Configuring a 2-Motor Drivetrain (No Gyro) in VEXcode IQ (1st gen) – VEX Library

Using VEX IQ (2nd generation)? See this article.

When starting to program with VEXcode IQ, Drive and Turn blocks will not appear in the Toolbox until a Drivetrain has been configured.

You can only configure one Drivetrain per project.

Adding a Drivetrain

VEXcode IQ Toolbar with the Devices icon highlighted in between the Code Viewer and the Help icons.

To configure a Drivetrain, select the Devices button to open the Devices window.

VEXcode IQ Devices menu with the IQ Robot Brain generation setting shown. This setting is highlighted and it is set to the 1st gen option.

Select the generation that you are working with.

VEXcode IQ Devices menu with the Add a device button highlighted.

Select “Add a device.”

VEXcode IQ Devices menu after the Add a device button has been selected. The Drivetrain 2 motor option is highlighted.

Select 'Drivetrain 2-Motors".

Two screenshots side by side that show the process of selecting Ports for the Left Motor and then the Right Motor.

Select which port the Left Motor and Right Motor is attached to on the VEX IQ Brain. Ports that are already configured for other devices will be unavailable.

Screenshot that shows the Gyro option being unchecked.

Turn the Gyro off by un-checking the Gyro box.

VEXcode IQ Devices menu after selecting the Drivetrain Ports and with the Drivetrain Settings screen shown. Below, the Done button is highlighted.

Once the Drivetrain has been configured, select “Done” to submit the device to the configuration or “Cancel” to return back to the Devices menu.

Note: Selecting 'Cancel' will undo any changes you have made to the device and will not be a part of the configuration.

Changing a Drivetrain’s Port Numbers

VEXcode IQ Devices window with the Drivetrain Settings menu shown. Above, the two icons of the Left Motor and Right Motor Ports are highlighted.

You can change the port number for the Left Motor or Right Motor in the Drivetrain by selecting the device’s plug icon in the top right corner of the Options screen.

Two screenshots side by side that show the Port Selection menu being used to change already set Port numbers. Previously selected Ports will show green, and after selecting the new ones the user can press Done to save the changes.

Select a different port on the Port Selection screen and the port number will turn green. Then select Done to submit the change.

Changing a Drivetrain’s Wheel Size

VEXcode IQ Devices window with the Drivetrain Settings menu shown. The Wheel Size dropdown menu is highlighted.

You can change the wheel size for the Drivetrain by selecting the drop-down menu under “Wheel Size.”

Changing a Drivetrain’s Track Width

VEXcode IQ Devices window with the Drivetrain Settings menu shown. The Track Width options are highlighted. There is a field for a number and then a dropdown menu to select the unit, mm or inches.

You can change the size of the track width for the Drivetrain by entering the values in the number box and by selecting the drop-down menu under “Track Width.” The track width is the measurement between the middle of the front left wheel to the middle of the front right wheel.

Changing the Drivetrain's Wheel Base

VEXcode IQ Devices window with the Drivetrain Settings menu shown. The Wheelbase options are highlighted. There is a field for a number and then a dropdown menu to select the unit, mm or inches.

You can change the wheelbase for the Drivetrain by entering the values in the number box and by selecting the drop-down menu under “Wheelbase.” The wheelbase is the measurement between the middle of the front wheel to the middle of the back wheel on each side.

Changing a Drivetrain’s Gear Ratio

VEXcode IQ Devices window with the Drivetrain Settings menu shown. The Gear Ratio options are highlighted. There is an input field and an output field, and a symbol indicating that the numbers represent a ratio.

You can change the gear ratio for the Drivetrain by entering values in the “Input” and “Output” boxes.

Reversing a Drivetrain

VEXcode IQ Devices window with the Drivetrain Settings menu shown. The reverse arrow has been selected to change the Drivetrain's direction.

The Options screen also allows the direction of the Drivetrain to be reversed.

Deleting a Drivetrain

VEXcode IQ Devices window with the Drivetrain Settings menu shown. Below, the Delete button is highlighted.

A Drivetrain can be deleted by selecting the 'Delete' option at the bottom of the screen.