We’re having trouble even starting wiring our electrical components, starting with something as simple as the main power distribution board. Is there any place where it offers a breakdown of how to wire the boards, jaguars, etc. that come in the kit of parts?
We found this earlier ( Picture Diagrams ) but as soon as we get to the wiring components, we especially cannot tell how to connect the wires to the distribution board. We got the two big blue connectors, but what’s with the rest? HELP!
I’ve seen some schematics, but they’re confusing the heck out of me here with some of the components.
@ Tanis: Brilliant, but we’re also having trouble connecting parts to the distribution board. See second paragraph please… (So no need for repetition.)
The Power Distribution Board (PDB) is primarily wired with the use of Wago connectors, which to my knowledge has never been explained in a manual. For the connections along the long sides of the PDB, you have a small slot right above a round hole. To secure a wire in that hole, put a screwdriver in that slot and lever it either up or down, I can’t remember which, and while it’s levered, insert the wire. Then pull the screwdriver out.
These PDB connections make use of strong springs to secure the wires, which by default block the hole. Levering a screwdriver in that slot unblocks the hole by raising the spring, and pulling it back out drops the spring back on the wire that you’ve inserted, securing it in place.
Be sure to use appropriate gauge wire for wiring purposes. Personally, by team uses 6AWG wire for battery - switch - PDB connections, ~10-12AWG for 40A distributions from the PDB, and ~16-18 for 20A-30A distributions from the PDB.
You should have got a small screwdriver with “WAGO” written on the side. On the power distribution board, there are 2 slots, one on top, and one on bottom per individual connector. put the screwdriver in there as far as it will go while holding it horizontally. Now pull up on the screwdriver. A jaw in the bottom one should open, and you can put the wire in. At this point, you can release the screwdriver.
For the 40 amp breaker slots, the way the power flows is towards the small lightning bolt, meaning if you put a breaker into that slot, that is the one that will be powered. Hope this helps!
**Do NOT “pry” or “lever” with the WAGO tool, you’ll break things. ** You put the tool into the slot and push it in. Your ONLY motion should be pushing, NO PRYING.
See this specific post, follow the link to the presentation, and study the photograph. This will help you understand exactly how to use the WAGO connectors on the PDB correctly.
As for the smaller WAGO connectors, it’s the same as the PD board. Just put the tip of a small screwdriver into the slot, and lever down. The connector from the PD board to the cRIO is different, as you have to turn the screws behind the wire slots to open and close the gripper inside.
I had the same problem when I started out. It just takes some trial and error.