# Getting Started — VEX V5Read these articles in order to go from zero experience to a competition-ready VEX V5 robot. Welcome to the VEX V5 Foundations program! This page is your reading roadmap. Work through these articles in order — each one builds on what came before. By the end, you will have the background knowledge to build, wire, program, and compete with a VEX V5 robot. You do not need to read everything before your first session. Aim to finish each section's articles before or during the matching session block. --- ## Phase 1 — Before You Touch the Hardware Read these first. They cover safety, the equipment you will use, and the lab rules. 1. **[Resources: Safety Rules](/docs/guides/resources/resources-safetyrules/)** — Lab safety, emergency stop procedures, and the safety agreement you will sign on Day 1. 2. **[Resources: Tool Usage](/docs/guides/resources/resources-toolusage/)** — How to use hand tools safely and correctly. 3. **[Hardware: The Brain](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-thebrain/)** — The VEX V5 Brain is the computer at the center of your robot. Learn what it does and how it connects to everything else. 4. **[Hardware: Brain User Interface](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-brainuserinterface/)** — How to use the Brain's touchscreen to monitor sensors, check port connections, and run programs. 5. **[Hardware: Battery Packs](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-batterypacks/)** — Charging, caring for, and checking the battery that powers your robot. --- ## Phase 2 — Building Your Drivetrain (Sessions 1–3) These articles cover the mechanical and electrical foundations of your robot's drivetrain. 6. **[Fundamentals: Gear Ratios](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-gearratios/)** — How gears change speed and torque. You will calculate gear ratios before building your drivetrain. 7. **[Drivebase: Drivetrains](/docs/guides/drivebase/drivebase-drivetrains/)** — The different types of drivetrain configurations and when to use each one. 8. **[Drivebase: Wheels](/docs/guides/drivebase/drivebase-wheels/)** — Traction vs. omni wheels and how their placement on an 8-wheel chassis affects robot performance. 9. **[Drivebase: Best Practices](/docs/guides/drivebase/drivebase-bestpractices/)** — Structural tips for building a drivetrain that holds together under competition stress. 10. **[Fundamentals: Fasteners](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-fasteners/)** — Screws, lock nuts, and standoffs — the fasteners that hold your robot together. --- ## Phase 3 — Programming Basics (Sessions 1–2) Read these before or alongside Sessions 1 and 2. 11. **Software: C++ Basics for Robotics** *(find this in the Software section of the sidebar)* — Variables, functions, loops, and conditionals in C++. Start here if you are new to C++ programming. 12. **[Hardware: Motor Encoders](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-motorencoders/)** — How the built-in encoders in VEX V5 motors measure distance and position. Essential for any autonomous motion. --- ## Phase 4 — Autonomous Motion (Sessions 4–5) These articles explain how to make your robot drive accurately without a driver. 13. **[Navigation: Odometry](/docs/guides/navigation/navigation-odom/)** — Using encoder counts to estimate how far the robot has traveled. 14. **[Navigation: PID Controllers](/docs/guides/navigation/navigation-pidcontrollers/)** — The feedback algorithm that lets your robot drive to an exact distance or turn to an exact angle. This is one of the most important articles in the entire wiki — read it carefully. 15. **[Hardware: IMUs (Inertial Measurement Units)](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-imus/)** — The inertial sensor that tells your robot which direction it is facing. --- ## Phase 5 — Driver Control (Session 6) 16. **[Hardware: VEX Controller](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-vexcontroller/)** — The handheld controller hardware — inputs, axes, buttons, and wireless connection. 17. **[Software: Driver Control Programming](/docs/guides/software/software-drivercontrol/)** — How to write a driver control loop, implement arcade drive, add deadband filtering, and tune joystick response curves. --- ## Phase 6 — Competition Template (Session 7) 18. **[Software: Competition Template](/docs/guides/software/software-competitiontemplate/)** — The three-phase structure (`pre_auton`, `autonomous`, `usercontrol`) that all VEX V5 competition programs must use. Includes a multi-routine autonomous selector. --- ## Phase 7 — Sensors (Session 8) 19. **[Hardware: Distance Sensors](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-distancesensors/)** — How distance sensors work and how to use them to detect game objects and walls. 20. **[Hardware: Optical Sensors](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-opticalsensors/)** — Color and proximity detection for identifying game objects. 21. **[Hardware: Bumper Switches](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-bumperswitches/)** — Using limit switches to detect contact and trigger mechanism sequences. --- ## Phase 8 — Mechanisms (Sessions 9–11) 22. **[Fundamentals: Solid Mechanics](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-solidmechanics/)** — Forces, stress, and why bracing matters. Helps you understand why lifts fail and how to fix them. 23. **[Mechanisms: Lifts](/docs/guides/mechanisms/mechanisms-lifts/)** — The different types of lift arms — 2-bar, 4-bar, cascade — and how to build, brace, and torque-calculate for them. 24. **[Mechanisms: Intake](/docs/guides/mechanisms/mechanisms-intake/)** — Roller intakes and how to tune compression, spacing, and motor stall detection. 25. **[Software: State Machines](/docs/guides/software/software-statemachines/)** — The design pattern for controlling lift positions and mechanism sequences with precise position control and button triggers. --- ## Phase 9 — System Integration (Sessions 12–14) 26. **[Fundamentals: Center of Gravity](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-centerofgravity/)** — Why weight distribution matters when you add a lift and intake to your chassis. 27. **[Navigation: Autonomous Strategy](/docs/guides/navigation/navigation-autonomousstrategy/)** — How to plan autonomous routes, calculate theoretical scores, and run repeatability tests. 28. **[Resources: Troubleshooting Guide](/docs/guides/resources/resources-troubleshootingguide/)** — The five-step debugging process for mechanical and software problems. Read before your first integration session. --- ## Phase 10 — Advanced Autonomous (Sessions 15–17) 29. **[Navigation: Localization](/docs/guides/navigation/navigation-localization/)** — How robots track their position on the field using odometry and sensor fusion. 30. **[Software: Path Planning & Motion Chaining](/docs/guides/software/software-pathplanning/)** — Motion chaining, curved path approximation, error recovery, and multi-routine selectors. --- ## Phase 11 — Competition (Sessions 18–20) 31. **[Resources: Competitions](/docs/guides/resources/resources-competitions/)** — How VEX V5 competitions work — match format, scoring, rankings, alliance selection, and what to expect on competition day. --- ## Reference — Read Anytime These articles are useful reference material. Read them when a topic comes up or when something breaks. - **[Fundamentals: Ohm's Law](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-ohmslaw/)** — Basic electrical concepts behind motors and batteries. - **[Fundamentals: Friction Mitigation](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-frictionmitigation/)** — Reducing friction in drivetrains and mechanisms. - **[Fundamentals: Compound Gear Trains](/docs/guides/fundamentals/fundamentals-compoundgeartrains/)** — Multi-stage gear systems used in complex mechanisms. - **[Navigation: AprilTags](/docs/guides/navigation/navigation-apriltags/)** — Vision-based localization using fiducial markers (advanced). - **[Hardware: Pneumatics](/docs/guides/hardware/hardware-pneumatics/)** — Air-powered mechanisms used in advanced competition robots.