Engineering resources
A task-based guide to GM0, FTC Wiki, official FIRST references, manufacturer documentation, CAD, and fabrication resources.
Choose a reference for the design question you need to answer. Use official rules for legality, manufacturer documentation for component ratings, and handbooks for explanations and examples.
Handbooks
| Resource | Best use | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Game Manual 0 | Broad design and explanations, diagrams, and examples | Community guidance; historical examples and advice need context |
| GM0 useful resources | Finding deeper references, libraries, calculators, and team resources | Some outgoing links move or become outdated |
| FTC Wiki | , material selection, construction styles, and manufacturing concepts | Some pages are incomplete; verify equations and specifications independently |
Rules and specifications
- FIRST game and season materials: current manuals, updates, and information.
- Official FTC Q&A: published rule clarifications for the relevant .
- FTC Docs: official configuration, programming, build, and troubleshooting guidance.
- FIRST Robot Wiring Guide: electrical layout, connections, and .
- FIRST ESD guidance: supported discharge mitigation and the distinction between team and event-host actions.
Check part numbers against the current rules before building around a parts list or a you saw in a video.
Hardware references
- REV documentation: controller specifications, build instructions, details, and troubleshooting. Use the page for the exact product.
- REV battery guidance: handling and troubleshooting context for REV's 12 V system.
- goBILDA: product drawings, , ratios, compatible hardware, and build instructions attached to specific products.
- KHK gear reference: gear geometry, reference dimensions, and distinctions between gear systems.
- SDP/SI timing-belt handbook: pulley geometry, center distance, tension, alignment, and drive selection. Use GM0's calculator for an initial belt-length comparison.
Use datasheets for , current, , temperature, and load ratings. An illustrative calculation in this handbook does not override a component's rating.
CAD and manufacturing
- Onshape Learning Center: tool-specific instruction in modeling and assemblies.
- FTC Onshape library: discover reusable models and CAD workflow resources. Check critical geometry against the supplier drawing.
- Onshape for FIRST Robotics teams: education access, team onboarding, robotics training, and FTC model links. Verify the model's season and the account's plan eligibility.
- Prusa design-for-printing guide: orientation, feature design, and .
- Prusa filament material guide: material and printer requirements; qualify the actual part separately.
- NASA RAP Robotics Design Guide: a broader competitive-robotics reference linked by GM0. It includes other competition contexts, so separate general engineering from FTC-specific assumptions.
For a first exercise, use the sensor-bracket CAD task. For a fit problem, use the tolerance coupon method. For a structural print, use the print testing guide.
Engineering theory
- Thaddeus Hughes: Mechatronics: a broad reference for mechanisms, electronics, and measurement. It contains some technical errors; check specifications and equations against the exact manufacturer reference before applying them.
- Bartosz Ciechanowski: Gears: interactive explanations of pitch circles, tooth profiles, pressure angle, and gear trains. Use it to understand the geometry, then use the supplier's ratings for a real assembly.
Testing and community support
- Community portfolio library: examples of engineering communication. Treat them as authored work and check the season before applying submission conventions.
When asking a , vendor, or community for help, provide the exact hardware, a labeled photo or , the observed symptom, the expected behavior, and the tests already performed. A short video showing the whole motion is often more useful than a close-up of the failed endpoint.
When references disagree, use the current official rules for legality and the manufacturer’s documentation for hardware ratings.