VEX IQ Pneumatics - A few questions

[Joe_Reynolds]

I looked around and couldn’t find answers to these questions so I thought I’d make a first post.

1. Is there any difference in functionality with pneumatics between 1st Gen brain/coding & 2nd Gen?
2. I can already see that we’re going to need more of the tubing. Is there an approved “non-VEX” replacement?

Thanks in advance for any wisdom!

[kennethson]

@Joe_Reynolds

I can already see that we’re going to need more of the tubing. Is there an approved “non-VEX” replacement?

I have this same concern/question. Even if we don’t need more this season, the odds that future uses will use all the same lengths are basically zero…

The closest possibility I’ve seen so far is the Blue VEX PRO Pneumatic Tubing, but it doesn’t seem like it’s the same blue, and it isn’t clear from that product page if it’s even the same diameter of tubing.

[EngineerMike]

Other pneumatics-related questions, because I’m paranoid about it:

1. I assume the pump shuts off once it detects around 30PSI? I’m assuming this because there’s nothing in VexCode that I see that allows for sensing of the pressure.

2. I was a bit surprised to not see a manual valve in the kit to be able to easily bleed out any system pressure. It looks like the only way to do this right now is to stop running the motor, then actuate a piston back and forth until it bleeds all the pressure out. Is that the expectation? Or to leave something around to be able to disconnect to release the pressure?

[jheckman]

Are there any pro tips on installing tubing to the pump? The barb is flexible and the tubing doesn’t want to slide on.

[kennethson]

@EngineerMike

I assume the pump shuts off once it detects around 30PSI? I’m assuming this because there’s nothing in VexCode that I see that allows for sensing of the pressure.

In my testing so far, this doesn’t seem to be the case, the pump just runs continuously when it’s enabled from VEXCode. My assumption is that the pump is designed to not be able to generate more than 30 PSI, since I get roughly the same number of actuations after turning the pump off regardless of how long it was on (once things got fully charged anyway).

@EngineerMike

It looks like the only way to do this right now is to stop running the motor, then actuate a piston back and forth until it bleeds all the pressure out. Is that the expectation?

Obviously I can’t speak to intent, but I’ve been slipping the tube off of the tank as a way to bleed the pressure off since it’s an easier on/off than any of the other fittings. Perhaps the thought is that 30 PSI is low pressure enough not to cause concerns about inadvertent rupture? ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[Ayanito]

Hi my team and i are interested in buying a pneumatics kit but one of our teammates pointed out that pneumatics uses a lot of battery but we are not so sure. Help IS apprecciated

[Foster]

I’m going to give you a “it depends” on the battery use. It depends on how much your compressor runs, which depends on how many times you use the air. It’s possible that during a match your compressor runs just a few seconds to fill the tank, or the entire match. My off the napkin testing shows that on a fully charged battery with the compressor running 2 minutes uses about 3% of the battery. YMMV.