V POWER RATHER THAN RAW BATTERY VOLTAGE |
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PWM |
"PULSE-WIDTH MODULATION" SIMPLE UNIDIRECTIONAL SIGNALING USED TO TRANSMIT A VALUE BETWEEN 0-100% |
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AWG |
"AMERICAN WIRE GAUGE" AMERICAN STANDARD FOR WIRE DIAMETER. PRONOUNCED GAUGE. SMALLER NUMBER MEANS LARGER DIAMETER, DOUBLING WIRE DECREASES AWG BY 3 |
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FUSE |
OVERCURRENT PROTECTION DEVICE WITH COLORFUL PLASTIC HOUSING. PERMANANTLY DAMAGED WHEN TRIPPED |
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BREAKER |
OVERCURRENT PROTECTION DEVICE WITH COLORFUL METAL HOUsING. AUTOMATiCALLY RESETS AFTER COOLING WHEN TRIPPED, TRIP INDICATED BY BLINKING LIGHT ON PDH |
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FALCON 500 |
BRUSHLESS MOTOR WITH BUILT IN MOTOR CONTROLLER. CONTROLLED OVER CAN |
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KRAKEN X60 |
NEWER BRUSHLESS MOTOR WITH BUILT IN MOTOR CONTROLLER. CONTROLLED OVER CAN, REPLACABLE LEADS |
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SPARK MAX |
STANDALONE MOTOR CONTROLLER, COMPATIBLE WITH WIDE RANGE OF BRUSHED AND BRUSHLESS MOTORS |
Tips
Tips:
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Generally, follow your subsystem leader before acting on anything
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Have someone pull test your connections after you’ve done them (you can save so much time in the pits)
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Work closely with the programming and mechanical subteams to make sure that what you’re doing aligns with team goals and mechanisms
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Follow the safety guidelines mentioned in What is Electrical?
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Always sanity check (you never know)
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Always cross-check with leaders, resources, or mentors if you are stuck or unsure about anything
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Have a system for batteries whilst in the pits to maximize organization, time, and battery output
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Always say no to pneumatics (just kidding)
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Try and keep wire connections outside of hidden locations and easy to access if needed in a situation
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Always make sure you have enough crimps, wire, whatever before and/or during the season to prevent a shortage of what can be done
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Be sure to mount your devices with actual mounts and not zipties if you can. Using zipties can be helpful if used properly.