I am looking for clarification regarding the electrical distribution system of the VEX systems. I know that motor ports 1-5 share a 4 AMP load, and ports 6-10 share a 4 AMP load both drawing from the main 7.2 V battery. I know that the 4 motor ports on the power expander share a 4 AMP load from its 7.2 V battery.
Please see the attached picture.
My first question is this; if ports 9 and 10 are sent to the expander, my understanding is that their power wire(red) is used as a control wire rather(determining supply voltage) and does not draw current from the Cortex’s battery. Is this in fact how it works?
My second question is this; If that is true, due ports 6,7,8 now have a full 4 AMPS for themselves since 9 and 10 are no longer drawing from it?
My third question is this; if all of that is true, then couldn’t you run ports 5 and 6 to the expander an use y splitters on them to run 4 motors? Wouldn’t that then provide 4 Amps to 1-4, 4 Amps to 7-10, and 4 Amps to 5,6,11,12, with the first two groups drawing from a single battery, and the 5,6,11,12 group drawing from a single battery.
In other words if a single port from each cortex bank(1-5, 6-10) is ran to the expander, would that leave the entire 4 Amps per bank for the remaining four ports on each bank?
I’ve read the wiki and this is what I’ve determined based on that information, I am wondering if it is correct.
I don’t see the picture.
port 10 cannot be sent to the expander, only three wire ports 2 through 9.
The white wire is the control signal, otherwise yes, power comes from the expander battery not the cortex.