FIRST Tech Challenge Tech Tips

Started in the 2023-2024 season, Tech Tips are a segment released in the FIRST Tech Challenge Team E-mail Blast. Sometimes the Tech Tips are included in whole in the email blast, but sometimes there is more content than is reasonable in the email blast so partial content is included in the blast with the rest of the content here.

Each Tech Tip below has its own page. Tech Tips that covered the same subject in the Team E-mail Blast - a multi-part series, or several tips on the same piece of hardware - have been combined into a single page, so a topic can be read start to finish in one place.

Control System Hardware

• Control and Expansion Hub Tips
• REV Driver Hub Tips
• Driver Hub or Smartphone?
• Gamepad Calibration and Drift
• Managing Electrical Noise and Static

Batteries and Power

• Robot Battery Care, Charging, and Fuses
• What Makes Battery Voltage Sag?

Motors and Servos

• Motor Modes and Encoders
• Using Servos on Your Robot
• Calculating Motor and Servo Power

Wireless Communications

• Choosing a Wi-Fi Band for Your Robot
• Monitoring Your Robot’s Wi-Fi Connection

Software and Programming

• Updating and Exploring Your Robot Controller Software
• Protecting and Backing Up Your Robot Code
• Vision Resources: AprilTags, Webcams, and HuskyLens
• AI Innovation Corner - Google AI Studio

Competition and Team Resources

• Robot Annual Maintenance
• FTC Driver Station Practice Timer
• Preparing for Competition
• Team Resources on ftc-docs

Moved Tech Tips

The “Calculating Motor and Servo Power” Tech Tip, including the Servo Mechanical Power Calculator, now lives on its own page: Calculating Motor and Servo Power.