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#1
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
Good looking wiring is not hard to achive. The main thing is just being careful when cutting wires to length. Route them smartly and size the length logically. A straight shot is not the right answer, but neither is a giant loop. Logical routing is the key, and super flexible wire is a step in the right direction getting there.
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#2
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
Actually we kept a wire diagram so i could trace any wire. This is one thing i don't see enough of. The one single most useful tool (even more useful than your trusty multimeter) is a wiring diagram as it allows quick and easy diagnosis and repair of problems.
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#3
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
However useful a diagram may be, I still think neat, organized, cleanly routed, and labeled wiring is even more useful.
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#4
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
Quote:
I've also found it useful to, where possible, keep things like speed controllers that run motors on the right side of the bot on the right side of your electrical board. Also, I like having all the victors and spikes in two paralel lines. This way, all the 12+ and negative wires can be run between the two banks of components, and all the output wires can run off to the various parts of the bot. I find that this helps speed up the wiring process, since all the wires running to the components can be very accurately sized (if you have regular spacing, that each wire will be incrementally longer then the last) and can be wired up outside of the robot, and then plopped down in the bot when the mechanical work is done. All thats left to do then is run the wires from motors to the board, and your done. There are lots of ways to wire a 'bot. I guess every team has their own preferences in that area. -Andy A. edit: spelling, grammer etc. |
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#5
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
[Right now I'm trying to design a electrical/pneumatics box. I'm making it aesthetically pleasing as well as electrically. I'm having a little trouble with solenoid placing and getting my connections in a ordered fashion. (by the way what connectors should i use for the control wires?) I'm making this look extremely cool, even found a person who supplies led boards that flash in sequence like the cylons or knight rider (actually its almost impossible to find large ones). I'm looking for a metal grill. To be more detailed, metal with a large quantity of uniform minute holes. If anyone knows what i can use for this it would be a great help to getting this box complete.
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#6
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
You can try perforated sheets of aluminum. I know that there are a few companies online that make it, though I'm not sure how much it is. I know team 1148(?), Harvard Westlake, has used that material. Good luck on electrical system, and I would definitely be interested in some pictures when it's done.
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#7
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
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#8
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
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#9
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
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#10
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
I'm only posting on this thread three times in a row because the edit button timed out. I need to find a connector. It looks like your average power connector but instead of having the wire come out one end and having the male or female connector on the other, the connector is on the side. Its like a L and its yellow but it looks like they make them in red and blue. I ask because they are on a robot made by team RUSH in a picture (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/pi...&quiet=Verbose) i have and i really need to get them (their the ones conected to the power board). Also if someone from team RUSH sees this I'm curious what the grey box with the keypad was for. I know its the Auton kiosk but could you go into more detail?
Last edited by mechanicalbrain : 10-08-2005 at 02:55. |
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#11
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
I think you are looking for a flag terminal. Is that what you mean? Also, all terminals are color coded according to wire size.
![]() Last edited by dez250 : 10-08-2005 at 13:58. Reason: fixed link |
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#12
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
Perfect! Thats exactly what i wanted. Now can anyone tell me what team RUSH's box (the gray one) is. I have a general idea about what it does but its not like anything ive seen.
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#13
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
Hello!
I always was one for getting the conversation off topic... This is not about neatness, but it is about effeciency. I noticed lots of major connectors (say, between the Vics and spikes and the motors and solenoids) in several pictures, and that's all good and fine, but the big issue with connectors is they can come loose, they can get dirty, or they can simply be forgotten and left unhooked. I propose an LED system in each major connector bank, so if its not connected, it completes a circuit and the LED lights up brightly to let the whole world know the connector isn't doing its job. It would, of course, be very easy to depend on it too much, and get false readings from it, but if you had multiple places where the LED gets its signal, possibly though an AND gate, you could become very accurate in your quest for unhooked wires. Just a thought, but I quite like the concept. Sparks333 |
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#14
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
Quote:
cut of a small patch of insulation out and lay in a LED! I think I'm going to incorporate that into next years electrical system! It cuts out the need for a multimeter in terms of checking electrical flow. However i tried to think about how to light a LED when a connection isn't made and realised its allot easier to have it light when their is a connection! The one important thing to do is make sure the LED is properly re insulated with the wire so you don't have a live wire. Thanks allot and this is what i created the thread for so you are actually bringing the thread back on topic! ![]() |
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#15
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Re: Electrical Systems and ideas...
Oz,
McMaster is a great location for most of what youare asking. Flag terminals and perforated metal are some of their regular parts line. You can get aluminum, steel, stainless or plastic, you decide. LED's are left up to the user, but there are kits available to make almost any kind of light bar you want. Buying LED from Digikey would allow you to make it different colors as well. As to the LED connect ideas, you could arrange a series of LEDs and resistors on another board and using #22 wire run a sense lead from each power destination to the light panel. (some companies call this an "annuciator panel") Add a little logic and bicolor LEDs and you could have all greens for "GO" and red to show a fault. One step further, if the load is connected, is it drawing current? Is it drawing too much current? |
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