Wiring problems

[anilizer@752]

my teams electronics board is complete, but the wires that are conected to the spikes make a clicking sound and keep moving. It only happens when I plug the 20amp snap on box's to the panel. what could be the problem?

[Cody Carey]

The "snap on Boxes" are your auto-reset breakers, and the clicking sound is them saving your electronics. Check the polarity of your battery connectors pronto, make sure you wired red to red, and black to black. Check for shorts EVERYwhere... Try to avoid turning your 'bot on until you've found the problem.

[dtengineering]

Your Spikes may be attached backwards... M+ and M- should go to the motors, not the battery.

I only suggest this because after re-building our circuit board we found that our spikes were all placed backwards (and connected backwards) on the new board.

Jason

[Al Skierkiewicz]

The wires are moving as very high currents pass through them creating a magnetic field which repels or attracts other metal on your robot. Check your wiring as suggested above.

[DonRotolo]

Goodness, the currents they must be seeing to make the wires move...

[RyanN]

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

Goodness, the currents they must be seeing to make the wires move...

Yea... they should also check to make sure that they are using the correct amperage breakers and the right gauge of wire. Like the others, check your polarity on everything, and make sure you have the wires going into the right side of your spikes. It sounds like you have the power going into the M+ and M- on the spikes. Big BIG no no! Make sure you attach them to the 12V+ and the GND connectors on the other side. Of course, red goes to the 12V+ and the black goes to the GND.

Also, if you can't figure it out, upload a picture or PM me and send it straight to my email. Please make sure it is high enough quality to follow your wires around your board.