Configuring V5 Smart Motors in VEXcode V5

When starting to program with VEXcode V5, Motor blocks will not appear in the Toolbox until a motor has been configured.


Adding a Motor

Diagram illustrating the robot configuration for V5 category, showing various components and their connections, including motors, sensors, and structural elements.

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

Diagram illustrating the robot configuration for V5, showcasing the arrangement of components and their connections, relevant to the V5 Category Description.

Select “Add a device.”

Diagram illustrating the robot configuration for V5, showcasing various components and their arrangement, including motors, sensors, and structural elements, to aid in understanding the setup for V5 robotics.

Select “Motor.”

Diagram illustrating the robot configuration for V5, showcasing various components and their arrangement, including motors, sensors, and structural elements, to aid in understanding the setup for optimal performance.

Select which port the motor is attached to on the VEX V5 Brain. Ports that are already configured for other devices will be unavailable.

Diagram illustrating the configuration of a V5 robot, showcasing various components and their connections, relevant to the V5 Category Description in the Robot Config section.

Once the motor has been configured, select “Done” to submit the device to the configuration.

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

Note: To configure the motor further, see the additional options below.


Changing a Motor’s Port Number

Diagram illustrating the robot configuration for V5 category, showing various components and their arrangement within the robot setup.

You can change the port number for the Motor by first selecting the Motor in the Devices window.

Diagram illustrating the robot configuration for V5, showcasing various components and their arrangement, including motors, sensors, and structural elements.

Then, select the plug icon in the top right corner of the Options screen.

Diagram illustrating the configuration of a V5 robot, showcasing various components and their arrangement within the robot structure, relevant to the V5 Category Description and Robot Config section.

Select its port on the Port Selection screen, and the port number will turn green. Then select "Done" to submit the change.


Naming Motor Directions

Diagram illustrating the configuration of a V5 robot, showcasing various components and their connections, relevant to the V5 Category Description under the Robot Config section.

The Motor Options screen allows you to rename the directions the motor spins from their default of “forward” and “reverse.”  For example, if configuring the Arm Motor of a VEX V5 Clawbot, you can rename the directions to “Up” and “Down.” Then select Done to submit the device changes to the configuration.


Renaming a Motor 

Diagram illustrating the robot configuration for V5, featuring labeled components and connections to aid users in understanding the setup process.

You can also rename the motor by changing the name in the text box at the top of the Options screen. If you select an invalid name, the text box will highlight red to indicate. Then select "Done" to submit the device changes to the configuration.

Diagram illustrating the configuration of a VEX V5 robot, showcasing various components and their arrangement for optimal performance in robotics tasks.

If you change the name of a motor that is already being used in your project, you will need to update the motor name in the Block to the new name using the drop down.


Reversing a Motor

Diagram illustrating the configuration options for V5 robots, including various components and their connections, as part of the V5 Category Description in the Robot Config section.

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


Deleting a Motor

Diagram illustrating the configuration options for a V5 robot, showcasing various components and their arrangement, relevant to the V5 Category Description under the Robot Config section.

Motors can also be deleted by selecting the “Delete” option at the bottom of the screen.

Note: If you delete a motor that is already being used in your project, the project will not work until the blocks using that motor have also been deleted.


Changing a Gear Cartridge

Diagram illustrating the configuration of a V5 robot, showcasing various components and their arrangement, relevant to the V5 Category Description under the Robot Config section.

The Options screen also allows the gear cartridge to be changed.

Note: Changing the motor's gear cartridge will also change the color indicator on the motor.

For more information, help, and tips, check out the many resources at VEX Professional Development Plus

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