Spike Wireing

[inkspell4]

What gauge wire is used to connect the spike to the PD(power distribution board)?

We are a new team and if you have any other hints for us please feel free to post them here.
Thank You

[thefro526]

<R40> All active PD Board branch circuits shall be wired with appropriately sized wire:
Application Minimum wire size
40A circuit 12 AWG (2.052mm)
30A circuit 14 AWG (1.628mm)
20A circuit 18 AWG (1.024mm)
between the PD Board and the Analog and/or Solenoid
Breakouts if a common power feed is used
18 AWG (1.024mm)
between the PD Board and the Analog and/or Solenoid
Breakouts if individual power feeds are used
20 AWG (0.8128mm)
between the PD Board and the cRIO-FRC 20 AWG (0.8128mm)
between the PD Board and the radio 20 AWG (0.8128mm)
pneumatic valves 24 AWG (0.5106mm)
The branch circuit may include intermediate elements such as COTS connectors, splices,
COTS flexible/rolling/sliding contacts, and COTS slip rings, as long as the entire electrical
pathway is via appropriately gauged conductors.

Spikes are designed to operate with either a 20A Fuse or 20A Breaker, therefore you would need to use 18 Gauge wire or larger.

I suggest reading section 4 "The Robot" of the Manual before making a another new thread to ask another question.

[inkspell4]

Thank you we are trying to hook up everything on a practice board and this will help us to do so without complications

[fsgond]

I would use a circuit breaker in competition, you would like it to be able to recover on the field.

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by fsgond

I would use a circuit breaker in competition, you would like it to be able to recover on the field.

This is especially true for the Compressor. You don't want you lose your Pneumatics because you've blown a $0.25 Fuse.

Other than that, I don't believe we've ever blow a Spike Fuse with a Motor, but I'm sure it is possible, so if you've got a few extra 20A breakers it's worth throwing them into the Spike's just for peace of mind.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

The old compressor will blow a 20 fuse eventually. The new compressor is unknown at this point. In general, all compressors/motors have a high start current. The specified start current on the old compressor is 27 amps while the run current is only 10-12. It is for this reason, that a 20 amp snap action circuit breaker is recommended for replacing the 20 amp fuse in the Spike.