Configuring V5 Smart Motors in VEXcode V5 – VEX Library

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

Adding a Motor

VEXcode V5 Toolbar with the Devices icon highlighted to the left of the Help icon.

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

VEXcode V5 Devices menu with the Add a device button shown.

Select “Add a device.”

VEXcode V5 Devices menu after the Add a device button has been selected. The Motor option is highlighted.

Select “Motor.”

VEXcode V5 Devices menu showing the Smart Port options for the Smart Motor. In this example, the first Smart Port has been selected.

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

VEXcode V5 Devices menu after selecting the Motor's Smart Port and with the Motor Settings screen shown. Below, the Done button is highlighted.

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

VEXcode V5 Devices menu with the previously added Motor shown.

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

VEXcode V5 Devices window with the Motor options shown. Above, the icon of the Motor Port is highlighted.

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

VEXcode V5 Devices Port Selection menu being used to change an already set Port number. The newly selected Port will show green, and after selecting the new one the user can press Done to save the changes.

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

Screenshots show the Motor options menu being used to rename the Motor's directions. Next, the Spin block's direction dropdown menu is shown and the new Motor direction names are available in the menu.

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

VEXcode V5 Devices window with the Motor options shown. Above, the Motor's name is highlighted to indicate that it can be renamed.

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.

VEXcode V5 Spin block is shown with the Motor dropdown menu open. The Motor's new name is shown in the menu and in this example it is named ArmMotor.

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

VEXcode V5 Devices window with the Motor options shown. Below, the Reverse Motor option is selected and highlighted. This button can be used to reverse the Motor's spin direction.

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

Deleting a Motor

VEXcode V5 Devices window with the Motor options shown. Below, the Delete button is highlighted.

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

VEXcode V5 Devices window with the Motor Settings menu shown. The Gear Cartridge options are highlighted, with options that read 36:1 100 rpm, 18:1 200 rpm, and 6:1 600 rpm.

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.