Thread: Globe motor to spike controller
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Unread 22-01-2006, 11:22
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Tristan Lall Tristan Lall is offline
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Re: Globe motor to spike controller
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz
Guys,
You are missing the point on using circuit breakers on the robot electrical vs. the protection provided by a fuse in the Spike. The circuit breakers are chosen with minimum rating for protecting the wiring. (See R82, 83, 84) A 20 amp circuit breaker will keep a #18 from setting itself on fire in the event of a short. The 20 amp fuse in the Spike protects the contacts in the relay from destruction but does not protect the wiring since it is at the end of a wire run.
Bearing in mind that this is (of course) totally illegal for FIRST purposes, what would be the effect of placing a jumper (or, alternatively a 100 A fuse) on the Spike, and a 20 A breaker in the panel, as usual? For a reasonable length of wire, wouldn't the 20 A also lend sufficient protection to the Spike, or is the Spike so sensitive to a current spike ( ) that it requires protection very close to the source of the fault? (If that fuse doesn't blow very quickly indeed, I don't see how that could be the case, though.)