Hardware Setup
Hardware Setup - Building the Foundation
Overview of the motors, sensors, and controllers you'll connect for this workshop.
🎯 Key Concept: Solid hardware configuration enables precise and reliable robot control.
Hardware Components
Kraken X44 Brushless Motor Powered by Talon FX™
Compact brushless motor with integrated Talon FX™ controller. Delivers 823W peak power, designed as drop-in replacement for Kraken X60.
Key Features: 4.05Nm stall torque, 85% max efficiency, 125.5 RPS max speed, SplineXS shaft, FOC commutation, 1kHz PID control, compact 44mm design.
WCP ThroughBore Encoder – CAN Bus Position Sensor
Through bore rotary sensor using innovative off-axis magnet technology. Eliminates mechanical coupling for precise shaft position measurement.
Key Features: 1/2" hex shaft compatible, through bore design, absolute/relative position, CAN bus connectivity, versatile mounting options.
CANivore™ – CAN FD Bus Expansion
USB-to-CAN FD interface that adds new CAN FD network to PC or roboRIO. Enables precise control of CTRE devices with Phoenix Pro and hardware-attached simulation.
Key Features: CAN FD technology (2X-8X better bus utilization), wireless configuration, ESP32 integration, multi-color status LEDs, USB Type-C support.
Mechanism Overview
What We're Programming
Arm Position Control
We'll be programming an arm mechanism to demonstrate motor control and positioning. Learn PID tuning, encoder feedback, and motion profiling for precise positioning control.
Why We Choose CTRE Hardware
🎯 CTRE's Unique Advantages
Full PID Control
Complete PID implementation with kP, kI, kD, and advanced filtering options that other vendors don't provide.
Feedforward (FF)
Built-in feedforward control for gravity compensation and velocity control that competitors lack.
Motion Profiling
Advanced Motion Magic and motion profiling capabilities for smooth, controlled movements.
Rotations Units
Motor positions measured in intuitive rotations instead of confusing encoder ticks or radians.
🔧 Phoenix Software Resources
Connecting to Your Device
⚠️ Important Setup Steps
- Plug the computer into CANivore
- Make sure the "CANivore USB" is checked
- Change "Team # or IP" to "localhost"
- Your CANivore should now appear in Phoenix Tuner
- For this workshop, please name your CANivore: "canivore"
Updating Your CTRE Products
Using Phoenix Tuner
Open Phoenix Tuner and connect to your robot
If you have issues connecting to your robot,view this guide
Batch update all products of the same model
Select one of the devices and then click the batch update icons
Verify Updates
The device cards will be green if the firmware is the latest
Motor Update Process & Status Colors
📱 How to Update Motors
Use Phoenix Tuner to update your motor firmware. Select devices and use the batch update feature to ensure all motors are running the latest firmware version.
🎨 Card Colors
The color of the device cards is helpful as a visual indicator of device state. The meaning of the card color is also shown as text underneath the device title.
| Color | Description |
|---|---|
Green | Device has latest firmware. |
Purple | Device has an unexpected/beta firmware version. |
Yellow | A new firmware version is available. |
Red | Device has a duplicate ID. |
Blue | Failed to retrieve list of available firmware. |
💡 Tip: Always update all motors to the same firmware version for consistency and use batch update to save time when updating multiple devices.
Having Issues?
If you are having issues connecting to your CANivore or other devices, make sure to update your CANivore firmware.
Let's Run Some Motors!
Testing Motor Movement
Quick Test Steps:
- Open up your motor in Phoenix Tuner
- Click Config
- Click the three dots
- Click Factory Default
- Set the drop-down to Voltage Out
- Click DISABLED to enable
- Apply voltage to test the motor
⚡ Safety First
Always start with low voltage values when testing motors. Make sure your mechanism can move freely and won't cause damage.