Electrical

Limelights- A smart camera that makes giving the robot vision simpler. Used for April tag or retro reflective tape detection for targeting scoring elements.

The Pigeon - What angle the robot is at on the X, Y, Z axes. Critical for autonomous or balancing. Able to tell how fast the robot is moving. Tells us exactly what orientation and speed the robot is going.

Encoders- Absolute and incremental. Both types are used to measure the rotation of an axle. Absolute encoders know their angle on startup, while Incremental encoders need to be zeroed

Limit Switch and Mag switches-

Lim: Hitting the top button interrupts or starts the flow of electricity, depending on how it’s wired. Good for hard limits.

Mag: Detects when a magnet is close to the sensor, good for when you don't want something physically touching

Beam Brakes and CANandCOLORs- Uses light to tell if there is an object between the emitter and receiver. Tells how far away an object is by bouncing light off it and recording the time it takes to sense the light. CANandCOLORs measure heat, distance, color, and more!

Phosphorus Canandcolor

Linear and Rotary Potentiometers- Uses a change in resistance as the shaft rotates or the slider moves to indicate position or adjust voltage levels

Sensor Types:

Rotation

Mag Encoders

Limit

Magnetic/Hall Effect

Visual

Color
Proxy
Limelights

Wiring

How to Wire

Wiring

The Wiring Process

Throughout our subteam, we use a variety of wires that accomplish different things. The color and size of wires are very important and something that we need to pay attention to.

The CAN wire on our robot is the 22-gauge green and yellow wire.

It connects all of our

Motors
Encoders
RoboRio
Pigeon
CANivore
CANdle
PDH

Essentially, it connects everything that needs some sort of information

CAN Cable - mindsensors.com

Pulse Width Modulation (PWN):

22 gauge
Red - Positive
Black- Negative
White - Neutral/Signal

Power

Usually a lower gauge wire (meaning greater thickness)

Crimped with Anderson crimps
Connects components to power suppliers (PDH, VRM, etc)

Battery Wire

4 or 6-Gauge Wire
Special Anderson and crimping system
Connect to Batteries

Status Lights

If you are ever unsure about the condition of a device, always reference its Status Lights and/or Phoenix Tuner

For a quick reference on status lights for most electrical devices on an FRC Competition Robot, look at this: Status Light Quick Reference — FIRST Robotics Competition documentation

Phoenix Tuner is a way for a user to reference and control a device. From there, you can update its firmware and use it to test prototypes easily.

Please reference this for Phoenix Tuner: Phoenix Tuner X and its installation, Installing Phoenix 6 (FRC)

Wiring

PDH and Breakers/Fuses

Power Distribution Hub (PDH), Breakers, and Fuses

Usage

The power distribution hub, or PDH for short, distributes power to the entire robot. There 24 total ports, 20 for components needing a larger power supply and 4 who need smaller supplies. There are also 2 ports to support a CAN chain (yellow and green ports).

When plugging components into the PDH it is best practice to use breakers or fuses. If there is ever a power surge breakers and fuses will be able to stop it from reaching the more expensive and important parts. There are different types of breakers and fuses based off of the amount of amps they let through. The main difference between breakers and fuses is their reusability. Breakers are reusable due to a small sheet of metal which bends breaking a circuit when heated to a certain temperature. Fuses are not reusable as when to much electricity flows through it it heats up and pretty much melts itself.

How to Wire/ Connect

For the CAN chain and the 4 smaller ports they need a 22 gauge wire with a ferrule. In order to insert the wire into the ports use a small flat head screw driver and press down on the square button with a diagonal cut located directly above where you insert the wire. Hold it down until the metal part of the ferrule has been inserted then let go of the button to lock the wire in place.

In order to connect to the battery to get power use 6 gauge wire. On the bottom left on the image above the bigger red and black ports is where you insert the wires. First strip the wire bare by about a 3/4ths of an inch and then insert the bare wire into the 2 ports. Lift the orange lever above the 2 ports to unlock it, then insert the wire, push down on the lever to lock in the wires.

For the 20 larger ports 12 gauge wire is recommended. No crimps or ferrules are needed, instead just strip the wire until roughly 3/4 of a inch of it is bare metal. There is a large lever directly above the hole where the wire should be inserted, pull up on the lever to unlock the port and once the wire is fully inserted so no metal is visible push the lever back down to lock it into place.

Breakers are placed in the white slots behind one of the 20 port taking up majority of the PDH. Fuses are placed in the smaller slots above the CAN chain ports.

