Welcome to the Glossary
Why this exists.
We know it can be hard learning each and every term thrown around in FRC design, so we have compiled a list of words and definitions to aide you throughout your learning.
Terms
c-c- "Center to Center" distance
WCP- "West Coast Products"
TTB- "The Thrifty Bot"
SDS- "Swerve Drive Specialties"
Turnbuckle- A threaded part that goes in between chain links to tension the chain
COG- Center of Gravity, also referred to as COM(Center of Mass)
OTB- "Over the Bumper" typically used to refer to a style of intake where you lift the piece over the bumper
UTB- "Under the Bumper" typically used to refer to a style of intake where you move the piece under the bumper
V4B- "Virtual 4 Bar" is where a second degree of freedom is directly geared of a previous degree of freedom instead of being moved independently or by a linkage.
4Bar- A type of linkage characterized by its 4 pivot points
COTS- "Commercial Off the Shelf" parts are anything you can buy from a vendor.
Dead Axle- A type of axle setup where the axle is fixed in place and or is not transferring the torque of the system through it.
Live Axle- A type of axle setup where the main torque transfer is through the axle
Zombie Axle- Typically used on pivots a zombie axle spins with the mechanism, but is transferring little to no torque through it. This is commonly used to put an encoder on the pivot point.
Tube Nut- Also known as a "Star Nut", these provide an easy way to put a thread in end of a hollow tube allowing you to bolt the tube to another part.
Cantilever- Horizontal Element that's supported by one side only.
Shear- When forces are applied parallel to the plane of a material, causing breaking of fasteners due to excessive force and stress.
Torque- Force that produces rotational movement.
Moment of Inertia- Amount of resistance against angular acceleration.
End Effector- Mechanism attached to the end of an arm.
Linear Actuator- Device that converts rotational movement to linear motion, usually with a lead screw.
PDH- Power Distribution Hub.
SparkMAX- Motor controller for REV motors.
Main Breaker- Switch for the robot.
PWM- Pulse Width Modulation cable.
RIO- RoboRIO, brain of the robot.
Blinkn- LED controller for REV.
Radio- Device that helps the robot communicate with the driver station.
Limit Switch- Type of sensor that acts as a soft limit when physically or magnetically hit.
Throughbore Encoder- An encoder that allows shafts to pass through its center to record position.
Magnetic Encoder- An encoder that uses magnetic fields to measure position or motion.
3DP- Abbreviation for 3D printed or 3D printing.
Billet- Component machined down from a solid block of material.
Bevel Gear- Special gears that change the axis of rotation, typically by 90 degrees.
Gusset- Reinforcement plate, usually made of aluminum, used to strengthen connections between two tubes.
Box Tube- Hollow, square or rectangular metal tubing.
Tie Rod- Rigid bar used for structural support and stability, often in the frame of a robot.
Poly/PC- Abbreviation for polycarbonate.
Stripping- Process of removing threads or bolt heads, often due to excessive force or wear.
Cross Threading- Damage caused when a fastener is forced at an incorrect angle during assembly.
Tapping- The process of creating threads in a hole using a tap tool.
Brainpan- Flipped electronics bellypan.
Bellypan- Plate for mounting electronics on the underside of your drivebase.
Hardstop- A physical limit designed to prevent a mechanism or component from moving beyond a certain point.
Softstop- A software-based limit or control mechanism that restricts the movement of a mechanism or component to prevent it from exceeding certain parameters.
DP- Diametral pitch is the number of teeth per inch of the pitch circle.
packaging- The way in which you fit parts of your robot together in a space
backlash- 'Slop' in a power transmission system; can wiggle back and forth without engaging the whole system
parametric- Designed in a way that uses relationships between steps to maintain design intent