Tune and Validate a Profiled Arm

Full profiled mechanism tuning workflow.

Motion ProfilingCapstone

In this lesson, you will:

Tune constraints.
Tune follower.
Document failure modes.

Concept narrative

A profiled arm capstone combines architecture, states, control, feedforward, and safe testing. It is a realistic example of advanced FTC programming.

Robot mental model

The arm should expose named states, generate profiles between them, follow with feedback, and protect itself from unsafe ranges.

Implementation walkthrough

Start with low constraints, verify direction, add profile telemetry, tune P, add feedforward if needed, then increase constraints gradually.

ProfiledArm.javaJava

arm.updateState(ArmState.SCORE);
telemetry.addData("state", arm.getState());
telemetry.addData("profile target", arm.getProfileTarget());
telemetry.addData("arm position", arm.getPosition());

Common mistakes and debugging

Overshoot, lag, saturation, and mechanical binding require different fixes. Do not hide a mechanical problem with huge gains.

Practice

Produce a tuning report for a profiled arm moving through intake, hover, score, and safe states.

Checkpoint

Soft limits and the operator STOP path are verified before full-travel tests.
The report names the mechanism, payload, battery voltage, units, and starting state.
Maximum error, overshoot, and settling targets are declared before tuning runs.
At least three cold-init runs per named state are graphed with target, actual, error, and output.
The accepted constants meet the declared limits or the remaining failure is classified and bounded.

Reflection check

Check your understanding before moving on.

What is the safest first validation step for a profiled arm after wiring changes?

Verify direction and safe travel with low constraints before increasing speed.

Immediately run the fastest scoring trajectory.

Tune integral gain until the arm moves.

An arm saturates and binds mechanically during a profile. What is the sound conclusion?

Increase every gain to force it through the bind.

Investigate the mechanical issue and constraints before raising gains.

Remove position telemetry to reduce loop work.

0 of 2 answered

References

Game Manual 0FTC community reference for programming, controls, and robot design.FTC DashboardLive telemetry, graphs, config variables, and camera streaming.

Tune and Validate a Profiled Arm

Full profiled mechanism tuning workflow.

Motion ProfilingCapstone

In this lesson, you will:

Tune constraints.
Tune follower.
Document failure modes.

Concept narrative

A profiled arm capstone combines architecture, states, control, feedforward, and safe testing. It is a realistic example of advanced FTC programming.

Robot mental model

The arm should expose named states, generate profiles between them, follow with feedback, and protect itself from unsafe ranges.

Implementation walkthrough

Start with low constraints, verify direction, add profile telemetry, tune P, add feedforward if needed, then increase constraints gradually.

ProfiledArm.javaJava

arm.updateState(ArmState.SCORE);
telemetry.addData("state", arm.getState());
telemetry.addData("profile target", arm.getProfileTarget());
telemetry.addData("arm position", arm.getPosition());

Common mistakes and debugging

Overshoot, lag, saturation, and mechanical binding require different fixes. Do not hide a mechanical problem with huge gains.

Practice

Produce a tuning report for a profiled arm moving through intake, hover, score, and safe states.

Checkpoint

Soft limits and the operator STOP path are verified before full-travel tests.
The report names the mechanism, payload, battery voltage, units, and starting state.
Maximum error, overshoot, and settling targets are declared before tuning runs.
At least three cold-init runs per named state are graphed with target, actual, error, and output.
The accepted constants meet the declared limits or the remaining failure is classified and bounded.

Reflection check

Check your understanding before moving on.

What is the safest first validation step for a profiled arm after wiring changes?

Verify direction and safe travel with low constraints before increasing speed.

Immediately run the fastest scoring trajectory.

Tune integral gain until the arm moves.

An arm saturates and binds mechanically during a profile. What is the sound conclusion?

Increase every gain to force it through the bind.

Investigate the mechanical issue and constraints before raising gains.

Remove position telemetry to reduce loop work.

0 of 2 answered

References

Game Manual 0FTC community reference for programming, controls, and robot design.FTC DashboardLive telemetry, graphs, config variables, and camera streaming.