festo valve wiring help

Technical Electrical
1

Hi guys,

We are team 3646 from Istanbul, Turkey. This year, we decided to use pneumatic systems on our robot and we almost built it. When it comes to wiring solenoids to solenoid breakouts, we unfortunately realized that we don’t have Cable for Festo VUVG Valve (am-0874). At first, we thought that 2 pin cables were used to wire solenoids to solenoid breakouts. Although they fit solenoid breakout, they don’t fit solenoids.

We don’t have a chance to order Cable from AndyMark right now, it takes long time to be shipped and get them from customs. So, are there any alternative ways for wiring solenoids to solenid breakout? Can we cut 2 pin cables from one side and solder two pins to solenoids ?

Thanks.

2

the left pin, pin 1, is the 0V connection and the right pin, pin 2, is the 12V supply connection. The provided connector’s cable should have the black wire connecting to pin 1 as the red wire should be connecting to pin 2.

3

If I remember correctly the pin spacing is off from a standard pwm cable but the pin sizes are approximately the right size.

If that is the case, take a 3 pin pwm cable, remove the center pin and cut down the middle. Plug the individual pins into the solenoid.

Reinsert the pins on the other side to a 2 pin housing of course.

4

eren,
I believe those connectors are standard two pin HiRose connectors that should be available from electronic dealers in your country. I did a search and found this link to Festo Turkey…
http://www.festo.com/cms/tr_tr/index.htm

5

I guess we handled with it. Soldering opening pins to solenoid helped us to control pistons. Thanks for your answers.

6

eren,
Soldering to those pins is a risky alternative. You may melt the soldered connection to the coil wire internal to the solenoid. I would think using individual PWM contacts covered with heat shrink tubing would be a better alternative.

7

As I was doing some research for a related item, I found that Allied Electronics also sells Festo valves and they list connector sets for the valves in their catalog.

8

You’re definitely living right, Al. I searched Allied for solenoid pneumatic valves and got 359 from SMC but none from Festo. Sometimes that Allied search is a puzzler. I might be able to use a manifold base for the festo double acting valves one of these days.

I looked at my Festo wires and noted that they were made in Bulgaria. Due to the vagaries of international trade, they have to go through Indiana to get to Turkey, I guess.

9

I continued research this morning and find that Allied has no overseas outlets. So it is a dead end. Sorry.

10

We’ll try to find alternative solutions such as asking other teams in Istanbul to borrow some. Thanks for the time you spent on helping us.

11

Last year our team used festo valves and had many problems with the factory made electrical connections to the valves them selves so we actually did just what you did which was crack open the casing and individually solder the wires. It took quite a bit of precision and some time but after we finished we didnt have any other problems with the connections.