IBC help

Hi i just got my IBC (thanks Geoff) and absolutely thrilled but I have a few questions
1:What do i do with that long piece of 10 or so wires connected in a strip?
2:Say i wanted the FLIP function how do wire up the controller to do that
3: On the paper i got from featherweights.org it say that i should add a 60amp fuse in the supply to the IBC any one else dne this ? does it work?

Ali
P.S im usally on msn messenger :)

All the answers to your questions are in the instruction book, which should have been provided with the IBC. If you havent got one, it is available on the manufacturers here - http://www.robowars.org/docs/ibc-docs-v0.1.pdfhttp://www.robowars.org/docs/ibc-docs-v0.1.pdf

From the manual:
quote:

#1 = +12v - This pin will provide a stable 12v output from the switch-mode regulator, regardless of
the battery input voltage. Do not attach devices that use more than 300ma. Small relays and
remote-power LED€™s (with a suitable resistor) can be powered from here.
#2 = AUX High - An €œOpen Collector to Ground€ output that will activate [internally connect to
ground (-)] when the €œAUX1€ Servo input Joystick is more than 30% €œForward€. This output can be
used to ground one side of a relay-coil to trigger weapons. The maximum current is 300ma. Use an
intermediate relay if you require more current than this.
#3 = AUX Low - The same as AUX High, but activates when the AUX1 input is more than 30%
€œbackwards€
#4 = +5v - This pin provides a regulated 5v output from the onboard 5v regulator, regardless of
battery voltage. Do not attach hi-current devices to this pin. Suitable for small relays or LED€™s (with a
suitable resistor) only.
#5 = FLIP Input - an input that tells the controller to reverse its direction and steering controls if
the robot is turned upside down. This can either be connected to a tilt-switch that grounds the input
when the bot is inverted, or to either of the AUX High or Aux Low outputs for remote control of the flip
function from the radio transmitter (if the 3 rd channel is not required for weapons). Do not exceed 5v
on this input. FLIP is active when grounded (0v).
#6 = Ground (Gnd) - Earth return point and ground reference for the Aux and FLIP inputs and
Outputs. This should be used for any auxiliary connections rather than relying on the main power
earth, since heavy current surges through the main cables can cause voltage fluctuations on the
main earth point.

A 60A fuse is a fair precaution, though a smaller one may be an option, depending on what youre running off it.

I know thatt but where do i put the wires that the options i have selected go?

Alistair,
e-mail me discribing exactly what you want to do with the IBC and I will see if I can tell you the easy way to do it.
Geoff.
teamscorpion@aol.com

The 3rd servo input from your transmitter controls pin 2 and 3.

Connect a relay between pin 1 and 2 or 1 and 3 for weapons functions.

A flip function maybe obtained by connecting pin 2 OR 3 to pin 5 the flip control is now from your transmitter ..... or as stated in the literature you can connect a tilt switch between 5 and 6 and your bot will automatically decide which way up it is .

I think thats right ....:)

Yep, thats it woody..Only I have found that using a tilt switch is somewhat unreliable due to the splash efect you get from the mercury in the switch under heavy impact sending random flip signals to the IBC.

i understand now :)

Do i use the little wires that came with the ibc to wire up the AUX1 OUT

Yes, you solder the wires to the supplied pins and mount the pins into the plastic conector then plug that onto the aux pins on the main board. If all you want to do is use the flip then just connect a loop of wire bteween pin 5 and pins 2 OR 3. If you are unsure about how the aux 1 pins function e-mail me for advice as it is possable to do some damage to the IBC if you get it wrong.
Geoff.

Thanks for that geoff but i think it should of been explained more in the manual as it may not be apparent to a begginer

I suppose geoff is the best person to ask here.

Is the control of the ibc better than that of the vantec you used to use in Scorpion Jr?

