# Topology

##### **Topology is a system of wire arrangement in which electrical components are connected together. There are different types that we can use in FRC.**

The **Daisy chain** is when we use CAN wires to connect components one by one. They can either go linearly or in a ring, and remember CAN chains they MUST end in a terminating resister

**Benefits:** Some of the benefits that come with using Daisy chains are that they have more organization and make it easier to make any fixes if needed. Wire management is also easily done with daisy chains. It is much to save space and avoid cluttering on the robots, which allows room for other important components.

**Drawbacks:** If one wire that may be closer to the beginning or middle ends of failing, the rest of the chain will fail causing many components to lose connections from each other. This can drastically cause our robot to fail in competitions, therefore it's crucial to pull test wires before installing them onto the robots.

**![](https://wiki.yetirobotics.org/uploads/images/gallery/2026-09/embedded-image-2nixcrmi.png)**

**Star topology is when there is a central point that all wires emerge from and connect to the rest of the electrical components. This method isn’t usually recommended.**

**Benefits:** If one motor loses connection, only that single motor will fail. The rest of the robot keeps running. Troubleshooting is much easier. If a device is throwing errors, you know exactly which port it belongs to. All CAN wires route back to one localized electronics belly pan.

**Cons/Drawbacks:** CAN bus relies on high-speed signals. The electrical signals bounce back from the unterminated ends of the wires (called stubs), causing signal reflections and ringing. In FRC, the stubs must be kept under 12 inches long. A star topology will most likely fail because CAN runs at high frequencies and is highly sensitive to data reflections. If the PDH itself gets damaged, the whole thing shuts down. It requires more wire length, adding weight to the robot.

 ![](https://wiki.yetirobotics.org/uploads/images/gallery/2026-09/embedded-image-e4shkrbk.png)

<p class="callout info">*Think of the middle device as a PDH, many CANwires would go from the PDH and go out directly to separate components.*</p>