CTR Electronics TALON FX VEX.PRO FALCON 500 Manual
  1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. CTR Electronics Manuals
  4. Engine
  5. TALON FX VEX.PRO FALCON 500
  6. Manual

CTR Electronics TALON FX VEX.PRO FALCON 500 Manual

Hide thumbs
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
Rev. 11/30/22
1

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the TALON FX VEX.PRO FALCON 500 and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Summary of Contents for CTR Electronics TALON FX VEX.PRO FALCON 500

  • Page 1 Rev. 11/30/22...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Rev. 11/30/22 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS FALCON 500 FEATURES PERFORMANCE DATA GENERAL WARNINGS MOUNTING A FALCON 500 WIRING THE FALCON 500 INSTALLING GEARS & PULLEYS USING THE FALCON 500 COOLING PORT CHANGING THE OUTPUT SHAFT INSTALLING THE FALCON 500 IN A VERSAPLANETARY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BLINK CODES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...

  • Page 3: Falcon 500 Features

    Rev. 11/30/22 FALCON 500 FEATURES The Falcon 500, powered by Talon FX, is a revolutionary brushless motor for FRC! With an integrated motor controller and encoder, it raises the bar for motor and motor controller performance. The Falcon 500 introduced many new and innovative features to the FIRST®...
  • Page 4 Rev. 11/30/22 BRUSHLESS IS MORE The Falcon 500 is a brushless motor, custom designed specifically for the FIRST Robotics Competition, through a collaboration between VEX Robotics and Cross the Road Electronics. Brushless motors are better than their brushed counterparts for a variety of reasons: More Reliable The brushes inside a brushed motor will inevitably fail.
  • Page 5 Rev. 11/30/22 POWER UP When using trapezoidal control, the Falcon 500 produces just under 400W of Power at 40A and 12VDC. Without a doubt, it is the most powerful motor in the FIRST Robotics Competition. At peak power the Falcon 500 can produce over 780W of power in trapezoidal control! FRC teams won’t be able to use all 780W due to limitations of their robot’s power distribution system.
  • Page 6 Rev. 11/30/22 SIZE & PACKAGING As teams have been trying to build smaller and smaller robots, fitting motor controllers has become a challenge. Since the Falcon 500 has an integrated Talon FX motor controller, this problem is a thing of the past. The Falcon 500 dramatically changes the way teams layout their robot’s electronics and revolutionizes their abilities to iterate their robot mid-season and mid-competition.
  • Page 7 Rev. 11/30/22 FAILURE POINT REDUCTION Each wire connection on a robot represents a possible failure point. A loose wire, a bad crimp, something plugged in backwards – all of these can lead to significant problems during a match. The Falcon 500 helps reduce the number of connections (failure points) by up to 50%.
  • Page 8 Rev. 11/30/22 TALON FX The Talon FX is built upon years of development in motor controller technology from Cross the Road Electronics. The Talon FX is the next evolution of the Talon family of motor controllers, which continues to be a leader in FRC motor controller technology. The Talon FX gives teams all the features they’ve come to expect from a Talon motor controller, including Follow Mode, limit switch feedback, and...
  • Page 9 Rev. 11/30/22 REVERSE POLARITY PROTECTION The single largest cause of failure in FRC motor controllers is reversing the polarity of the input power. This means a simple wiring mistake like wiring a motor controller backwards into the PDP (Power Distribution Power) or wiring a robot battery backwards can be a costly mistake for a team. The Falcon 500 is the first motor controller in FRC history to have reverse polarity protection built in.