Regards
Ian

I would say that they both are very similar, but with the Vantec you have the option to alter the ramps/curves ect (although all ours are running on the factory defaults).

http://www.blazerbotics.co.ukwww.blazerbotics.co.uk

Ian,
I havent used an IBC in Scorpion Jr. yet, but I have used both in Pillow Torque. As for which is better, my personal view is there is very little difference in overall quality of control. Although as Alan says, you do have the option of changing the ramps and curves on the Vantec, I have also found the default setting (fast ramps & expo. steer) is about as good as you will ever need.
The IBC is a true linear mix (equal throttle and steer curves and wickedly fast ramps) which is VERY precise. In a 4WD machine such as Pillow Torque the IBC gives very good results, but the linear mix and very fast ramps can make the throttle feel slightly twitchy and the steering feel a little clinical but you do get used to it very quickly. The Vantec on the other hand with its expo. steering curves and slightly slower ramps does have a softer feel. (You can program the Vantec with a true linear mix if you prefer it). The IBC does have the advantage of an onboard BEC to run your RX and a flip function that reverses the throttle input if you machine can run either way up and you also get 2 switched outputs for weapon control. You dont get any of those on the Vantec. I have found that the fail safe software on the IBC is VERY sensitive (no bad thing) so you do need a good radio set up and well suppressed motors or the IBC can fail safe without warning. The Vantec is a little more forgiving of the odd bad radio signal but is still more than good enough to pass any tech check.
Hope this is of some help.

Geoff.

The IBC is a lot easier to use if your using a old 2ch style radio with one stick for throttle and one for steering. Quite a few guys over here are using wheel radios and they seem to have brilliant controll over those using single stick controlls.

ah yes i am one of those people with the wheel radio :D

just being able to control each axis seperately means awesome control over the twitchy single sticks.

but i think your better off buying a radio that can adjust the things like dead rates, epa, exponential and you can set up most things to drive however you like.

but i do agree with the IBCs failsafe twitchyness. but opto-isolating the servo leads works a treat for fixing that.

but surely the thing about the old or steering wheel radio applies to both? i dont really understand what you mean, are you on about the mixer?

I found the failsfaes on the IBC were very twitchy, i had to put an external arial on Alpha. But with the vantec ive ran with a 6inch bit of wire inside the robot, and its worked fine!

Ive thought about using a wheel transmitter on Alpha, but it could be very wierd driving upside down. Also wheel Txs would be difficult to activate a weapon as well. I suppose it depends what people can use best.

Ive had the failsafing IBC problems too, it seems they set the failsafing values a little to tightly, I think that even a 0.9-2.1ms acceptance range could be suitable for figting robots. On the new controller Im making Im setting the values at 0.95-2.05ms, this should hopefully have the best of both worlds.

The IBC just has the standard OSMC fail safeing code in it. Weve minimised the fail safe issues by tuning our aerials and shielding the RX as much as possible, now we rarely have problems, only now and again when something unusual happens we pick some up.

@Alan: I was referring to the way the stick configurations can affect driving. With a single stick does everything setup, if you want to go forward sometimes you get a little bit of left/right movement from teh stick as well depending how good you are, which may cause the bot to drive to either side a bit. With the seperate stick for throttle and steering, you can negate this issue. We found with one of our robots, it was very twitch in turning, so we used lower steering rates on our radio and it fixed the problem brilliantly!

I see what your saying, but ive never had a problem with that. You could just alter the springs in the back of the TX so that it requires more force to move the stick off centre, and that doesnt limit anything.

I have found people who drive single stick tend to be alot smoother then people who dont, something to do with the way the brain works (or doesnt in most of our cases :P).

BTW the only bad thing i have to say about the Vantec is the connector block, nothing that a cable tie cant fix tho!

