Request a Re-Write of the Wire Color Rule for 2013.

[tr6scott]

From 2012

[R45]  All active circuit wiring with a constant polarity (i.e., except for outputs of relay modules, speed 
controllers, or sensor outputs) shall be color-coded as follows:
A.  Use red, white, brown, or black with stripe wire on the +24 Vdc, +12 Vdc and +5 Vdc connections. 
B.  Use black or blue wire for the common or negative side of the (-) connections.

I understand that there are many different wiring color codes in many different "application" realms.

i.e.
house wiring black is hot, white is neutral,
Automotive, Red is +12v and Black is Negative, Ground, +0V
Industrial controls, Red is AC voltage, Blue is DC voltage, white is common ac, white with blue tracer is common dc.
DC industrial sensors, brown +24v, blue 0v, black signal..

Last year the team mixed the +24v and the +12v in the wiring as both were red. So this year we are building a 1114 Kitbot on steroids, and I brought in some blue mtw, and some blue/wht mtw to wire the 24v circuits with. Of course I was questioned to the rule, by one of the students, (who thought them to read the rules when wiring?) and found Blue was reserved for negative... which was not the way I was asking them to wire the bot.

So now that I have read the rule, it seems to me that it could use a little work. Based on the rule, I think I can wire the whole bot with everything black, and be legal? I guess I would be ok with that, if the rule also said something about wire labels and clearly identifying conductors in the circuit.

So just some food for thought on this rule, and what wiring practices we are trying to dictate to be followed on the bot.

I would suggest that the rule not give specific colors that can be used, but say that the Positive and Negative colors be different and consistant across the bot. I would also like to see that +24 & +12 be different colors in practice.

(When you see battery voltage readout on the drivers station at 17, you'll know why. . . )

Comments, Discussion Welcome.