IR beacon
From FIRSTwiki
The IR beacon is a device which emits infra-red signals. In FIRST Robotics, this refers to the beacon used in the 2004 game FIRST Frenzy: Raising the Bar for the autonomous mode segment of the match. The IR beacon emits signals that are captured by the IR sensors provided in the kit of parts.
Parts
The kit of parts includes several components necessary to construct the IR beacon. The beacon constructed is not exaxtly the same as the one used in the actual competition, but is close enough for testing purposes. The beacon runs off of the Robovation processor, so this kit is needed, -- though the code to run the beacon can be modified to run off of the full-size Robot Controller (2004) (see [1] (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24130))
- Vector board (1)
- Infrared emitter (EOD-EL-IL2) (4 needed, 5 included)
- HexFet driver (IRL3103) (1)
- Resistor (33 Ohm 1/2 W) (4)
- Wire
- PWM connector (1)
Construction
The documentation included in the Kit, originally provided by FIRST, had a few errors on it. An updated version is available at kevin.org/frc. Several schematics are included. Safety warning -- Note that if too much voltage is applied to the IR emitting LEDs, they can explode quite easily.
Resources
- Innovation First homepage (http://innovationfirst.com/FIRSTRobotics/documentation.htm)
- kevin.org/frc -- code to run the beacon as well as various schematics and an FAQ are available here
