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Electrical is an essential subteam to any robotics team. Planning and wiring the robot is pivotal to a successful and connected competition robot.  Here’s how I think of it: Programming acts as the CNS (Central Nervous System) that controls and processes...

This is the fun stuff. Here is a basic FRC Electrical Subsystem: Some of the basic components of the electrical subsystem include: 12V Lead Acid Battery Nominal Voltage: 12V Capable of over 180 amps 120 Amp Breaker Used t...

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 20-gauge green and yellow wire.  It conne...

“When in doubt, zip tie it out.”  (Danya Liu 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 ...

  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)  

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 t...

Context: We use these materials: 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: St...

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 Pape...

Good practices: Using a battery beak can help determine the battery connection and “charge,” and you’re looking for a “Good 130.” Having 0.02 ohm or less is also preferred. However, you might need several batteries during the competition to...

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 If a battery is leaking quickly, ...

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 Work...

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!  

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 you...

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 cir...

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...

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. The first step in crimping these includes st...

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 fo...