  • Page 10 Rev. 11/30/22 PHOENIX API COMPATIBLE The Talon FX is a Phoenix compatible device. This means that teams can program the Talon FX using their existing Phoenix-based code with only minor changes needed. STALL WHISTLE When the Falcon 500 begins to stall, it will whistle an audible tone to inform the user of this event. A SMART MOTOR FOR ALL TEAMS The Falcon 500, powered by Talon FX has a built in 2048 CPR Encoder that teams can use to produce reliable motion control, out of the box.
  • Page 11 Rev. 11/30/22 THERMAL PROTECTION Another innovative feature of the Falcon 500 and Talon FX is the ability for the controller to protect itself and the motor from exceeding its temperature rating. When the Falcon 500 approaches its temperature rating, the motor enters a thermal shuto to prevent itself from permanently damaging itself.
  • Page 12 Rev. 11/30/22 CIM COMPATIBLE The Falcon 500 comes with (6x) #10-32 holes on a 2” bolt circle. This, combined with the motor’s smaller diameter, means the Falcon 500 can be used anywhere a CIM or Mini CIM were used previously. The extra #10-32 holes mean that teams have more freedom in the direction the wires and cooling port are facing in their application.
  • Page 13 Rev. 11/30/22 RETHINKING MOTOR SHAFTS When making a game changing motor, why stop at performance? Since the beginning of FRC, teams have had to use keyed or press-fit motor shafts. While these are adequate, VEX and Cross the Road Electronics wanted to give teams a better option. The Falcon Shaft was developed to eliminate many common problems teams have with keyed and press-fit shafts.
  • Page 14 Rev. 11/30/22 Speaking of spacers, the Falcon 500 comes with a set of spacers that are specifically designed to help teams position items on their motor within a 1/16”. This is meant to eliminate washer stacks and/or retaining clips to keep gears and pulleys positioned and retained on the motor shaft. This system is designed so that (1x) 1/16”...
  • Page 15 Rev. 11/30/22 One of the biggest benefits of the Falcon Shaft being a spline shaft is that teams can now use smaller gears. The Falcon 500 is the only motor in FRC that allows teams to use as small as an 8T pinion on their drivetrain.
  • Page 16 Rev. 11/30/22 STAYING COOL UNDER PRESSURE Heat buildup is a problem with any FRC motor. When heat builds up, the motor’s internal resistance changes, which decreases its overall performance and e ciency. To combat this, teams have been using fans and freeze spray to try and cool their motors between matches.
  • Page 17 Rev. 11/30/22 SPECIFICATIONS DIMENSIONS TRAPEZOIDAL Dimensio 60mm (2.36”) Dia. X Free Speed 6380 RPM 6079 RPM 89.9mm (3.54”) Long Free Weight 1.25Lbs (0.56kg) 1.5A 1.5A Current 257A 304A Output 14 Tooth, 0.5 Module Stall Shaft Spline Shaft Current 6x #10-32 On 2” Bolt Stall Mounting 4.69Nm...
  • Page 18 Rev. 11/30/22 TALON FX INPUTS & TALON FX SPECIFICATIONS OUTPUTS Nominal Voltage 12 VDC Motor Interface Integrated 2x 12AWG Silicone Wires PWM Input Pulse 1-2ms Nominal Power (Red & Black) CAN / PWM PWM Input Rate 2.9-100ms Communication Minimum Throttle Adjustable 0.1%-25% (4% Direct Sensor Yes, Over CAN Only...
  • Page 19 Rev. 11/30/22 FALCON 500 v3 MECHANICAL IMPROVEMENTS In the interest of improving the user experience and performance of the Falcon 500, there have been some mechanical updates to the motor from its prior revisions. Starting with motors sold in Late 2022, longtime users will note that there are some minor di erences to the Falcon 500 motors than what they’re used to.
  • Page 20 Rev. 11/30/22 NEW OUTPUT SHAFT DESIGN Falcon 500 v1 and v2 used (5x) M2.5 screws to attach the shaft to the motor’s rotor and transfer torque. In a review of production failures of v1 and v2 motors, we found that consistently applying loctite to screws was a problem.
  • Page 21 Rev. 11/30/22 MECHANICAL CHANGE LOG Revision Mechanical Changes Sell Dates Initial Release Oct 2019-Dec 2020 ● Motor assembly screws changed to stainless to prevent ● Dec 2020-Dec2022 sticking to the rotor during assembly. #10-32 set screws removed from faceplate. ● #10-32 set screw in cooling port replaced with button ●...

