This professional development is intended to pair with the and the free curriculum. Those using a different kit, such as the FTC Starter Kit, may have additional parts.
Before diving in, let's take a look at what's in the EDU Kit V2 to review some key terms and what's what!
The next few pages are intended to be a quick visual reference for parts and names to be looked back upon for those new to the DUO System!
This page pairs with Lesson 2 of the , which provides a more in depth explanation for the different mechanical parts.
The EDU Kit V2 contains over 180 parts! This page is intended to be a brief overview for some of the major part categories to reference while first exploring.
Metal extrusion makes up the core of the structural system for the EDU Kit V2. It is available in different lengths that can be cut to size.
There are many different brackets available designed to fulfill different roles in providing connections between items or extra support. Within the EDU Kit V2 there are structural, motion, and actuator brackets.
Omni Wheels have rollers mounted around the outside that passively rotate at 90 degrees to the powered direction of the wheel. This can aid with the robot turning as the rollers allow the wheel to more easily glide at an angle.
The Traction Wheels in the EDU Kit V2 are standard 90mm wheels with a thread around the outside made of TPU rubber.
Gears are a rotating mechanical part used to transmit motion using the “teeth” around the outer edge to engage with other gears or parts. All the gears in the EDU Kit V2 are spur gears with various numbers of teeth and sizes available.
Pillow Blocks are a form of bracket designed to support a bearing or hex shaft. Hex Pillow Blocks have the same shape opening as the shaft to prevent movement. Bearing Pillow Blocks allow rotation while using a bearing.
Bearings reduce friction to help an axle better rotate within a bracket or other support. A short and long length of the through bore bearing is available in the EDU Kit V2.
5mm Hex Shaft is used with wheels, gears, motors, and servos to create an axle for motion.
The term hardware is commonly used to describe the small parts used to fasten, connect, and secure structural elements together.
The difference in T-Slot Screws and Hex Cap Screws is the shape of their “head” and how they are added to extrusion. Hex Cap screws must slide in from the end of the extrusion while T-Slot screws are able to be added to areas without easy access points.
Nyloc nuts, a type of locknut, are used to secure screws and their attached components with the help of a nylon collar inside the nut.
Shaft Collars use a small set screw to slip onto an axle or shaft and, once tightened, lock into place to prevent sliding.
UltraPlanetary Flat Mounting Bracket
15mm Plastic Motion Bracket
15mm Plastic 45 Degree Bracket
15mm Plastic 120 Degree Bracket
15mm Gearbox Motion Bracket
15mm Plastic Inside Corner Bracket
15mm Metal Bent Core Hex Motor Bracket V2
15mm Metal Bent Servo Bracket V2
UltraPlanetary Bent Mounting Bracket
The Control Hub is the brain of the robot. It runs what is know as the Robot Controller Console, which stores all programs, configurations, and log files.
Even when programming in the REV Hardware Client or a browser this is just acting as a tool to access the Control Hub's software!
The Driver Hub is how we communicate with the Control Hub when we're ready to run a program and control the robot. It functions similar to an Android phone and runs the Driver Station Application to allow communication.
The Driver Hub connects to the Control Hub's Wi-Fi network to communicate.
After setting the Driver Hub for the first time, you will have access to the Driver Station Application. There is a lot of information displayed by the Driver Hub so let's take a closer look.
While connected to a Control Hub, the application will appear similar to below:
1
Initialize, start, and stop programs
Only available when a program has been selected.
2
Telemetry display
Displays telemetry outputs.
Displays any system warnings and error codes
3
Active configuration
Displays which configuration file is currently active.
If this section says <no config file> you will need to .
4
Network information
Displays Control Hub SSID Name, signal strength, and ping time.
5
Gamepad connections
Show currently connected gamepads
6
Autonomous dropdown menu
Dropdown menu that displays all autonomous programs saved on the Control Hub.
7
Teleop dropdown menu
Dropdown menu that displays all teleop programs saved on the Control Hub.
8
System power display
Displays the amount of battery voltage powering the robot, when connected to a Control Hub.
9
Settings dropdown menu
Access settings, configure the robot, restart the robot, check to see if your system meets competition inspection requirements and more.
10
Practice Timer
A built in timer that can be used to to practice for different portions of a match.
The Control Hub powers off a single 12V Slim Battery. Using an approved battery is the ONLY way the Control Hub should be powered. It cannot be powered directly from a charger or via USB.
Adding a switch cable is recommended to allow the Control Hub to be easily powered on and off without removing the battery.
These cables are used to provide power to the motors connected to the Control Hub.
Used with the motors in the EDU Kit V2 to send information from the encoders to the Control Hub.
PWM, or pulse-width modulation, is a signal type used to communicate with different devices, such as the servos found in the EDU Kit V2.
There are two types of actuators available in the EDU Kit V2, servos and DC motors. Actuators convert energy into a form of motion by applying a force. In this case, they are convert electrical energy into motion by applying torque.
Servos are a form of actuator often used for more specialized movements between positions. Servos include built-in sensors that allow them to automatically know their position without any outside programming
These servos are capable of two modes:
Angular Mode: Sets the servo to move to specified positions within a 270° range of motion
Continuous Mode: Allows for the servo to rotate a full 360°, either direction, indefinitely similar to a standard motor
DC Motors are a type of electrical motor that use direct current, or DC, to rotate and produce the mechanical force needed to move an attached mechanism. There are two DC Motors available in the kit.
The Core Hex Motor is a DC Motor that includes a built-in encoder . The Core Hex has a 90° orientation and a through-bore design
The HD Hex Motor is a DC Motor that includes a built-in encoder. The HD Hex Motor includes a pressed-fit pinion to be ready for meshing with a gearbox system.
A touch sensor is a form of digital sensor that responds to some form of physical touch. The touch sensor found in the EDU Kit V2 uses a simple push button to switch between on or off. Within the Blocks programming language, this appears as True or False.
A color sensor is a form of I2C sensor. This type of sensor measures reflected light, allowing it to determine how much light is being seen, the distance to a surface, and what color is in front of it. The color sensor found in the EDU Kit V2 uses a HSV model to determine color.
