CTR Electronics TALON FX VEX.PRO FALCON 500 User manual

Rev. 11/30/22
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Rev. 11/30/22
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2
FALCON 500 FEATURES 19
PERFORMANCE DATA 21
GENERAL WARNINGS 22
MOUNTING A FALCON 500 23
WIRING THE FALCON 500 24
INSTALLING GEARS & PULLEYS 29
USING THE FALCON 500 COOLING PORT 31
CHANGING THE OUTPUT SHAFT 32
INSTALLING THE FALCON 500 IN A VERSAPLANETARY 33
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 34
BLINK CODES 37
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 41
TROUBLESHOOTING 45
WHAT’S INCLUDED 49
FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT (UNITED STATES): 50
ICES-003 COMPLIANCE STATEMENT (CANADA): 50
REVISION HISTORY 51
SUPPORT 52
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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® Robotics Competition, some of
which are the first of their kind in the FRC market.
These features will not only change the way teams
think about motors, but will change the way teams
interact with, use, and maintain them. The bottom line
is the Falcon 500, powered by Talon FX, is changing
competition as we know it.
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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. Over time these brushes deteriorate, leading to
degraded performance. This is the reason why many FRC teams use new motors every year – regardless of
whether they still work or not. In fact, some FRC teams have started replacing their brushed motors
mid-season to make sure they’re always getting the most out of their robot.
In theory, the bearings inside a brushless motor will be the first item to wear out. This means that
brushless motors have a significantly longer lifespan than brushed motors.
Cooler & More Efficient
Since there are no brushes creating a torque load on the shaft, brushless motors produce more torque,
making them more ecient. This higher eciency not only means the motor is producing more power, it
means less heat is being generated. By producing less heat, a brushless motor can operate for longer at a
given power than a brushed motor.
More Power Density
Power density is how much mechanical power a motor can produce, relative to its size. Due to their design,
brushless motors have a much higher power density that wouldn’t be available in a similar sized brushed
motor. This means that the Falcon 500, powered by Talon FX is smaller and lighter than most FRC legal
brushed motors, while producing significantly more power.
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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. The
higher peak power does mean that when used on an FRC robot, the motor will be operating at a lower area
of the power curve (further to the right in the graph below). By operating at a lower area of the power
curve, the motor will be more ecient.
On top of this unprecedented power, the Falcon 500 is the most ecient motor in FRC, with a peak
eciency of 87% in trapezoidal control, and 89% in sinusoidal control. In fact, the Falcon 500 is greater
than 80% ecient across the entire FRC operating range (7A – 40A) - the best of any motor in FRC.
With this kind of power and eciency, the Falcon 500 is the perfect motor for almost any FRC application.
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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.
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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%. This means that your robot will be more
robust than ever before. Simply plug in the Falcon 500 to your robot’s power distribution system, connect
it to CAN or PWM, and you’re ready to go! Let’s look at some examples:
The diagram to the left is what it
would look like to wire (3x) CIM
Motors and a Mag Encoder to your
robot.
Each of the (20x) orange dots
represent a connection that can fail,
causing problems for your robot in the
middle of a match.
The diagram to the right is what it looks like to wire (3x) Falcon
500 motors to your robot. Both diagrams have the same number
of motors and sensor capability.
While the brushed motor example shows (20x) possible failure
points, the Falcon 500 example has just (12x). This is a
significant reduction in the number of possible wiring problems
that can exist on a robot by switching from common brushed
motors to the Falcon 500.
What about other brushless options in FRC? Since the motor controller is integrated into the Falcon 500,
so is the sensor and sensor wiring. This means that there is no sensor cable between the motor and
controller that can become unplugged during a match, eliminating more potential failures. In addition,
the phase wiring between the controller and the motor is handled inside the Falcon 500. This makes it
impossible for teams to mismatch the motor’s phases with the motor controller’s phases, eliminating
even more failure points on a robot.
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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
on-board motion control using Motion Magic.
The Talon FX also has a 2048 CPR encoder built-in to
the controller. This means that when you buy a Falcon
500 you’re not just buying a motor and motor
controller. You’re also buying a high-resolution
encoder. For the first time in FRC history, a single
product is giving teams access to world championship caliber motion control – out of the box, with no
additional hardware needed.
Though the Talon FX does not have a Talon data port like its predecessor, the Talon SRX, teams can use a
CAN based encoder such as the Cross the Road Electronics CANCODER (P/N 19 676768) as an input
sensor for Motion Magic.
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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. This means that
if you do plug the Falcon 500 in backwards, the Talon FX isn’t damaged or destroyed.
FIELD ORIENTED CONTROL (FOC)
The Talon FX is also capable of commutating the
Falcon 500 using Field Oriented Control (FOC).
This is dierent from trapezoidal commutation,
which only energizes 2 of the motor’s 3 phases at
any given moment. With FOC, the Talon FX uses
sinusoidal commutation to constantly energize all
three phases.
Energizing all three phases prevents the drop in
torque that occurs when phases switch from on to
o with trapezoidal commutation. This increases
the motor’s torque output, which increases the
power output of the motor.
A Falcon 500 running on FOC can produce up to
15% more power than a Falcon 500 running on
standard trapezoidal commutation.
FOC is only available when using the motor with a Phoenix Pro licensed Talon FX or CANivore. For more
information on Field Oriented Control, see the information on Phoenix Pro.
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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. This is yet another game changer in FRC.
Teams of all skill and resource levels can have advanced motion control out of the box, without having to
buy or set up additional hardware, or learn complicated programming concepts. Here’s just some of the
applications teams can do with a Falcon 500 and no additional sensor hardware:
Measure distance driven on a drivetrain - Use a Falcon 500 on a single speed drivetrain and get accurate
distance measurement without the need of an external encoder. For 2-speed drivetrains, teams should
still use an external encoder and an encoder, as the motor can’t measure the dierence in wheel speed
between high and low gear.
Position control on an arm or elevator - Use a Falcon 500 on an arm or elevator to measure the position of
an arm or elevator.
Velocity control on a flywheel shooter - Use a Falcon 500 to drive a flywheel shooter and use the
integrated encoder to measure velocity.
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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. This helps extend the life of the motor and protects teams’ investment in the Falcon 500.
The motor and controller are designed to run at 40A continuously for at least 5 minutes before reaching
thermal shuto. When the motor returns to a safe temperature, the motor will resume operation.
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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.
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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.
The Falcon Shaft is a new spline shaft designed specifically for FRC. Why are spline shafts better? First
o, spline shafts have a higher torque capacity than a similar sized keyed shaft. This is because torque
transfer is being spread across all the spline teeth, instead of
a single key. This also helps with reversing loads where the
force of instantly reversing the direction of the motor is
absorbed by all the teeth instead of a single key.
Not only is the Falcon Shaft designed to be stronger while
eliminating keys, it is designed to make it even easier on FRC
teams. One example of this is that the ends of the Falcon
Shaft have a #8-32 tapped hole. This hole is used to retain
items on the shaft, which means teams no longer need to use retaining clips or shaft collars to keep items
on their motor shafts.
Another small, but convenient detail of the Falcon Shaft is
that it has a shoulder built into it which prevents items on the
shaft from sliding past the face of the mounting boss. This
prevents items on the shaft from rubbing against the inner
and outer face of the output bearing. This also eliminates the
need for teams to use spacers between the motor’s output
bearing and the gears and pulleys used on the shaft.
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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” spacer, (1x) 1/8” spacer, (1x) 1/4” spacer, and any Falcon bore
pinion or pulley made by VEXpro will equal the length of the motor’s shaft. Since this combination equals
the length of the motor’s shaft, you just need to put a #8-32 screw into the end of the motor to keep
everything retained.
PINIONS
FALCON 500 COMPATIBLE
CIM SHAFT COMPATIBLE
8 Tooth Pinion
9 Tooth Pinion
(Press-fit Only)
10 Tooth Pinion
11 Tooth Pinion
12 Tooth Pinion
13 Tooth Pinion
14 Tooth Pinion
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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. This opens the door for teams to make smaller and lighter drivetrain gearboxes.
While press-fits have worked for teams, it’s a non-trivial task that when done improperly, can damage
motors. The spline eliminates this risk
for all teams, while opening new
design opportunities only available for
teams using the Falcon 500. Lastly,
the Falcon 500 is the first motor in
FRC history that has a replaceable
output shaft. In the past, a damaged
or cut shaft was permanent. With the
Falcon 500, teams now can replace the
output shaft instead of replacing the
entire motor.
There’s also the option to replace the included long shaft with the “Falcon Motor Short Shaft v3”
(217-8907). This shaft is already cut to the length needed to make the Falcon 500 work with a
VersaPlanetary.
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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. The Falcon 500 is the first motor in
FRC to have a dedicated cooling port designed
into the side of the motor. Teams can use this
cooling port to connect a #10-32
push-to-connect pneumatic fitting. By using
this, teams now have several options for
actively cooling their motors.
Using the cooling port in a match can reduce heat by up to 29˚C (84˚F)1. Similarly, using the cooling port
after a match can drop your motor’s temperature by 27˚C (80˚F) in just 3 minutes – that’s just half of a
field timeout during the playos.
1
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Rev. 11/30/22
SPECIFICATIONS
DIMENSIONS
TRAPEZOIDAL
FOC
Dimensio
ns
60mm (2.36”) Dia. X
89.9mm (3.54”) Long
Free Speed
RPM
6380 RPM
6079 RPM
Weight
1.25Lbs (0.56kg)
Free
Current
1.5A
1.5A
Output
Shaft
14 Tooth, 0.5 Module
Spline Shaft
Stall
Current
257A
304A
Mounting
6x #10-32 On 2” Bolt
Circle
Stall
Torque
4.69Nm
5.84Nm
Cooling
Port
2x #10-32 On Side of
Motor
Peak
Eciency
87%
89%
Power @
40A / 12
VDC
400W (83%
Eciency)
420W (85%
Eciency)
Peak
Power
783W
929W
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Rev. 11/30/22
TALON FX SPECIFICATIONS
TALON FX INPUTS &
OUTPUTS
Nominal Voltage
12 VDC
Motor Interface
Integrated
PWM Input Pulse
1-2ms Nominal
Power
2x 12AWG Silicone Wires
(Red & Black)
PWM Input Rate
2.9-100ms
Communication
CAN / PWM
Minimum Throttle
(Deadband)
Adjustable 0.1%-25% (4%
Default)
Direct Sensor
Input
Yes, Over CAN Only
Limit Switch
Input
2x Through 4 Pin JST
Connector
Built-In Encoder
Feedback
2048 CPR Encoder
Motion Magic
Yes, Using Built-In
Encoder or CAN Sensor
WIRE
WIRE COLOR
WIRE LENGTH
Positive Input
Red
18in [457.2mm] ± 0.50in [12.70mm]
Input Ground
Black
18in [457.2mm] ± 0.50in [12.70mm]
CAN-High / PWM Signal
Yellow
18in [457.2mm] ± 0.50in [12.70mm]
CAN-Low / PWM Ground
Green
18in [457.2mm] ± 0.50in [12.70mm]
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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. It is important to note that because of these updates, the Falcon 500 v3 is slightly
longer and heavier than prior revisions. Take this into consideration when designing mechanisms to use
this motor
HOUSING ASSEMBLY
For the previous revisions of Falcons (v1
and v2), the motor was assembled with
long M3 screws from the controller end of
the motor through to the faceplate. These
screws were challenging to line up for
reassembly. To make assembly and
reassembly easier, the motor is now
assembled by having (3x) M2.5 socket
head cap screws attach the faceplate to
the sleeve and (3x) M2.5 socket head cap
screws attach the sleeve to the motor/controller.
SECOND COOLING PORT
Some teams who used the cooling port during practice
requested a second cooling port so that they could network
motors together, pushing air through several motors with a
single inlet. A second #10-32 cooling port was added to the
sleeve so that teams could attach two pneumatic fittings (an
inlet and an outlet).
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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.
The Falcon 500v3 features a redesigned
shaft interface. Torque is now transferred
through a female spline on the rotor. The
shaft is retained in the mechanical
assembly of the motor, eliminating the
need for any screws hidden inside the motor. No more loctite. No more worrying about screws loosening
and not being able to see them.
The new shaft design also features a longer shoulder, which has better press-fit engagement. Finally,
the spline is pinned into the shoulder sleeve to make sure that shaft can’t be pulled out of the motor.
BLIND MOTOR MOUNTING HOLES
The Falcon 500 v3 features a new faceplate design that has blind mounting holes. This prevents teams
from inserting a long screw into the motor and jamming the rotor.
DUAL OUTPUT BEARINGS
To help make the new shaft interface possible, the
Falcon 500 v3 features two output bearings. In
addition, the bearings are larger with a higher load
rating than the single output bearing used in v1 and
v2.
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