This block moves one or both motors connected to a specified motor controller on a specified port.
The number in the top right corner of the block indicates the port to which the motors are connected.
When you set the HiTechnic Move Motors block's direction, you are specifying the direction the motor will spin. This may be different than the direction your robot actually moves. Depending on how you build your robotic invention, setting the motors to go forwards may cause your creation to move backwards. The image below shows a motor spinning in the default, forwards direction.
You can control the HiTechnic Move Motors block dynamically by connecting data wires (from other blocks' data hubs) to the HiTechnic Move Motors block's data hub.
Open a block's data hub by clicking the tab at the lower left edge of the block after it has been placed on the work area.
Data wires carrying input information to a block are connected to the plugs on the left side of its data hub. Data wires carrying output information are connected to the plugs on the right side.
[A] Input plug
[B] Output plug
[C] Number data wire (yellow)
[D] Logic data wire (green)
[E] Text data wire (orange)
[F] Broken data wire (gray)
If an input plug has a corresponding output plug (see A above), the input data will pass through from the input plug to the output plug without being changed. In this case, you can only use the output plug if the input plug is connected to an input data wire; connecting an output data wire to such an output plug without a connected input data wire will cause the output data wire to be "broken" (and colored gray).
Each data wire carries a specific type of data between blocks. For example, if a data wire is dragged from a logic plug on a block's data hub, it can only be connected to a logic plug on another block's data hub. The chart below shows what kind of data each plug can accept or send out.
Data wires are identified with specific colors: wires carrying number data are colored yellow, wires carrying logic data are colored green, and wires carrying text data are colored orange.
If you try to connect a data wire to a plug of the wrong data type, the data wire will be broken (and colored gray). You will not be able to download your program if a data wire is broken.
If you click a broken wire you can read why it is broken in the small help window in the lower right corner of the work area.
If an input data wire transmits a value outside the possible range of the plug it is connected to, the block will either ignore the value or change it to a value within its range. For plugs that allow just a few input values (example: just 0, 1, or 2), the plug will ignore the input if a value arrives outside its range.
For plugs that accept larger input ranges (example: 0 – 100), the plug will force any input outside its range to fit. For example, if a Move block's Power plug receives an input value of 150, the block will change the input value to 100 (i.e., a number within the Power plug's range).
Plug | Data Type | Possible Range | What the Values Mean | This Plug is Ignored When... | |
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Port | Number | 1 – 4 | Port to which the motor controller is connected. | |
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Controller Num | Number | 1 – 2 | Motor controller to which the motors are connected. | |
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Motor AB | Number | 0 – 2 | Motor to move. 0 = Motor A 1 = Motor B 2 = Motors A and B |
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Encoder | — | — | Whether or not you have encoders installed. You must set this on the config panel. | |
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Action | — | — | Action to perform. | |
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Position Num | — | — | If you've selected Position for your action, the position to rotate to. | |
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Power | Number | –100 – 100 | Power to apply to the motors you want to move. | |
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Motor Direction | Number | 0 – 2 | Direction in which the motor moves. 0 = Forward 1 = Backward 2 = Stop |
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Duration Mode | — | — | If you've selected Power for your action, the Duration to move the motors for. | |
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Duration Amount | — | — | If you selected a Duration of Degrees or Rotations, the distance (in degrees or rotations) to rotate the motor. | |
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Reverse | Number | 0 – 3 | Motor whose direction to reverse. 0 = None 1 = Motor A 2 = Motor B 3 = Motors A and B |
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Encoder A | — | — | For fixed-distance commands (rotate to position, rotate a fixed distance) or when reading or resetting the encoders, the value of Encoder A after executing the command. For unlimited-distance commands (Power unlimited, constant speed), the value of Encoder A before executing the command. | |
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Encoder B | — | — | For fixed-distance commands (rotate to position, rotate a fixed distance) or when reading or resetting the encoders, the value of Encoder B after executing the command. For unlimited-distance commands (Power unlimited, constant speed), the value of Encoder B before executing the command. | |
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Error? | Logic | True/False | Returns True if an error, such as a communication error between the motors and the motor controller, occurred. |