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Clarify MotorHat disposal/ownership semantics in README#2584
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[WIP] Fix unclear documentation around disposing of DCMotor with MotorHat
Clarify MotorHat disposal/ownership semantics in README
Jul 1, 2026
raffaeler
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Jul 1, 2026
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Pull request overview
This PR updates the MotorHat device documentation to clarify resource ownership and disposal behavior when creating motors/servos/PWM channels from MotorHat, aiming to prevent confusion about whether returned objects must be disposed and in what order.
Changes:
- Adds a new “Resource management (disposing)” section describing
MotorHatownership and cleanup responsibilities. - Provides updated usage guidance and a wrapper-class example that forwards disposal to
MotorHat.
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| - **Disposing the `MotorHat` is enough.** `MotorHat.Dispose()` stops every channel it handed out and then disposes the underlying PCA9685 (and its I2C device). You do not need to dispose the motors, servos or PWM channels separately. | ||
| - **Disposing a motor as well is safe.** Disposing a `DCMotor` created by `CreateDCMotor` only stops its PWM channels; it does not dispose them. Combined with the point above, disposing both the motor and the `MotorHat` will not throw or leave the board in a random state. | ||
| - **Order does not matter.** You can dispose the motors before or after the `MotorHat`; the result is the same. |
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| // Disposing the MotorHat stops and releases every motor/channel it created. | ||
| // Order is not important and disposing the motors as well would be safe. | ||
| _motorHat.Dispose(); |
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The MotorHat README showed a
DCMotorbeing created but never disposed, leaving it unclear whether motors need separate disposal, whether dispose order matters, and whether disposing both theMotorHatand its motors causes conflicts.Confirmed from the source that there is no conflict:
MotorHat.Dispose()stops all channels it created and disposes the underlying PCA9685, whileDCMotor3Pwm.Dispose()only stops its PWM pins (never disposes them). Disposal is therefore idempotent and order-independent.Changes
src/devices/MotorHat/README.mdcovering the ownership model:MotorHatalone releases every motor/servo/PWM channel it handed out.PumpController-style example forwarding disposal to theMotorHat.