color dot schematic bad??

[Trumpkin]

I just found out something really weird. I have been plugging in the batteries for the $50 robot wrong all the time. The weird thing is it works! i have been connecting the negative pin to the place where it says to put the posisitve pin in the schematic. if i switch it to the "right way" the Atmega fries. Whats even stranger is that the electolytic capacitor should keep electricity from flowing the way i'm connecting the batteries shouldn't it? also if i switch it the way it says to in the schematic it would reverse the polarity of my servos!!! I'm stumped. 

[TrickyNekro]

Did you made the breadboard wiring yourself???
This is this crucial...

[Trumpkin]

i didn't do it on a breadboard.

[HDL_CinC_Dragon]

The capacitor is in parallel, not series, so it doesnt have any say in which way the current is flowing. Im thinking that perhaps you wired your vreg in reverse also or else you definitely wouldnt have a working robot. Are you using the 6v battery pack? or the other batter setup?

[Trumpkin]

i just have a 6 volt battery pack. I'm almost positive i have my vreg wired up right altho i will check again. thx about the capacitor, that was bugging me, i'm so stupid sometimes. The strange thing is my robot does work.

[HDL_CinC_Dragon]

Happens to the best of us. Happens to me all the time lol
Im not too sure what the reverse voltage protection the Vreg has if any and im too tired/lazy ATM to check the datasheet... plus im playing around with my $50 robot board writing random snippets of code and testing them out (mostly playing with the LED )
I would definitely check everything VERY carefully and dont plug your battery in just in case until your sure everything is ok....