  • Page 22: Performance Data

    Rev. 11/30/22 PERFORMANCE DATA (TRAPEZOIDAL)
  • Page 23 Rev. 11/30/22 PERFORMANCE DATA (FOC)

  • Page 24: General Warnings

    Rev. 11/30/22 GENERAL WARNINGS Warning: DO NOT remove the screws from the controller end cap. This can result in a loss of calibration between the motor and motor controller. A loss in calibration will result in decreased performance or permanently damage your Falcon 500.

  • Page 25: Mounting A Falcon 500

    Rev. 11/30/22 MOUNTING A FALCON 500 The Falcon 500 comes with (6x) mounting holes so that teams have many options on the orientation of the wires and cooling port. To prevent dust and debris from entering the motor chamber of the Falcon 500, each mounting hole is plugged with a #10-32 set screw.

  • Page 26: Wiring The Falcon 500

    Rev. 11/30/22 WIRING THE FALCON 500 Wiring the Falcon 500 to a robot is easier than any other motor / motor controller in FRC. Similar to the Talon SRX and Victor SPX, the Talon FX can be controlled using either PWM or CAN. The PWM/CAN leads (green/yellow twisted pairs) on the Talon FX come with a 3 pin (0.1”[2.54mm] pitch) connector pre-installed.
  • Page 27 Rev. 11/30/22 Step 2: Connect the Talon FX to the robot’s CAN bus network or PWM output CAN INSTRUCTIONS Using the CAN bus to control the Talon FX allows users to take full advantage of all its features. To wire the CAN bus, connect a yellow signal wire to the CAN terminal marked “H”...
  • Page 28 Rev. 11/30/22 PWM INSTRUCTIONS WIRE COLOR DESCRIPTION TRADITIONAL PWM WIRE COLOR Yellow PWM Signal White Green PWM Ground Black Either of the Talon FX’s built-in CAN bus wires can be used to control the device using PWM. In addition, one set of twisted pair wires have a male PWM connector while the other has a female PWM connector. This makes it easy to connect the Talon FX with many PWM controllers, such as the roboRIO and several VEX microcontrollers.
  • Page 29 VEX Robotics / 276-2194 Male Microcontroller Hero Development CTR Electronics / 16-728279 None (Remove Connector) Board To connect a Talon FX with any of the above VEX microcontrollers, simply plug the Talon FX’s male PWM connector into the desired motor port on the microcontroller with the white (signal) wire on the “inside” of the microcontroller.
  • Page 30 Rev. 11/30/22 APPLYING POWER FOR THE FIRST TIME Before applying power for the first time, it is a good idea to double check the following: The red wire is connected to the positive source The black wire is connected to the source ground All electrical connections are secure and electrically isolated A 40A or smaller breaker is in series with the Talon FX’s positive power input There are no short circuits on the Talon FX’s output...

  • Page 31: Installing Gears & Pulleys

    Rev. 11/30/22 INSTALLING GEARS & PULLEYS The Falcon 500 comes with a spline shaft that eliminates the need to use keys and press-fits to transfer torque from the shaft to the gear or pulley. The end of the shaft has a #8-32 tapped hole which can be used to retain items on the shaft.
  • Page 32 Rev. 11/30/22 FIRST ITEM LAST ITEM DESIRED DISTANCE INSTALLED ON INSTALLED ON FROM END OF SHAFT SHAFT SHAFT 7/16” Gear / Pulley 1/16” Spacer 1/8” Spacer 1/4” Spacer 3/8” 1/16” Spacer Gear / Pulley 1/8” Spacer 1/4” Spacer 5/16” 1/8” Spacer Gear / Pulley 1/16”...

