Solenoid Wiring

[aechmtwash11]

Will Standard 3 wire PWM's fit into the solenoid breakout? If not what do you use to connect solenoids to the breakout? I just noticed that the solenoid breakout only has two connections, a ground and signal. I would check this myself but I'm not at our shop.

[GearsOfFury]

No, standard 3-wire PWM's will not fit into the solenoid breakout, at least not with the blue cover connected.

Our team stripped off the third (white) wire on our PWM's, took off the male end and spliced it with the solenoid wires, and cut off the plastic edge of the female end where the white wire normally would be. You have to be careful when doing this, to not crush the female connector end. You also have to make sure you get as much of the extra plastic connector off as possible, or it won't fit easily into the breakout.

Alternative would be to buy some 2-wire connectors (I don't know where to find such a thing), or remove the blue cover connector (you lose the retention functionality that the cover provides, however).

[Alan Anderson]

There were cables with 2-pin connectors included in the Kit of Parts. See the top of page 12 in the KOP Checklist.

If you can't find yours, it is possible to carefully trim the third pin from a standard PWM cable and make it fit perfectly.

[Vikesrock]

Alternative would be to buy some 2-wire connectors (I don't know where to find such a thing), or remove the blue cover connector (you lose the retention functionality that the cover provides, however).

As Alan mentioned, 5 of these were provided in the KOP (which should make 10 solenoid cables as you only need 1 end)

If you need more here is the source listed in the Where to Get More document from FIRST:

http://www.pccables.com/cgi-bin/orders6.cgi?action=Showitem&id=ID10667923&partno=03203&search=3203&rsite=pccables.com&rcode=

[GearsOfFury]

Interesting, I wonder where our electrical team put all those...! :)

And, easy to find spares: http://www.pccables.com/cgi-bin/orders6.cgi?action=Showitem&id=ID10667939&partno=03203&search=3203&rsite=pccables.com&rcode=

Thanks!

[The Engineer]

we just use female to female two pin PWMs on a double solonide

[Rapt0r9]

I'm going to second the double pin connectors. We cut up about four of them between wiring up the signal light and the solenoids. They really have no other use besides that (unless you are doing some fancy sensor work). A simple cut and splice will get you going in no time.