(NOTE! Breakers need to be inserted in a certain way. If you look at the bottom of the breaker where the 2 prongs are sticking out you will see that the prongs are off centered. When placing the breaker into the PDH make sure the side furthest from the 2 prongs is lined up on the right or on the same side where there is more white paint marking where to insert it)

Wire Management

How to route wires

Wire Management

Good practices

“When in doubt, zip tie it out.”

(mukiewukie 2025)

Historically, a LOT of our matches have been lost due to easily preventable wiring issues that turned worse and worse.

So here I write in hopes of it changing in future seasons

Routing: The process of safely passing a wire, series of wires, or bundles of wires through an environment to reach the desired area of connection.

Our Methods of moving/protecting wires

Snakeskin

Allows wires to be protected in possible areas of vulnerability

Cable Carrier/Umbilical Cord

Allows for the linear movement of wires
Also protects wires

There are different methods of wire management that allow for a robot to successfully run

Methods of wire management also allow for tracing

Tracing: Seeing where a wire comes from and goes by following it.

Routing standards:

Battery wires zip-tied 4 inches away from the component.

Prevents wires from slowly being shook loose over time.

All wires are fact-checked (pull tested by another member)to prevent poor crimping and bad connections
Zipties are used to help the movement of wires towards components

Right angles are peak

Keep connections between wires visible and easy to fix in case of emergency

Mounts:

In the past FRC season, Reefscape, our controls team, had a hard time coordinating with our CADders about device mounts that we needed. Consequently, we are pushing for CAD controls CADders to help fill this gap and prevent any sort of miscommunication. We are planning on using Onshape to fulfill this task.

Crimping

Practices

Use a “Goldilocks Approach”

Too much exposed copper can lead to short-circuiting

Not enough creates a weak connection and can come out at the worst time

Have someone else pull-test your connections after you have crimped a wire (cross-check)

Crimping

Anderson Crimp

Anderson/Powerpole Connectors

Great for anything that inputs/outputs power on the robot 10-20 AWG

(Powerpole Starter Kit - AndyMark, Inc)

The first step in crimping and creating Anderson connections is to strip the wire of its insulation.

We typically use this wire stripper on the correct section for the specific Anderson gauge.

Once the wire is stripped, you want to prepare your Anderson crimp for the copper conductor.

It should be something like this:

From there, you want to take your Anderson wire crimper and put it into the middle setting (30).

Note: Our team has used mainly the middle setting for our wiring, though we have noticed less durability past 22 AWG

In assist to your crimping of Anderson crimps, some electrical students on our team have adopted the method of “prefiring” which includes putting the crimp inside the crimper and then inserting the wire. Any method of crimping is fine as long as the wire is completely inside the crimp, the crimp does not have any insulation inside, and the crimp is inside the crimper during the time of connection.

“Prefiring”:

Note: Prefiring is a method that can execute poorly if misaligned, be sure to use what is comfortable but effective for you

Regardless of method chosen for Anderson crimping, your wire should look like this:

From there, you move onto putting the crimp into housing!

Make sure that your crimp is going inside the housing to look something like this and at this orientation.

From there, push into the housing and you should here a little *pop*

Afterwards, be sure to have someone pull test your connection.

Finished result:

What NOT to do:

Strand of wire out everywhere, crimp is not encapsulating all the wire strands

Crimp flag is way out leaving wire exposed and a bad connection.

AVOID LEAVING WIRE EXPOSED AND POOR CONNECTIONS TO THE CRIMP

Crimping

Ferrule Crimps

Context:

We use these materials:

Image result for ferrule crimp tool

Ferrule Crimper

Wire Stripper

We use blue ferrules for 22-gauge wire

Ferrule crimps are probably the easiest crimps you can do on the robot. However, learning how to do them the right way is essential.

STEP 1:

Strip your wire -

You want to strip your wire so that it is around the length of the conductor on the ferrule being used (usually pretty long).

You should be looking at something like this

STEP 2:

From there you want to insert the wire into the ferrule crimp and try and make sure that the wire goes up high into the conductor (excess can be cut-off).

STEP 3:

After this you want to take your ferrule crimper to begin crimping!

When crimping ferrules, make sure that the conductor is the only thing inside the crimper and DO NOT crimp the insulation.

Finally, when done, your crimp should look like this:

Crimping

Molex Crimps

Introduction

Molex is the brand of crimps that we use in ensuring connection between 22 gauge wires.

This has been a challenge for some of our electrical students to mastering it is important for our robots power and CANbus.