  • Page 33: Using The Falcon 500 Cooling Port

    Rev. 11/30/22 USING THE FALCON 500 COOLING PORT The Falcon 500 comes with a cooling port that can be used to force air through the motor chamber. This helps keep the motor cooler and therefore running more e ciently. This section covers how to use the cooling port. Before using the cooling port, teams should read the most current robot construction rules to confirm that the method of using the cooling port is legal for the current season.

  • Page 34: Changing The Output Shaft

    Rev. 11/30/22 CHANGING THE OUTPUT SHAFT The Falcon 500 gives teams the ability to change or replace the output shaft of the motor. If the motor’s output shaft gets cut or damaged, teams can replace the original output shaft with a new output shaft. Similarly, if teams are using the Falcon 500 with the VersaPlanetary, there is a short shaft option (217-8907) that is already cut to the correct length, or a medium length shaft (217-8908) Digital instructions for changing and replacing the output shaft are available online here.

  • Page 35: Installing The Falcon 500 In A Versaplanetary

    Rev. 11/30/22 INSTALLING THE FALCON 500 IN A VERSAPLANETARY The VersaPlanetary is a great option for teams looking to slow down their Falcon 500. Previously, if you wanted to use a CIM, Mini CIM or NEO, you would have to cut the shaft down to make it fit. This is a permanent modification.

  • Page 36: Additional Information

    Rev. 11/30/22 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BRAKE & COAST MODES The Talon FX has two modes: Brake and Coast. When a neutral signal is applied to the Talon FX in Brake mode, the Falcon 500 will resist rotation, especially high-speed rotation. This is accomplished by essentially shorting the motor leads, which causes a Back Electromotive Force (Back-EMF) to resist the rotation of the motor.
  • Page 37 Rev. 11/30/22 LIMIT SWITCH CONNECTOR The Talon FX has a limit switch connector on the back. This connector is a 4-pin JST PHR series connector. The purpose of this connector is so teams can disable the motor’s ability to spin in a direction. For example, if a Falcon 500 is driving ‘forward’...
  • Page 38 Rev. 11/30/22 CALIBRATION The calibration of a Talon FX is essentially the scale of input signal to output voltage. Di erent controllers may have di erent “max” and “min” signals that may not correspond to the same Talon FX outputs. Calibrating the Talon FX allows it to adjust for these di erences so that a “max”...

  • Page 39: Blink Codes

    Rev. 11/30/22 BLINK CODES BLINK CODES DURING CALIBRATION Status LEDs Blink Code Talon FX State Calibration Mode Successful Calibration Failed Calibration...
  • Page 40 Rev. 11/30/22 BLINK CODES DURING NORMAL OPERATION LEDs Colors Talon FX State Forward throttle is applied. Blink rate is Blinking Green proportional to Duty Cycle Reverse throttle is applied. Blink rate is Blinking proportional to Duty Cycle No Power is being applied None to Talon SRX...
  • Page 41 Rev. 11/30/22 BLINK CODES DURING NORMAL OPERATION (CONTINUED) LEDs Colors Talon FX State /Orange RoboRIO not on CAN Bus CAN/PWM is not O /Slow detected Orange Damaged Hardware Forward Limit Switch or Forward Soft Limit...
  • Page 42 Rev. 11/30/22 BLINK CODES DURING NORMAL OPERATION (CONTINUED) Reverse Limit Switch or Reverse Soft Limit Green Orange In Bootloader Orange Thermal Fault / Shuto B/C CAL BUTTON BLINK CODES B/C CAL Button Color Talon FX State Solid Brake Mode Coast Mode...

