This page aims to clarify the low level electronic functions of the warthog robot

overview

A detailed chart of the electrical components and their wiring inside the warthog platform

piece by piece

Clear Path breakout PCB

As seen on the following figure the breakout pcb is the cross road of every signal communication between the center platform and each rocker. It notably serve's as a pass through for the Can Bus and an rs 232 serial connection to the high level I/O, as a power board providing both 24v and 12v in addition to being the legacy micro controller interface between the electrical system and the LLC.

For further information on the modifications of the breakout board see the modification section bellow.

Micro Controller Unit (Legacy component)

The MCU is a custom stm 32 plateform designed by ClearPath to fit in the DDR3 ram slot on the breakout PCB. It used to provide a link from the LLC to the LED board via micro ROS, to monitor battery state via a current loop sensor, interface with the Rc controller, correctly powering of and starting E-stop procedure as well as initiate a boot sequence for the DC DC converter. Before it's replacement, see modification section bellow, the last features still in place were to initialize the DC DC boot sequence and allow the LED to light solid red.

///////////////////place holder

Norlab custom monitoring system

//// place holder for photo

Low Level Computer

Transforms the velocity commands to Can Bus signals. see Data sheet and configurations.

LED Boards

Click here to see the detailed overview of each components and logic functions of the LED boards.

Bilge Pump

The 24 V bilge pumps situated in the bottom part of each rocker are comprised of two main parts the water sensor and the main pump. The pump is self managed, per Clearpath the water sensors activates every two minutes to detect water if water is detected the water sensor will close a relay which will connect the main pump to 24v and start to evacuate water until the water level is bellow the accepted threshold.

See bellow the relay controled by the water sensor.

///////place holder

Estop and Remote Estop

The E-stop circuit is composed of four physical buttons in "normally" closed configuration and a remote fork in series. With this configuration when the circuit is opened by pushing on a physical button or via the remote fork the 12v E-stop circuit is opened which at first cuts the main power source of the motor and subsequently cuts the 12v motor enable signal to shutdown the canbus modules via the LED boards relay. See bellow a simplified electrical circuit of the E-stop.

Sevcon

The Sevcon is the 48V Can Bus brushless motor controller it enables precise control and conversion of the encoder data to Can Bus see here the available configuration. The motor controller has two 48 components that have their separate power source hence why two relays are necessary two ensure proper shutdown. As it was previously mentioned in the E-stop diagram the main 48v power is cut to stop the motor directly and activate the passive brake and the smaller relay on the LED boards cuts the power to the can bus module.

//////place holder for the sevcon photo

Sysnergie BMS and charger

modifications