Preparation

The first step in crimping these includes stripping the wire. You want to strip only a little off the wire because you will be crimping this inside the Molex. Less than half an inch is a good amount for this.

From there you want to take out a Molex Crimp

Before you start anything crimping-wise you want to make sure the crimp is cut properly. For male and female crimps the process is relatively the same.

Preparing Female Crimps:

Figure 1

Your average female molex crimp will look like the image shown above in Figure 1. First you would want to utilize a blue pair of WORKPRO snips in order to get a clean, flush cut. Snip this flap off as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 below.

Figure 2

Figure 3

To note, females occasionally come with a flap on the top of the crimp. If the crimp comes with one, follow the same procedure as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 above.

Preparing Male Crimps:

Figure 4

A normal uncut male molex crimp will look like the one shown in Figure 4. Grab a pair of WORKPRO snips and cut the flap off as shown below in Figure 5 and Figure 6.

Figure 5

Figure 6

Next you would want to flip the crimp on the other side and clip this small little golden flap off as shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8. The finished product should have a similar appearance to Figure 9.

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Great! You are now ready to crimp! First grab a pair of handy crimpers. There are two different type of crimpers we utilize. The first type of crimper is the Hozan P-707 this tool is comparatively more difficult to use than the Molex Premium Grade Insulated Hand Crimp Tool the second type of crimper. I will cover how to use both types of crimpers in detail below.

1. Hozan P-707 Crimping Instructions

From here, you want to adjust the molex crimp onto the stripped wire so that the “bottom” flap is on the insulation part of the wire and the “top” flap is on the copper wire. Make sure that you are not including too much insulation for the bottom flap and you want to be closer to the edge of the insulation.

This is a side view:

From there you are ready to begin crimping.

Take your crimp on the top flap to the side of the wire crimper that is labeled as “Conductor” and use the 1.7 Ridge in order to press down on the flap.

It should look similar to this:

Take your crimp on the bottom flap to the side of the wire crimper that is labeled “Insulation”

You will use the 2.0 Ridge in order to press down this flap.

It should look similar to this:

Your finished crimp should look like this:

Finally, to assemble your crimps into the housing.

The housing on the left is for Male Molex Crimps whilst the right is for Female Molex Crimps

For standard FRC control system wiring, the black and red wires represent ground and power whilst the green and yellow wires represent CAN or Controller Area Network.

A rule that, as Mukesh quotes it is, “The lighter color goes onto the arrow while the darker color is on the opposite side” (FOR CAN).

To decipher this quote, it basically is a rule used to show where the different wires go in a housing.

For a 22-gauge power wire, the black (ground) wire is on the arrow while the red (power) wire is on the opposite side

For CAN, the yellow wire is on the arrow while the green is on the opposite side.

This is important as any changes in this can result in errors in either CAN or power.

Remember that red (power) is positive, meaning that it sends out power while black (ground) returns the path and completes the circuit. Mistakes in consistency can result in bad errors.

On your crimps, there is a little flap that sticks out of the crimp:

This is what connects to the housing.

Be sure that when you stick a crimp to the housing, the flap is going up the side with the hole to make sure the crimp is the right orientation and locks.

As always, be sure to pull test and have someone else pull test.

Use this for quick reference to an ideal crimp:

Crimping

Common Connectors

Batteries

The powerhouse of the Robot

Batteries

Preparation

Batteries are the powerhouse of the bot, essentially the mitochondria. Crimping and managing these batteries are essential to a successfully running robot that supplies power as it should.

I take heavy reference from the Zebracorns (Team 900’s) Battery Paper.

(Team 900's Battery Paper Chief Delphi Post)

1. How you begin

Cutting out the battery wire is essential, and we plan on using 12 inches of battery wire for two-gauge wire to ensure strong connectivity.
From there, the wire must then be stripped and crimped unto the lug crimp to ensure connection.
You will also need to crimp the other end of the battery wire for it to be put into the SB Connectors.

2. Connection to the terminal…

Use of any washers can reduce energy transfer and we usually cover our terminal connection with electrical tape and heat shrink.
You know your battery isn’t working optimally if it shows visible signs of poor connection to the terminal.

Good way to check your batteries at comp:

Batteries

Good Practices

Good practices:

Using a battery beak can help determine the battery connection and “charge.” A common misconception is that if you see "Good 130%" on the battery beak, it's a good battery to use, but that's actually wrong. The 130% only says how long it has been off the charger, not the actual charge of the battery. You should actually be looking for the resistance and the voltage at 0 amps. The resistance should ideally be under 0.015 ohms(15 milliohms) for comp, and 0.020 ohms (20 milliohms) for practice or testing, and the voltage should ideally be over 13 volts.
However, you might need several batteries during the competition to ensure you have good batteries for all matches.
Labeling batteries is essential in the pits to organize and make sure you aren’t using a “dead” or used battery. It is also useful to make sure the battery is where it should be.

