2015:Electrical Controls Subteam

Design

To provide for narrower controls for transport, driver #1's side of controls (i.e. 2 joysticks) will slide to the right and cover the laptop. These will automatically lock.

The intent is to have a simple release mechanism. When released a gas strut will automatically open the controls.

• 2 joysticks for main driver
• 1 joystick for aux driver
• 1 3-way toggle for autonomous (up=a pre-picked auto-mode; center=no auto; down=use auto-mode that is selected on Dashboard)
• 8 broken switches
• Laptop for Dashboard

Robot IO Map

This is the controls closed.	This is a picture of the controls open.
NOTE: The colors are not yet set in stone

To do

Status	Task	Result	Information	Owner
Started	Latch design		finish CAD for latch design	Chris
Not started	LaunchPad		download development environment (see LaunchPad link) download sample code build, install and verify sample code change sample, install and verify	Andrew
Not started	Wiring		if lid is here, use that; otherwise print the drawing to us a mockup. determine length of ribbon cable to go from LauchPad to all switched	Gunnar
Not started	Latch mount		create and print drawing fabricate part	Alyssa
Completed	ethernet port location		This option needs to pulled from both sides, but we want to be able to pull from one side only: Retractable Network Cable Determined that field has male end, so we need a female end will use port plug we already have and put it on the right top

Not yet started

• Find data sheets and parts: Handles
• Lights?

Started but Needs Work

• Sheet metal drawings for boxes
• Sheet metal drawing for right top
  • Need to finish lightning bolt, add 1/32" allowance around the bolt
  • Update broken switches with square cutouts per the new switches
  • Update three-way switch hole as required per the selected part
  • Add cutout for Ethernet port on the upper left corner of this part? It's the round part in the box of parts.

  Research latching mechanism

  • Use something similar to a gate latch
    • Home Depot latch
    • Gate Latch
    • Latch_example.jpg ‎
    • Pin/bolt attached to movable part/left section
    • create a latch similar to: Lock and Pin.png
    • one latch mounted to front of fixed section and one latch at the back
    • run a u-shpaed bar from latch to latch (under the secondary controls)
    • have access to bar via a hole through the secondary controls lid
    • gas shock is TBD

     

    Power cable

    • The options below need to pulled from both sides, but we want to be able to pull from one side only.
      • USA Cables Retractable Power Cable
      • Ziplinqs Retractable Power Cord
      • Power products Retractable Power Cable
      • Our only remaining idea is to use the retractable cord mechanism from the iron and insert our own cords (ethernet, power). 
        • HAMILTON iron
      • If we were to proceed with the iron idea we would need:
        • 2 irons (one for ethernet, one for power)
        • a power cord
        • a way to release the cord and allow it to retract

      Completed 

      Determine which board to use for the joystick interface

      • Cypress is mostly a USB-Serial and PSoC test board, it doesn't really have what we need.
      • LaunchPad has digital and analog inputs. There are built-in pull down resistors, so wiring switches will be easy. There are sample programs including joysticks already setup to use with the Dashboard; the source code is available so it can be modified. Also, form factor is much better for using the contorls.
        • MSP430 Launchpad for FIRST

      Meeting Minutes

      1/6

      (Chris, Mr. Byers)

      • discussed preliminary options

      1/7

      (Chris, Mr. Byers)

      • discussed preliminary options

      1/8

      (Chris, Mr. Byers, Eric, David M.)

      • selected overall concept (sliding controls)

      1/10

        (Gunnar, Alyssa, Andrew, Eric, Mr. Byers, David M.)

      • inventoried parts we have
      • determined controls we thought were needed
      • went over desires from strategy team
      • Home Depot shopping run
      • met with Elliot to select secondary controls
      • created wiki page
      • created todo list 

      1/11

      (Alyssa, Andrew, Mr. Byers)

      • investigated latch options
      • investigated retractable cords
      • selected board for controls

      1/13

      (Chris, Eric, Mr. Byers, Gunnar, Andrew, Alyssa, Dave, Frank)

      • Chris worked on the main base and assembly 
      • Gunner worked on the very complicated drawer slides
      • Alyssa and Andrew worked on the Aux panel
      • Eric found a gas shock that will fit our needs 
      • Attended integration meeting rom 6:30 to 7:00

      1/14

      (Chris, Mr. Byers)

      • Chris updated assembly
      • changed laptop mount so we have more space between it and the sliding lip

      1/15

      (Chris, Eric, Alyssa, Dave, Frank)

      • Chris worked on the main base and assembly 
      • Alyssa worked on the lightning bolt cutout
      • Eric found three way and broken switches and got them along with the gas shock on the shopping list. Datasheets are located in a datasheet folder with the rest of the controls stuff.
      • Attended integration meeting rom 6:30 to 7:00

      1/17

      (Chris, Andrew, Gunnar, Alyssa, Dave, Eric, Mr. Byers)

      • Chris worked on finishing the final assembly and the latching mechanism
      • Gunnar worked on cadding up some of the electrical components, looking up some possible latches, and cadding other random parts.
      • Andrew worked on the final drawings with Chris, finalizing the aux panel, placement of words, figuring out the hinge situation, and looking up other important information
      • Alyssa worked with Andrew with his tasks as well as finalizing the lightning bolt cut out
      • Eric and Mr. Byers assisted the students with their tasks, and kept them on task and at work. 
      • Attended integration 6:30 - 7:00
      • Met the deadline for the design

      1/18

      (Andrew, Chris, Alyssa, Eric, Mr. Byers) 

      • Finalized all of the parts
      • Made all of the drawings for the parts
      • Sent the parts out
      • Secured a extension cable for the inside of the controls

      1/20

      (Andrew, Chris, Alyssa, Mr. Byers, Eric)

      • Fixed incorrect drawings and resent them to Harris
      • Completed one of the drawings to be made in our shop

      1/21

      (Andrew, Chris, Mr. Byers)

      • Andrew worked with the development board and downloaded the software to the laptop that will be used in this years controls
      • Chris worked with Mr. Byers and updated the io map for the joysticks; talked with Elliot too, to make sure we mapped the buttons the way he wanted.

      1/22

      (Chris. Gunnar, Eric, Mr. Byers, Dave)

      • Chris worked with Mr. Byers and Mr. Cavaliere to get a busshing for the release mechanism
      • Gunnar worked with Eric to create schematic for switches to LaunchPad
      • Mr. Byers and Dave connected the LaunchPad and loaded the supplied HID firmware; and verified buttons worked