  • Page 43: Frequently Asked Questions

    Rev. 11/30/22 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: Why Are Torx / Star Drive Screws Used on the Falcon 500? A: Traditional hex keys, as well as the screws they’re used on, are susceptible to stripping. This is especially true the smaller the hex key gets as well as with button head screws. Torx / Star Drive screws are much harder to strip and therefore, teams won’t have to be as concerned about stripping screws if they need to open up the motor chamber.
  • Page 44 Rev. 11/30/22 A: Yes. The Falcon 500 can be controlled through either CAN or PWM. However, CAN is required to take advantage of the Talon FX’s smart features like Motion Magic. Q: There isn’t a wire connected to the center (red) PWM wire on the .1” servo connector, is this a problem? A: No.
  • Page 45 Rev. 11/30/22 As documented in the DW CAN bus specification, both daisy chain or a designed master cable harness meets the specification’s documented topology (diagram below).
  • Page 46 Rev. 11/30/22 Star topology is not recommended. This use case is not common, nor is it suggested in the DW CAN bus specification. This nonstandard implementation requires careful study and analysis of the candidate bus cable, which is typically beyond the capabilities of a typical FRC team. This topology may be used when performing basic testing on a bench-setup with a small network (few modules and short cable travel).

  • Page 47: Troubleshooting

    Rev. 11/30/22 TROUBLESHOOTING Indication: No ORANGE Status LEDs on power up. Problem: Input power issue or joystick trim tab o center. Possible Solutions: 1. Disconnect CAN cable(s). 2. If Status LEDs remain o , check +V or GND connections for voltage and proper polarity. 3.
  • Page 48 Rev. 11/30/22 Indication: Flashing ORANGE Status LEDs on power up. Problem: No CAN/PWM signal. Possible Solutions: 1. Ensure the transmitter and receiver are powered ON. 2. The CAN/PWM cable may be improperly connected. Check wire color-coding at each end. Check that the connector is not o set by a pin at the receiver end.
  • Page 49 Rev. 11/30/22 Indication: No power output from the speed controller although the Status LEDs work. Problem: Possible internal damage. Possible Solutions: If the Status LEDs on the Talon FX are operating properly and there is no output, the Talon FX may be internally damaged.
  • Page 50 Rev. 11/30/22 Indication: No power output from the speed controller and the Status LEDs do NOT work. Problem: No input power or possible internal damage. Possible Solutions: If the Status LEDs on the Talon FX are not operating properly and there is no output, the Talon FX may be internally damaged.

  • Page 51: What's Included

    Rev. 11/30/22 WHAT’S INCLUDED REPLACEMENT PART PICTURE DESCRIPTION NUMBER Falcon 500, powered by Talon FX 217-6515 1/16” Thick Falcon Shaft Spacer 217-6937 1/8” Thick Falcon Shaft Spacer 217-6937 1/4” Thick Falcon Shaft Spacer 217-6937 Extension Cable Retaining Clip 276-4128...
  • Page 52 Rev. 11/30/22 SPARE PARTS To help with maintenance of the motors, and prevent simple mechanical failures from making motors unusable, VEX will make Spare Parts for the Falcon 500 v3 Available. PICTURE DESCRIPTION PART NUMBER Falcon 500 Short Shaft v3 217-8907 Falcon 500 Medium Shaft v3 217-8908...

  • Page 53: Fcc Compliance Statement (United States)

    Rev. 11/30/22 FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT (UNITED STATES): This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

  • Page 54: Revision History

    Rev. 11/30/22 REVISION HISTORY DATE COMMENTS 10/25/2019 Initial Public Release 01/07/2021 General Edits And Corrections 02/03/2021 Updated For V2 Falcon 01/24/2022 Updated Limit Switch Orientation. Other Enhancements. 11/30/2022 Updated For V3 Falcon...

  • Page 55: Support

    Rev. 11/30/22 SUPPORT Please send any questions, comments, or concerns to VEX Robotics and/or Cross The Road Electronics: VEX ROBOTICS CROSS THE ROAD ELECTRONICS Sales: sales@vex.com Sales: sales@ctr-electronics.com Support: prosupport@vex.com Support: support@ctr-electronics.com Phone: 1-903-453-0802 Phone: 1-586-207-1387 Fax: 1-214-722-1284 O ce Hours: 9am - 5pm EST (Monday-Friday) O ce Hours: 7am –...

Table of Contents