Batteries

Scenarios

Scenario Responses:

If a battery is suspected not to work as it should, you can disassemble (like we did at World Champs 2024-2025 season) and check the connections, and make sure everything is as it should. This can include looking at the terminals and the connection between the power wires and making sure it is firm. Reassess and act appropriately.

If a battery is leaking quickly, neutralize the acid leaking from it and use battery spill kits. Try and keep the area safe and alert volunteers or officials if needed

Batteries

Testing Batteries.

Battery Beak

The battery beak is a device that allows you to quickly test a battery and see if it is good to take and use. The main points to look for on the battery beak are V0 and the internal resistance. The voltage should be over 13 volts and the internal resistance should be under 0.015 ohms(15 milliohms).

Automotive Tester

The automotive tester gives more accurate testing results and more data than the beak. It gives you the voltage and ohms just like the beak, but it also gives the SoH(State of Health), the SoC(State of Charge), and the CCA(Cold Cranking Amps). The SoH and SoC should ideally be 100%, but the SoH will go down over time with use. The CCA should be over 150.

Pneumatics

Compressed Air

Pneumatics

What you need to know

Probably my personal least favorite part of electrical: Pneumatics

Pneumatics: The use of compressed air for quicker and faster movements that a motor can not provide

Parts:

Compressor

Charges air for components on the robot.

Pressure Switch

Works with a controller to tell the compressor when to shut off.

Solenoid Valves

Electronically controlled valves.

Pneumatic Controllers

PH/PCM

Controls the compressor and up to 8 solenoids.

It gains input for a pressure sensor to control the compressor when needed.

CAN based communication

Pressure Switch

Manages amount of pressure in the robot

Acts as “go-between” for the PCM and compressor.

Dump Valve

Releases (or dumps) all air out of the robot.

Electrical Solenoid Valve(s)

Actuates the different sides of a pneumatic component such as a shifter or piston. Can be single or double action.

Compressor

Charges air for components such as pistons and shifters on the robot. FRC-legal amount of air is 120 psi (pounds per square inch).

Emergency Relief Valve

Keeps the air under 125 psi if the compressor or pressure switch is working incorrectly

Pneumatic Practices:

For cutting tube use a special tube cutter to get clean cuts
To make seals tight we use 2 and a half layers of teflon tape for brass fitting threads
Make sure tube don’t kink or fold and don’t touch the tips of tubes

General Pneumatic Layout:

Image result for frc pneumatics layout

NOTE: We usually don’t use pneumatics unless the robot requires quick movements (in one motion) in a short time span

Pneumatics

Pneumatics 101 Presentation

Electrical Schematics

Why CAD for Electrical

Electrical CAD is a new idea that we wish to implement in future seasons.

This past season we struggled with aligning the ideas of our design team with our electrical sub team which ultimately led to interfering issues.

Electrical CAD specifically is used for controlling aspects of Electrical including wire routing, device mounts, and overall inter-subteam communication.

In terms of device mounts, I would recommend using Onshape but for routing and overall communication with our design team I would highly recommend Solidworks. Regardless, you can use one or the other.

Specifically on Electrical CAD, you can either choose Solidworks or Onshape

If you can CAD on Solidworks, I would highly recommend that you do so over Onshape as you can easily reference top-level (we are a Solidworks team) and go from there. However, if you can't (which is totally fine) there are some ways to work around it.

On Onshape, you can ask you CAD team to give you a "box" that has specific measurements in which you can CAD and create any device mounts inside of.

It is important to understand that learning your CAD software is really important.

For Solidworks Electrical CAD, learning from the CSWA/CSWP course is sufficient (and taking the test for a license is pretty cool).

For Onshape there are varying courses that you can take based on your skill level.

The interface of both software's is similar but not entirely the same so be sure you know the difference before proceeding.

Resources:

Onshape courses

Solidworks (CSWA and/or CWSP)

https://www.igus.com/ for electrical CAD

Other online resources with 3d models of FRC Controls devices

Note: It is redundant to CAD each wire that goes to each component, so it is worth noting that we hopefully plan to plan wiring by drawings online/whiteboard.

