Pitsco Education TETRIX MAX, Builder'S Manual

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TETRIX MAX MiniMAX Bot Activities
Final Connections:
After you’ve mounted the R/C motor controller, the R/C wireless receiver, and the battery, you are ready
to connect and complete the wire connections among all components.
Secure the receiver and wires so they do not become entangled in any moving parts.
Pay special attention to the following wiring instructions to correctly power the R/C motor
controller and receiver.
• With the robot facing away from you, connect the left TorqueNADO motor cable to the Motor 1
Powerpole input on the R/C motor controller.
• Connect the right TorqueNADO motor cable to the Motor 2 Powerpole input on the R/C motor
controller.
• Use a 3-pin channel input cable to connect Input 1 on the R/C motor controller to Channel 4 on
the R/C wireless receiver.
• Use the other 3-pin channel input cable to connect Input 2 on the R/C motor controller to
Channel 2 on the R/C wireless receiver.
• Connect the lead from the servo mounted on the shoulder joint to Channel 3 on the R/C wireless
receiver. Make sure the black wire is to the outside of the receiver.
• Connect the lead from the servo mounted on the neck to Channel 1 on the R/C wireless receiver.
Make sure the black wire is to the outside of the receiver.
• Connect the battery to the on/off power switch.
• Connect the Powerpole wire from the switch to one of the 12-volt power inputs on the R/C motor
controller.
• Press the Mode button on the R/C motor controller to change the drive mode to single-stick
drive. In single-stick drive, the LED near the Mode button should be on.
For visual help in wiring the circuit, refer to the Single-Stick Mode wiring diagram on page 15.
Turn on the wireless joystick gamepad system and test the operation of the MiniMAX Bot. In this
configuration, the left joystick of the gamepad controls the movement of the robot. However, you can
change the control of the robot by changing which channels of the gamepad are used. Refer to the
following diagram for selecting channels. You also might need to invert the motor direction by using a
small screwdriver to change the position of the DIP switches on the gamepad.
Don’t forget to reference page 16 for complete instructions on connecting the wireless gamepad to
the receiver.
Tip: Each TorqueNADO motor comes with an encoder that senses and controls the rotation of the motor
for precision movement. However, the encoders are not used with the R/C motor controller. The 4-pin
encoder cables that come connected to the TorqueNADO motors can be disconnected and stored.
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