FRC Electronics Board

While a good electronics board wont win an event. a bad electronics board will loose an event.

For this process we will use Onshape to design the board, and corell draw and the Epilog 40w Laser cutter to cut the board.

Steal from last year

    1. First step to making a great electronics board is starting from where we left off last year
    2. Open Onshape and open last years robot.
    3. Find the electronics board sub assembly and copy in to this years robot.

Determine the number of electronics parts the robot needs

Lay out your parts in Onshape

Transfer your holes

Use the laser cutter to cut your board

Put the correct terminals on your electronics

Mount the Electronics

Wire management & Strain relief

Prep and Cut your wire.

    1. Once you have mounted your electronics board to the robot chassis extend all arms and manipulators to the greatest distance.
    2. Use some string and scotch tape to measure out the length each wire run needs to be at each end of the wire run loop the string around your hand to add additional strain relief.
    3. Determine the gauge of wire you need to use
    4. Cut the wire to the length you measured with the string
    5. Follow the Pearce Robotics Wire Terminal Guide to terminate the wire correctly
    6. In the places you used tape to hold the string mount wire tie anchors to bundle your wires

Shielding on Signal wire.

    1. So wire that goes to sensors ( potentiometers, gyros, encoders, etc) need to be sheidded from the EMF produced by the main power lines in the robot
    2. Use a 1/2" rounded steel rod to thread the signal wire through the 3/8" or 1/2" nickle plated copper sleaving
    3. use 3" of 1/2" or 3/8" shrink wrap on each end to securely attach the sleaving to the cable ends.

Create an Electronics Map

Label all your Devices

    1. Use your Electronics Map to fill out the Robotics Electronics Label Sheet to label all your electronics.
    2. you will need to fill out every CAN ID, PD Port, Motor Name, and Breaker for each label.
    3. Print this sheet on sticker paper and use a straight cut to cut.
    4. place the labels on all electronics.
    5. you may use clear tape to ensure they stay there all season.

Generic Rules to a good electronics board

    1. Mount vertically so metal shavings don't settle in the board
    2. Mount in a place you can see all the lights (this will help with troubleshooting electrical problems)
    3. Label Everything!
    4. Have the main power be human accessible, not robot accessible!
    5. Test every connector!
    6. Watch for crosstalk on signal wires