After experiencing **critical CAN bus failures** during competition, Chris designed the Canjector system as a robust interconnect solution for Team 2890's robot. Modeled after the SWYFT CANnect concept but with custom design work, Canjectors provide reliable CAN + power distribution at all critical connections.
The design philosophy: prevent wiring failures from killing the robot mid-match.
First device in the chain, right after the roboRIO. Taps 12V power directly for CANcoder feedback devices. Serves as the entry point for the entire CAN bus on the robot.
### Major — Elevator/Extension Design
Designed forelevators and extensions — large multi-motor mechanisms with bundled power + signal cables that fail regularly with motion. **This was the birth of the Canjector project** — Team 2890 had an elevator with a power harness (bundle of cables for power and signal) that failed repeatedly due to mechanical stress from motion. Major provides centralized distribution for those cables, replacing the fragile bundled harness with modular connectors.
**Hot-swap design:** Unclip 2 ethernet cables + 4 power wires to motors = **6 wires total**. Wheel module drops out, new one clips in. Designed for pit repairs — fast swap without soldering or rewiring.
**For students:** CAN bus failures are among the most frustrating problems in FRC — a loose wire or failed connector kills the whole bus. The Canjector system teaches:
- **Redundancy** — when one path fails, traffic routes around it
- **Termination** — 120Ω at each end of the bus, switchable at intermediate nodes
- **Visual debugging** — power LEDs let you confirm connectivity at a glance
- **Modular design** — if one Canjector fails, replace it in minutes
## Why This Matters
Chris experienced critical CAN failures at competition. The Canjector system is a direct response — solving the failure mode with custom hardware instead of hoping the stock connectors hold. This is the kind of real-world engineering that separates good teams from great ones.
