Electrical & WiringModule 3 of 8

Motor Controllers and the CAN Bus

Motor 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.

Motor Controllers and the CAN Bus is module 3 of 8 in the Electrical & Wiring guide. It picks up where Power: Battery, Breakers, and the Main Circuit left off and hands over to Connections, Rules, and Troubleshooting. Its 3 lessons are about 66 minutes of the guide's ~14 hours.

3 lessons~66 min35 lessons in this guide

Start with lesson 1 All of Electrical & Wiring

In this module

3 lessons

01Motor Controller LineupMeet the common FRC motor controllers and the motors they drive.22 min read

02PWM vs CAN ControlTwo ways to command motor controllers - when to use each.20 min read

03Building a Reliable CAN BusWiring, termination, IDs, and troubleshooting for the CAN network.24 min read

Previous modulePower: Battery, Breakers, and the Main Circuit

Next moduleConnections, Rules, and Troubleshooting

Jargon check

FRC terms used in Motor Controllers and the CAN Bus

Longer reads

Articles that go deeper on this

The FRC Control System Explained: roboRIO, PDH, Radio, and Everything BetweenThe FRC control system explained: how the roboRIO, REV PDH, radio, motor controllers, and CAN bus connect to make your robot drive — a plain-English electronics board tour.8 min read

All 8 modules in Electrical & Wiring

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