[NotInControl]

We have been running a compressor on the PCM since the Alpha test days and have never blown the 20amp fuse.

We have blown the internal (soldered) fuses inside of the PCM and VRM, but that was due to our own destructive testing.

When wired correctly, the PCM and VRM should never blow the 20a fuse.

The VRM has multiple internal fuses, and if there is a short on one of its lines, the fuse internal to the VRM should blow before the 20A fuse is affected.

However, I said wired correctly, if the PCM wires short, or the VRM wires short at the PDP, then yes, you will blow the fuse, the wires won't short as long as proper wire gage is used, we have been using 18 awg security wire, which has a nice small jacket that slides into the wieldmuler connector. If you used 18 awg speaker wire, the larger jacket may not fit, and some of the wiring will be exposed.

The PCM has a feedback loop running and monitoring the current output of the compressor, the controller can sense and react to current changes way faster than the fuse can, which is why the fuse should not blow.

To help ease everyone's mind, we have actually replaced our 20A fuse with a 15A fuse on the PDP to see if that will blow, and so far we have not blown the 15 amp when running the radio on the VRM and 3 solenoids and a VAIR 92 on the PCM.

Correct wiring and attention to your setup, should yield a perfectly functioning system.

Now, the only other potential I see if teams trying to power other 5V devices from the same VRM that is powering their radio. I would say "Don't even think about doing that". Have one regulator for the D-link, and another for all other 5v items (camera, off-board processor etc.). The VRM can only output 2.5A MAX on the entire 5v Rail, and 2.5A MAX on the entire 12V rail. The D-link wants 2A just for itself based on manufacture spec.

Hope this helps,
Kevin