Specific example I made for Cubey (possible compact prototype testing mechanism):

Electrical Schematics

Starting the Schematic: Overall Drivetrain Layout

Hey there! If you're reading this you're trying to create an electrical schematic of your robot! In order to facilitate your journey of creating your electrical schematics, this tutorial is split up into simple sections. The program we utilize as of 2026 is draw.io.

1.0 - Creating the Drivetrain Schematic
1.1 - Outlining major points of interference (POI's)
1.2 - Identifying Different Types of Drivetrains and How to Deal With Them
1.3 - Adding the basic electrical components

1.0 - Creating the Drivetrain Schematic

To begin, you must have a picture of your drivetrain in CAD in order to get a good idea of the shape of your drivetrain. Utilize the shape tools in draw.io to copy the shape of the drivetrain as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2.

Figure 1

Figure 2

1.1 - Outlining major points of interference (POI's)

In robotics, a Point of Interference (POI) is defined as any area where wiring cannot be routed or is at risk of damage, such as the space beneath an elevator shaft where moving parts could easily crush or sever the cables. When it comes to making schematics POI's are extreme danger zones do not cross zones if you will. No wires or electrical components should be in a POI. As a general rule of thumb any area that may grind, chew, sever, or damage a wire in any way should be avoided.

Let's look at some examples on where to not route wires.

Figure 3

The image shown in Figure 3 is a shooter of one of our robots, Blizzard. Now let's say we take those wires and route them to other components through the flywheels. This is why knowledge of how mechanical components is beneficial even in electrical. Flywheels would completely destroy wires as they are meant to spin at high revolutions per minute

Electrical Schematics

Detailing the Schematics: Splitting the Subsystems Up

Here we go, detailing the Schematic! We are actually

2.0 - PDH Placement
2.1 - RoboRIO Placement
2.2 - Motor Placement
2.3 - Sensor Types and Placement

2.0 - PDH Placement

A PDH (Power Distribution Hub) is used to distribute power from a battery through the robot to components that require power. Although it is recommended to talk with the Electrical subteam on where to place the PDH, you should place the PDH in an area with few mechanical points of interference, where wires can be easily traced and managed, and where important wires are clearly distinguishable from the rest.

2.1 - RoboRIO Placement

The RoboRIO is the brain of the robot that gives out singles to different components through the CAN chain. You should talk with the Electrical subteam about the RoboRIO placement, but you should position the RoboRIO so it's readily accessible to both the radio and the RSL. To keep wiring clean and easy to trace, consider placing it away from the PDH, since that area tends to have a high concentration of wires.

2.2 - Motor Placement

A motor is a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. It is recommended to talk to the Mechanical subteam to place each motor, but you can orient each motor so its wires face the interior of the robot, keeping them accessible for troubleshooting. You should ensure all wire extensions are long enough to comfortably reach and connect to their corresponding electrical components.

2.3 - Sensor Types and Placement

There are many types of sensors, including CANRange, CANCoder, Limelight, Pigeon, and CANColor.

CANRange

A CANRange sensor is a type of sensor that has a laser detection system. So anything that passes through the CANRange detects it and sends feedback through code. You should communicate with the Mechanical and Programming subteam for the placement, but you should place it where all its wires are out of danger from any mechanical component and where the laser points to the area you need it to point to.

CANCoder

A CANCoder sensor is a sensor used to measure the rotation, speed and the position of the component it is attached to. You should talk to the mechanical subteam for this components placement as they know where all the motors are going. It is recommended to orientate the wires so that they are out of the way of any mechanical component or danger.

Limelight

A limelight is a smart camera that detects April Tags throughout the field using code. It is recommended to talk to the programming subteam because they need to position the Limelight aiming towards the field.

Pigeon

This is a type of sensor that determines the gyro of the robot, so in simpler words, it determines if the robot is on a slant or flat ground. You mainly have to be mechanical because they need to be able to put it where there are no points of interference with mechanical components.

CANColor

This component detects color through code. They are used to detect gamepieces. You will mainly have to communicate with the programming subteam to place this component as it needs to face towards.

Tips for Pit Crew and Competition

Preface

Competition can be stressful, especially when you have to look and make sure every device and wire on your robot is as it should be.

So here are some tips for the electrical pit!

Tips for Pit Crew and Competition

Tips

Be sure that you know your robot!

If you were chosen for the pit crew, you probably know a bit about your robot.

This means that if asked by a judge, alliance member, or even just a visitor, you should be able to answer any question about your robot.
If a problem electrically occurs, you should be able to identify and attempt to fix it before your robot goes back to play

Always keep Spares!

