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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.