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Electrical Parts List

Contributors:

Oscar Jorgenson, Nate Johnson

Right now just a list of parts we use to power things

Battery

The power supply for an FRC robot is a single 12V 18Ah Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery, capable of meeting the high current demands of an FRC robot.

Wires

We use 6, 10, and 18 AWG power wires and 22 AWG CAN cables. The power wires come in red and black for power and ground and sometimes white for conditional (for three-stage motors). CAN is used for al motors and motor controllers and wired with small green and yellow cables on a continuous path around the robot, beginning at the PDH.

Posi-locks

Posi-locks connect two wires of the same width. So begin, strip both ends of the wires with wire strippers and put the ends of the lock on. Then, screw the ends on to the middle untill tight. If you can pull on the wires and they do not come apart, it is correct.

Power Distribution Hub

The REV Power Distribution Hub (PDH) is designed to distribute power from a 12VDC battery to various robot components. The PDH features 20 high-current (40A max) channels, 3 low-current (15A max), and 1 switchable low-current channel. The Power Distribution Hub features toolless latching WAGO terminals, an LED voltage display, and the ability to connect over CAN or USB-C to the REV Hardware Client for real-time telemetry.

roboRIO

The NI-roboRIO is the main robot controller used for FRC. The roboRIO serves as the “brain” for the robot running team-generated code that commands all of the other hardware.

Radio

The OpenMesh OM5P-AC wireless radio is used as the robot radio to provide wireless communication functionality to the robot. The device can be configured as an Access Point for direct connection of a laptop for use at home. It can also be configured as a bridge for use on the field. The robot radio should be powered by one of the 12V/2A outputs on the VRM and connected to the roboRIO controller over Ethernet.

Voltage regulator module (VRM)

The CTRE Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) is an independent module that is powered by 12 volts. The device is wired to a dedicated connector on the PDP. The module has multiple regulated 12V and 5V outputs. The purpose of the VRM is to provide regulated power for the robot radio, custom circuits, and IP vision cameras.

Pneumatics control module (PCM)

The CTRE Pneumatics Control Module (PCM) contains all of the inputs and outputs required to operate 12V or 24V pneumatic solenoids and the on board compressor. The PCM contains an input for the pressure sensor and will control the compressor automatically when the robot is enabled and a solenoid has been created in the code.

Motor controllers

The SPARK MAX Motor Controller is an advanced brushed and brushless DC motor controller from REV Robotics. When using CAN bus or USB control, the SPARK MAX uses input from limit switches, encoders, and other sensors, including the integrated encoder of the REV NEO Brushless Motor, to perform advanced control modes. The SPARK MAX can be controlled over PWM, CAN or USB (for configuration/testing only).

Circuit breakers

The Snap Action circuit breakers, MX5 series and VB3 Series, are used with the Power Distribution Panel to limit current to branch circuits. The ratings on these circuit breakers are for continuous current, temporary peak values can be considerably higher.

Power switch (120A circuit breaker)

The 120A Main Circuit Breaker serves two roles on the robot: the main robot power switch and a protection device for downstream robot wiring and components. The 120A circuit breaker is wired to the positive terminals of the robot battery and Power Distribution boards.

Robot signal light (RSL)

The Robot Signal Light (RSL) AndyMark am-3583. It is directly controlled by the roboRIO and will flash when enabled and stay solid while disabled.

Canivore

The CTRE Canivore allows for multiple CAN Buses to be on a single robot. It's powered from one of the 12V ports on the VRMs and a USB connector from the RIO.

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