Sumovore Manual

The Solarbotics Sumovore
Building the Body - 2
Step 5 Mounting the Motors:
The baseplate makes mounting the motors a snap.
The holes auto-align to the holes in the motor and the nub
just behind the output shaft.
Pick a motor, align it up, and use two #4-20 x ½”long
thread-forming screws to secure it to the plate!
Step 5: Mount motors, each
with two #4-20 x ½”long screws
(shown actual size)
Optional rear motor streamlining
Step 5a (Optional):
Cut the motor retainer
and snip off the
retainer mount
Cut band
Snip off mount
Step 5a Trimming Rear Motor (Optional):
You may want to consider trimming off one of the motor retaining strap
mounts. “And why would we want to do that?” you may ask.
Firstly, it makes your Sumovore a bit smaller, which is good considering
that the Sumovore is very close to the maximum size limit.
Secondly, if (and when) the Sumovore gets tipped backwards in the heat
of competition, the strap mount lifts the robot off the wheels,
practically guaranteeing that it won’t recover from being tipped back.
Shave the mount off, and the Sumovore keeps traction for over 90° of
tipping, which lets it keep on fighting longer!
You don’t need to do this step now, as you can do it after you’ve finished your Sumovore, but it is more convenient to do it at
this time.
Step 4 Preparing the Motors with 0.1µF Noise
Supression Capacitors:
Some of the electronics on the Sumovore can be sensitive
to the electrical noise that the motors make, so we’re
going to nip that in the bud now with a pair of 0.1µF
capacitors per motor.
Use some sandpaper or a file (or if desperate, the scratchy
teeth of pliers) to shine up part of the motor body in two
spots, each near each of the motor terminals.
Solder each capacitor from one terminal to one of the
shiny spots on the motor body. This job is simplified if
you pre-tin the motor’s shiny spot with a dab of solder.
Step 4c: Mount a capacitor to each side
of the motor, with one leg soldered to
the tab, the other to the body
Step 4b: Pre-tin the shiny spot
with a bit of solder - it may take
a while if you have a cooler soldering
iron!
Step 4a: Use a file to scrape and make
a shiny spot on the motor near the
motor connection tab