You never know when the end effector of your robot might fall off, and keeping a spare of each major subsystem on your robot can save a LOT of time

For electrical, this can include wiring the subsystem exactly as it is on the robot to avoid confusion
You can also have extensions for wires, CAN and power, in case of any sort of emergency as it is easy to prep and store
Spares for devices are really useful if any device on the robot fails

Trouble-Shooting

Eventually, when something electrical goes wrong, you need to know how to act and when you can act

Usually, if the issue arises as a result of the robot breaking, that is much more prioritized than Electrical, as you can’t wire something that isn’t fixed
Be sure to prep in the meantime!

If a device isn’t giving off the right status lights, be sure to trace the wire that connects to it.

Try and have a basic memorization of your wire movement and what connects to what
I would recommend labeling wires with heatshrink to maximize time
Make sure that all devices are seen on Phoenix Tuner and functional (systems check)

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:

Electronic measurement tool
Used to measure various electrical values
Analog vs Digital

Basic Terminology

Must-Knows

FRC Electrical Must-Knows:

COMMON TERMS
TERM	DEFINITION
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)
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
ROBORIO	MAIN ROBOT COMPUTER
RSL	"ROBOT SIGNAL LIGHT" USED TO INDICATE STATUS OF ROBOT
VRM	VOLTAGE REGULATOR MODULE" USED TO SUPPLY SENSORS AND DEVICES WITH REGULATED 12V OR 5V POWER RATHER THAN RAW BATTERY VOLTAGE
PWM	"PULSE-WIDTH MODULATION" SIMPLE UNIDIRECTIONAL SIGNALING USED TO TRANSMIT A VALUE BETWEEN 0-100%
AWG	"AMERICAN WIRE GAUGE" AMERICAN STANDARD FOR WIRE DIAMETER. PRONOUNCED GAUGE. SMALLER NUMBER MEANS LARGER DIAMETER, DOUBLING WIRE DECREASES AWG BY 3
FUSE	OVERCURRENT PROTECTION DEVICE WITH COLORFUL PLASTIC HOUSING. PERMANANTLY DAMAGED WHEN TRIPPED
BREAKER	OVERCURRENT PROTECTION DEVICE WITH COLORFUL METAL HOUsING. AUTOMATiCALLY RESETS AFTER COOLING WHEN TRIPPED, TRIP INDICATED BY BLINKING LIGHT ON PDH
FALCON 500	BRUSHLESS MOTOR WITH BUILT IN MOTOR CONTROLLER. CONTROLLED OVER CAN
KRAKEN X60	NEWER BRUSHLESS MOTOR WITH BUILT IN MOTOR CONTROLLER. CONTROLLED OVER CAN, REPLACABLE LEADS
SPARK MAX	STANDALONE MOTOR CONTROLLER, COMPATIBLE WITH WIDE RANGE OF BRUSHED AND BRUSHLESS MOTORS

Basic Terminology

Tips

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.

Resources/References

Resources you can use if needed

Resources/References

Resources

Resources/References:

https://www.chiefdelphi.com/t/zebrapower-2-0-the-zebracornss-battery-paper-update/440093 (Team 900’s Battery Paper)

https://docs.wpilib.org/en/stable/docs/hardware/hardware-basics/robot-battery.html

https://frcteam3255.github.io/Wiki/Electrical/Wiring%20Cheat%20Sheet/

How to Wire an FRC Robot — FIRST Robotics Competition documentation

2025 FRC Electrical System.pptx

FRC Pneumatic System Diagram - Control System - Chief Delphi

Talon FX

Phoenix Tuner X

Installing Phoenix 6 (FRC)

LED Status Indications | FIRST FRC Radio

Robot Power Delivery - Shane Trent - FRC#4561 - Houston 2025

Resources/References

The Most Important Pieces of Electrical Documentation

As new FRC controls system hardware comes out (i.e. Systemcore), these pieces of Electrical Documentation may be subject to minor change.

However, these are pieces of information that I find essential and important for the Electrical Subteam to know.

Hardware Electrical (Drive of Citrus Circuits Electrical Practices)

Managing the FRC Controls System

Status Light Quick Reference — FIRST Robotics Competition documentation

How to wire a robot

And Finally, the most important piece of documentation:

Wiring Pattern language

Resources/References

Commonly Ordered Electrical Parts for Reference

Resources/References

FRC Wire Gauge Easy Reference

Resources/References

Status Lights

Be sure to also look up status lights online and read the specific component documentation.