Glen, you mentioned opto-isolating the servo leads.
Any circuit diagrams for this? as I am not the best at it.*cough*

Glen got his opto-isolater from Jake Anderson (Plan B). I havent seen the need for opto-iso in any of our 5 IBC using featherweights, most of our trouble with radio has been damaged recievers or aerials being damaged. I heard from Mr Stu that using a 40mhz tuned technobots aerial helps heaps, so maybe buying one of them will get some of you out of your problems straight away.

yeah the opto-isolaters work fine, i noticed a good increase in range.

it basically uses a single opto isolating chip and two resitors per servo lead. you basically cut the servo leads in half and put it in there and it stops noise travelling up the lines.

ill get the diagram for you asap.

ok looking for a fan to fit over my IBC heatsink any suggestions of a good fan ?

Any old computer will deliver at least 1 useable fan.
The IBC has a stabilized 12V powersource on the aux wires, I use that to feed an old computer 80mm powersupply fan

We just mount good ole 35mm chip set fans onto our IBCs and weve had no troubles.

Im currently chasing up a 60mm Vantec Tornado fan for my IBC for my new bot Revelation.

tim stewart made a bigger heat sink for his IBC, in that it stuck up more.

that might be another option if your really desperate.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Fans_47.htmlhttp://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatal...e_Fans_47.html

What about a neon fan?

Wow! Im buying one of those fans! :proud:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Vantec.htmlhttp://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Vantec.html thanks gary Vantec Tornado fan here we come

Who needs a power on LED? - Youll be able to hear that bot from the other end of the pits! :)

or... check this fan out at the bottom http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Delta_Fans_58.htmlhttp://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatal...a_Fans_58.html is that too noisy and would it make radio interference

steve that gives me an idea if i use a fan with a LED would that count as a saftey power light LED?

I was thinking the same thing alister.

If it was to operate in exactly the same way, would it count?

I think that this is a question for the LED thread! :)

LOL dont get them started in that thread. LOL!

Long as its clearly visable, i see no reason why it wont be allowed.

Mr Stu

Just be sure to get one of the LED fans - the cold cathode versions generate high voltages internally, so would technically be against the rules.

Hang on there Stu,
Im not sure it would be OK. The cathode type are definatly a no-no. But the LED type may be OK If the LEDs were in the frame (not the blades) of the fan, a contrasting colour and afixed to the outside of the robot. (But very vunerable!!!) If the fan were mounted inside the robot and say visable through a grill then it would fall foul of rule 6.8 that states that a non-filament light must be SURFACE MOUNTED.
I would fail any machine that had an LED fan that was anything other than surface mounted.
(I must admit, they do look very cool though!!)

Dont hang on me.

So does that Mean that M2 has failed then coz he has his LED clusters under 8mm Polycarb. Well the old M2 that was, not sure about the new M2. Though i think hes having poly on the top back on the new one and may do the same.

So if the LED fan is behind some polycarb, hmmmm - how picky are things going to get?

Mr Stu

Stu, you aint gonna get much cooling air flow through a poly panel!!! But you cant argue that the rules state surface mounted.
I guess that someone would have to build one and turn up at an event with it. The builder, event organiser and the FRA could then argue it out at the time.

Drill holes in the polycarb pannel?
Also who says it has to be mounted onto the poly pannel, long as u can clearly see it through the pannel? But it also goes back to what M2 has done which you have chose to ignore above - he has his LEDs behind polycarb pannel - which IMHO - its safer and more relaiable - less prone to damage if hes behind the polycarb pannel than surface mounted - correct???

I guess that someone would have to build one and turn up at an event with it, then the builder, event organiser and the FRA could argue it out at the time. - Already happened and it passed, with flying colours :proud:

Mr Stu

Good argument Stu, But as the build rules stand at this moment they clearly state surface mounted and as such that is exactly how I would apply them. In view of the above, maybe the wording needs to be ammended. Something like clearly visible may be better. This would cover this fan business (and keep M2 happy!) Why dont you bring it up at the next meeting and ask the FRA to ammend rule 6.8. You would have my support, after all the rules have to stay ahead of developments.