Quote:
Originally Posted by Knufire
I've used Powerpoles since I've joined FRC, they're great. Sometimes they like to wiggle loose, be sure to zip-tie a connection together if it does.
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If your power poles wiggle loose, you aren't inserting the connector fully. Power poles are not held in place by friction, but by spring force at an angle that serves as a latch. If they come apart without a recognizable force being applied to pull the wires apart, something's not put together properly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jajabinx124
Our team used PowerPole connectors for connecting CAN bus wires and wires from CIMS to speed controllers this year.
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Powerpoles are not a good choice for CAN bus wires. At best, they're overkill. At worst, they are a source of signal reflection because they're so much larger than the wire. The smallest power pole connectors (15A) are intended for 16 to 18 AWG wire. CAN bus wire provided on the talons (and elsewhere, I suspect) are 22AWG. The change in gauge is a sign that there is a problem using APP for CAN bus, and the actual reason is one of signal reflection. Remember that CAN is essentially a serial data transfer protocol. Any "fat" or "thin" spots in the cable are impedance discontinuities that will tend to reflect the signals, resulting in noise in the communications. You will probably get away with it up to a point, but at some threshold it is likely to suddenly become a showstopper. I do not have any experience with this connector or CAN, but I am looking strongly at the
2-pin version of the relatively new "ditto" genderless connector from Molex with
the 20-22 AWG crimp connector to fill this need as we move to Talon SRX and CAN bus.
Does anyone have a "green/yellow" convention for this connector already? As we haven't yet crimped our first wires, it makes no difference, but I'd like to be part of a convention if one exists.