Cadathon - Electrical Guidelines

The ideal submission for the Electrical team on the CADathon

Cadathon - Electrical Guidelines

Guidelines

Electrical Subteam CADathon

Tools

Each team must use AT LEAST one of the following tools to illustrate wire routing and wires in the usage. Measurements must be accurate and under a common scale factor

draw.io
Figma / FigJam
AutoCAD

*Additional*: You may include wiring in a 3D landscape to help further your ideals however the minimum is 2D wiring of ALL subsystems

Taking CAD (Computer Aided Design) pictures and drawing wiring on them

Requirements

The plans created for wiring must meet the following expectations

Consistent color coding across all diagrams to represent different wire types

All wires are labeled and color-coded to connect to components and work properly

Every wire must be clearly labeled to show its purpose and destination (e.g., power, CAN, sensor, or signal).

All connections to components are specified with Voltage and Amperage, as well as taking into account of Port Space on components

Wiring plans must cover every subsystem of the robot (drivetrain, intake, shooter, climber, etc.).

Include mounting provisions such as zip-tie holes, cable tie mounts, or clips to guide wire routing within the CAD structure.

Strain relief, stress points, snag points, and other points of contact are properly addressed

Incorporate snakeskin, wire sleeving, or e-chains where necessary, and clearly show them in your drawings to have protected movement control

Components are added onto the CAD of the finished robot design and are strategically purposeful

Mounting of components in a way that works with the Controls System as well as the robot's design

The following components are REQUIRED in your robots CAD

RSL
PDH
Battery
Robo rio
Radio

The usage of the following CAN be used to highlight the strategic capabilities of the robot

Cameras
Sensors
VRM

Electrical Documentation

Everything you need to know about Electrical Documentation for the upcoming FRC season!

Electrical Documentation

Documentation Standard

As a representative assembly, the Electrical Subteam has decided to use draw.io as the Electrical Standard for the FRC 2026 season, Rebulit.

We will be using this website for our documentation on Electrical Schematics and Layouts.

Quick Distinction:

Electrical Schematics (in our terms)

Component diagrams that depict the connections of ports and the port numbers that they connect to
- Depicting motors and what PDH port they connect to
- Showing the flow of the CANchain through the various components
- Depicting the individual ports of the PDH and their connections

Electrical Layouts

Diagram of the robot and the various components connected. This also entails the display of wiring between these components on the robot
- Does not include wiring, but you get the point ^

Electrical Documentation

Electrical Template for Documentation

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hX2cgcBHF-MwaM-B19c196EsSkeuA8Ys/view?usp=sharing

NOTES

When using this template:

Be sure that you are following FRC Electrical Standards
Be prepared to have your Electrical Schematics reviewed by the team
Make sure it is thorough and realistic
Understand that each section has inputs based on the specificities of robot

Electrical Documentation

Resources for Draw.io

Video tutorials on draw.io

https://drawio-app.com/tutorials/video-tutorials/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiTtRN9b8P4CoSfpkfgEJHA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN6i6dsoZTs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlCKv49Pkvg

Electrical Documentation

Example Documentation from Other Teams

https://github.com/sikaxn/FRC-Custom-CAN-Sensor/wiki/6.-Wiring-and-powering

https://www.team5026.com/Sprintbot_(2025)#CAN_Chain_&_Devices

Motors

All you need to know, on the electrical side, about Kraken Motors.

Motors

Right Angle PCB wiring

What are WCP Right Angle Kraken PCBS?

The WCP Right Angle Kraken PCBS (TalonFX PowerPole Adapter Boards), are an alternative wiring solution to the regular wiring of a Kraken Motor.

*As you can see, they change the route of both the CAN and Anderson connectors to a right angle, helping in cases where a right-angle solution is needed for wire routing.

What's included with the PCB?

*The PCB comes with the PCB, the cover, and the screws to secure them.

How to install the PCB

The first step is to get the correct screwdriver and bit.

Skip these steps if you're wiring a completely new motor:

If your motor has a cover, unbolt the two screws of the cover

Once you remove the cover, It should look like the image above.

Then unscrew all the screws that clamp the ring terminals for all the wires (CAN and Power), which should look like the image above, 4 empty holes (-, +, H, L).

PCB Installation

ALWAYS USE THE SCREWS THAT COME WITH THE PCBS - Anish Mallepally, (2026)

Take the PCB, and align the holes on the PCB onto the holes on the Kraken Motor.

Screw in the holes, and make SURE to use LOCTITE®

Finally end it off by screwing in the cover, DON'T use LOCTITE® here.

And there you have it, a fully finished TalonFX PowerPole Adapter Board, or a WCP Right Angle Kraken PCB.

