Programming, Controls & SensorsModule 3 of 13
Motors, Sensors, and Closed-Loop Control
Drive real hardware with vendor motor-controller APIs (CTRE Phoenix 6 and REVLib 2025), then make mechanisms precise with PID feedback, feedforward, and motion profiles.
Motors, Sensors, and Closed-Loop Control is module 3 of 13 in the Programming, Controls & Sensors guide. It picks up where The Robot Program: Lifecycle and Command-Based Architecture left off and hands over to Autonomous: Odometry, Trajectories, and Simulation. Its 4 lessons are about 175 minutes of the guide's ~30 hours.
4 lessons~175 min51 lessons in this guide
In this module
4 lessons
Jargon check
FRC terms used in Motors, Sensors, and Closed-Loop Control
- PID ControllerA feedback control loop (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) that drives a mechanism to a target by reacting to error.
- SPARK MAXA REV Robotics motor controller for brushed and brushless (NEO) motors, configured via REV Hardware Client.
- Falcon 500A brushless motor with an integrated Talon FX controller and encoder, controlled over the CAN bus.
- Kraken X60A high-performance brushless motor (with integrated Talon FX electronics) controlled over CAN via Phoenix.
- FeedforwardControl that predicts the output needed (e.g., to overcome gravity or reach a velocity) and is combined with PID for accuracy.
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All 13 modules in Programming, Controls & Sensors
Department overview- PreProgramming Foundations: A Java Primer4
- 01Foundations: Tools, Languages, and Your First Robot Program4
- 02The Robot Program: Lifecycle and Command-Based Architecture4
- 03Motors, Sensors, and Closed-Loop Control4
- 04Autonomous: Odometry, Trajectories, and Simulation4
- 05Sensing Fundamentals: Digital, Analog, and CAN Inputs3
- 06Encoders: Measuring Position and Velocity3
- 07Gyros, IMUs, and Orientation3
- 08Closed-Loop Control: PID, Feedforward, and SysId4
- 09Computer Vision and Pose Estimation3
- 10Worked Examples and Mini-Projects5
- 11Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting5
- 12Advanced Techniques and Case Studies5