Power, the control system, and legal wiring.
The Electrical & Wiring branch covers the complete FRC control system power chain: the 12V SLA battery, the 120A main breaker, the power distribution device (REV PDH, CTRE PDP/PDP 2.0, or AndyMark PD), the roboRIO controller, the Vivid-Hosting VH-109 radio, motor controllers, and the wires and connectors that tie it all together. You will learn how to read the legal wiring rules from the FRC Game Manual, pick the right wire gauge for a given current, and crimp connections that survive a full competition season. Mastering this branch is the difference between a robot that drives flawlessly and one that browns out on the field.
0 / 35 lessons
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The learning path
Before you crimp a single connector on an FRC robot, you need a mental model of how electricity actually behaves. This prerequisite primer builds that model from the ground up: what voltage, current, and resistance really are; how Ohm's Law and electrical power tie them together; how series and parallel wiring change the math; and the wire-gauge, fuse, and safety rules that keep a 12V robot battery from becoming a hazard. Every concept is connected back to the real FRC control system so the theory sticks.
Module overview: Electrical Foundations: Volts, Amps, and CircuitsBefore you strip a single wire, you need to know the players. This module introduces every major component in the FRC electronics stack, what each one does, and how they connect.
Module overview: The FRC Control System: Meet the ComponentsThis module follows electricity from the battery through the main breaker to the branch circuits, and teaches how circuit protection keeps the robot safe and legal.
Module overview: Power: Battery, Breakers, and the Main CircuitMotor controllers turn the roboRIO's commands into raw motor power. This module covers the major controllers, the difference between PWM and CAN, and how to build a reliable CAN bus.
Module overview: Motor Controllers and the CAN BusReliable robots come from reliable connections and clean compliance with the rules. This module covers crimping, the legal wiring rules, full robot assembly, and field troubleshooting.
Module overview: Connections, Rules, and TroubleshootingStop reading and start building. This module walks you through concrete, buildable wiring jobs and codeable controls examples end to end: a fully-wired single-motor test stand, a current-limited drivetrain, a power-monitoring dashboard, a switchable-channel project on the REV PDH, and a CAN-device bring-up. Every step uses real part numbers, real gauges, and real WPILib/vendor code that compiles. Do these on the bench before you do them under competition pressure.
Module overview: Worked Examples & Mini-ProjectsMost robots that die on the field die for boring, preventable electrical reasons: a loose CAN wire, a battery that sagged, a tinned wire backing out of a WAGO, a brownout from uncapped current. This module is a field guide to the real failures FRC electrical teams hit, with a repeatable debugging workflow, the LED-and-Driver-Station signals that point you at the cause, and the specific fixes. Learn to read your robot's symptoms instead of guessing.
Module overview: Common Mistakes & TroubleshootingOnce the basics work, the margin is in the details: a power budget that survives a full event, a CAN architecture that does not saturate, batteries managed like a fleet, and current limits tuned per mechanism. This module digs into advanced electrical and power-management techniques and walks through real, worked case studies: a four-Kraken swerve power budget, a CANivore CAN FD migration, and a battery-management program, so a competitive team can build a robot that performs in match 1 and in eliminations on a tired battery.
Module overview: Advanced Techniques & Case Studies8 modules, 35 lessons, all free — grounded in the real Game Manual and WPILib docs. Read now, track your mastery when you sign up.