MEDIA

Here's an official WCP Tutorial of PCB Installation:

https://youtube.com/shorts/RKLAPSY0UjY?si=c9G2TtTBBfqGsSln

Anish's Tutorial:

Kraken PCB Wiring by Anish

Motors

Using Dissection of a Kraken motor to Troubleshoot

Major things that can go wrong on a kraken motor that need dissection:

Power wires get off soldering
Stator PCB is broken
TalonFX board is broken.
Can Screws fall off
Power Screws fall off
The stator coils are burnt (overheated motor)

Can Screws fall off

The stator PCB is broken (for example the PCB cracked, screw holes got stripped,wires between the pcb and the colis broke, etc...)

Motors

Step by step how to take the X60 apart

DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS THE MOTOR IS IN A UNFIXABLE CONDITION OR BROKEN

Step 1

Take the 2 housing screws, the 4 wire screws and the 3 TALON FX screws that has on it (one is between the can wires)

Step 2

Once the cover comes off you will see the TALON FX with 7 screws take them out and the talon fx will come out

Step 3

You will now reach this this has 4 screws in our case 2 of the were fine and the other 2 were striped so we had to drill in the screws, once you take them out there is something that has to be done that requieres sniping 3 wires is the wires under the soldering wich the motor will be complety screwed uness you find a way to fix it

Step 4

You will reach this point if you did everything correctly you do not have to do anything in here

Step 5

Now you will have

How to use the CBA battery tester

in this chapter wou will discover step by step on how to use the cba batery tester from scrach

How to use the CBA battery tester

Step by step on how to use the CBA battery tester

Step 1

First you will have to go to the west mountain radio clik here to acces and then it should look like this

if it does not work or the page does not look like this then jut search west mountain radio in your web browser and clik the link that says West Mountain Radio: Home or something similar

Step 2

Now you will hover your mouse over support and clik on dowloads

Step 3

Once you click on dowloads you will have to scroll dow till you see a title on a red box that says computerised battery analyzers

Step 4

now you will have to find cba V wich it should be the firt one and click on software CBA HR, Version 3.5.8 (as of right now) once cliked you will be directed to this page

Step 5

now you will clik on the thing that says click here to dowload Latest Version 3.5.8 CBA Software for CBA II, CBA III, CBA IV, CBA V & CBA HR

Step 6

once you do the hole proces of dowloading you will open the app (called CBA sofware)and be on this page

check the next page on how to do a discharge test

How to use the CBA battery tester

How to do a discharge test

Step 1

you must click now new test and will be directed to this page(just remember that you must have your CBA unit pluded in)

Step 2

Now once you pluged in the battery to the CBA and the CBA to the pc on the bottom righ corner it will say none selected then a fan and next a usb with a ✅and now you can click new test and you will be directed to the thing in the top left for this test we will be doing a discharge, please remember that you must change the battery type do not run just with lead acid chek on your battery lables if you are not shure about the battery dont just gamble it get someone to help you

you will then click detect on the blue square wich will tell you the Voltage of the battery and the cells, you will have to manually put the Capacity (Ah) for exmaple my batteries are 18Ah so the CBA just put 18 (for me) don't put 18.000 just put 18. Now under discharge you will have to click detect and make sure that the cutoff is at 10.50 else it will nefer finish and it shuld put the correct test amps, you don't need to do anything else but click start and wait for the test to finish

once you start seeing a color line moving that means that your test is running correctly, just fyi you will need more than 3 hours for this test. Remember that you can always stop or pause the test and if you at any point unplug the battery from the cba/the cba from your computer the test can't be ever resumed again

when the test is finished you will see that the line has reached the cutoff or 10.5 volts in my case wich is the green dotted line with an arrow on your cutoff voltage at 10.5V

as we can see on the graph the solid green wire has reached the cuttof voltage so the test is finished but the solid red wire did not rech the green light because 3 hours was not enough so that is a failed test.

Now once you have finish your test on the blue rectangle on the right we got all the information the oragne square gives you live data of your battery

Now on the top left you can either make a new test wich will open another file you can also append another test on the same graph, you can do a quick load test, you can also extend the test, you can see the test properties, you can print lables and export the test

How to use the CBA battery tester

How to extend a test

Step 1

once you click on extend test this square will pop up you can click ok or cancel

once you click ok the cba will re read the voltage an a line will just pop straight up and you will slowly see the grenn line start moving again

and this is how it will look like the graph at the end of the test

LED's

How did we make them?

What you need: