Cyclone › Getting Started › First power-up

First power-up

Choose a first test on your robot through SystemCore, or a direct USB-C test before CAN is connected.

SystemCore / CAN test uses the robot battery and Driver Station. Standalone USB-C test uses your laptop and a 12 V battery, without CAN or Driver Station.

This procedure assumes the Cyclone is mounted on your robot, powered from an output on the robot’s power distribution hub, and connected to SystemCore over CAN. Start with the robot disabled in Driver Station.

Power the robot

  1. Check the motor mounting, red and black power connections, CAN connectors, and the motor’s breaker or fuse. Finish Wiring before applying power.
  2. Connect a charged robot battery and turn on the main breaker.
  3. Connect Driver Station to SystemCore. Keep the robot disabled while identifying devices and applying configuration.
  4. Check the Cyclone’s status lights. If the controller remains dark, turn the robot off and check its power wires and the breaker or fuse for that output. Red alternating end lights mean it has not received a host or robot signal.

Identify and configure each motor

  1. Open SWYFT Link from the SystemCore home page.
  2. Select a Cyclone and use Identify to confirm which physical motor you are configuring.
  3. Assign a device number from 1 to 62 that is unique on the bus. Use that same number in robot code so commands reach the intended motor.
  4. Set the stator current limit (current inside the motor) and supply current limit (current drawn from the battery) for the mechanism. Check that each setting was accepted; see Current limits.
  5. Save settings intended to persist, then verify them after a power cycle. Set Coast or Brake again whenever the motor restarts. Set the gear ratio and wrapping options again when your robot program starts.

Test one mechanism

Support the robot or mechanism so the test cannot move the robot unexpectedly or drop a load. Check the full travel of arms and elevators, and keep people clear of wheels, belts, and shafts.

  1. Use one command source for the test: your robot program or SWYFT Link. Stop any other program that commands the same motor.
  2. Begin with a small duty request, such as 0.10, where the mechanism can move safely. Keep Driver Station Disable within reach.
  3. Enable through Driver Station for the test. The Cyclone also requires the motor to be enabled in your code or SWYFT Link, with commands sent repeatedly; enabling Driver Station alone does not command motion.
  4. Check physical direction, reported velocity, current, and supply voltage. If motion is wrong, disable before changing the configuration or code.
  5. Disable the robot and confirm output stops. Test this before using higher output or a loaded mechanism.

Expected indications

With a live robot signal and disabled output, the end lights flash orange together. Enabled neutral output is solid orange. Forward drive is solid green; reverse drive is solid red. These report controller state, not whether the mechanism is moving in your intended direction. See Orientation and the complete light reference.

If the motor does not move

Read the message in SWYFT Link before increasing the command. A refusal means a command was not accepted; a fault means the controller detected a problem. Check Driver Station state, device number, supply voltage during the attempt, and the configured control mode. Velocity and position control need tuning values called gains. Start with duty control, which directly requests an output percentage, when checking basic operation. If voltage drops under load, inspect the battery and power connections. See Troubleshooting.

First run over USB-C

Use this path for a secured motor off the robot, or a quick check before connecting the CAN bus. You need a laptop with Google Chrome, a USB-C data cable, and a 12 V FRC battery with a fused or breaker-protected connection to the motor. USB powers settings and updates; battery power runs the motor.

  1. Secure the motor and support any attached mechanism. Keep hands, loose clothing, and cables clear of the shaft. Keep battery power switched off while making the red positive and black negative connections.
  2. Connect the USB-C data cable. Open SWYFT Link in Google Chrome, choose Connect over USB-C, and select the Cyclone serial port.
  3. Confirm the device and firmware, then use Identify to check the physical motor. Configure the current limits for your test and check that the settings were accepted.
  4. Turn on the 12 V battery connection. Check the supply-voltage reading in SWYFT Link.
  5. On Control, select Duty Cycle and start at zero. With the mechanism clear, select ENABLE. Enter a small request such as 10% in the percent field and choose Send. A loaded mechanism may need a different test; do not increase the request just because it did not move.
  6. Check direction, measured speed, current, and supply voltage. Select DISABLE to stop output, and confirm that the mechanism stops as expected before testing again. Keep this control within reach throughout the test.

The app uses percent for duty: enter 10 for 10%. Java uses a fraction: setDutyCycle(0.10) requests the same 10%. Do not confuse the two.

USB-C test control (firmware 1.7.1 and later): Standalone USB-C testing needs no Driver Station. Once the Cyclone receives a robot heartbeat or a CAN Disable broadcast, robot permission is required for USB-C motion too. DS Disable, universal CAN Disable, and loss of the robot heartbeat stop output. Restore permission, check the mechanism, then select ENABLE again; re-enabling Driver Station alone does not restart the USB test. Unplugging CAN does not remove this requirement. Power-cycle in an isolated setup for standalone testing. The active control connection must release the motor before the other connection can drive it. See switching control connections.

If connection or motion fails, use the USB-C connection checks. No Driver Station connection is needed for this standalone procedure.