We are using 4 gauge wire for our batteries and I’m wondering if anyone else is having trouble keeping the 4 gauge wire locked in to the new power distribution hub?
We recently started using 4 gauge welding wire for our batteries. It was a tight fit to get all the strands in the lever lock holes, but they seemed solid after we got them set.
Have you noticed any working lose after driving the bot around?
Be sure to strip enough insulation off the wire (0.75") so that it can be inserted fully into the terminal. Depending on the style of wire you are using, thicker insulation may have difficulty sliding into the aperture, so you may have to shave off and taper insulation that is too thick.
Always do a tug test when wiring to terminals, or other electrical connections. It will help verify the proper fit, and is way better than the robot disconnecting itself on the field.
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@dyanoshak is there a max wire guage accepted chart somewhere for the new electronics?
Absolutely! in the Specifications section of the docs for each:
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On a related note. I noticed that the breakers don’t sit flush with the top of the PDH. Seems like this is just waiting for small metal filings to fall down and short one of them out.
We’re considering mounting the PDH under the robot, so it’s upside down. Or just putting some sort of clear cover over the breakers. It was pointed out to me that the rules require the breakers to be “visible.”
Foam gasket?
My team did an upside down electronics board in 2020 (never saw competition tho), and plan on again this year.
So long as it can be visible you should be good to go. Just make it easy to remove in the event an FTA wants to look at it on the field. We needed a drill to remove the cover to it on our 2020 bot, and the FTA at one of the off season events wasnt happy it took so long. So we’re probably switching to some wing nuts or something
In normal operation (when the breaker is not tripped), the two terminals are effectively shorted anyway. So the only concern would be when a breaker trips, at which point whatever FOD is there will be carrying 10s of A or more and likely live a very short and hot life.
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Right, of course! Doh! In my defense, I’m a programmer, but even I should have realized that.
I love the design of the new PDHs.
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Our team likes to use ferrules on the ends of our wires. I saw in the Power Distribution Hub info that it accepts up to 6 ga ferrules for the power input and up to 10 ga ferrules for the high amp outputs. Is the use of ferrules on the wago connectors of the new power distribution hub (input and output) generally a good idea? Does it have any downsides?
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Oh boy here comes a storm…
Our team likes to use insulated ferrules on all of our branch circuits, and we plan to do so on the rev pdh. We are debating whether to use ferrules on the input terminals.I’ve found that uninsulated ferrules (McMaster p/n 9681K38) fit well in the input terminal. The insulated ferrules aren’t able to insert all the way to the back.
I think the wagos grip stranded wire better than they grip the ferrules. We have had in the past ferrules work loose from wago style connectors but not wire.
See this thread (both my posts and Al’s).
TLDR: if you use ferrules, you need to use the correct (square) ones, or derate two wire sizes. And the manufacturer recommends not using ferrules at all with stranded wire unless you are in a very corrosive environment.
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FWIW, here are the crimps/crimpers recommended by the manufacturer of the parts used on the PDH:
They make nice square ends that work well. After crimping, the space between the strands has been (at least mostly) compressed away, and the area of the wire and crimp is now square, so the resulting height/width are probably slightly less than for an uncompressed set of individual strands.
Note that the ferrules shown are for the maximum size wire recommended by each of the connector types used in the PDH (WAGO 2616 / 2606 series / 250 series).
Be sure to get good quality ferrules purchased from a supplier that specializes in selling electrical and electronic components. I have used some in the past that would slip off after being crimped with a professional quality crimper. I suspect the manufacturer used a type of metal that was too soft, like cheese. If I recall correctly, they were purchased online from a company owned by someone who uses the profits to build rockets.
Agreed. Notice the brand on the ones in the picture. 
WAGO makes ferrules and crimp tool for use with these connectors. The finished crimp is square and gives the maximum contact inside the terminal on the PDP or PDH. Using other ferrules may not give the same contact area or retention. Your mileage may vary…
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