Electronics > Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff
Your Experience with Reliable Connections?
Alaezae:
Hi,
I’m currently involved in a robotics project and I had a question. The number one thing we struggle with electrically is reliability. It seems like all the connections we make (whether that be wire to wire or wire to board) fail once the robot starts moving. It’s generally not a problem with the service loop in the wire, it’s more of an issue of the type of connector we’re using. They either vibrate apart or break at the wire over time, and this cannot happen. As far as reliability of connections goes, what connectors generally stay together on a moving vehicle?
OM222O:
Wire to wire: porperly solder and add heat shrink
Wire to biard: proper cage type screw terminals (the ones that have a movijg jaw) not the cheapo spring leaf one. As a general rule of thumb the cage types are usually in a green plastic housing and the spring leafs are blue.
Mr. Scram:
Are you perhaps cutting your wires a bit too short, inducing stress on parts of the wiring? Having some extra wire may alleviate things.
TimFox:
When your connector connections break at the wire (under vibration): do the contacts include the extra crimp section to secure the insulation while the other crimp secures the wire? The automotive connectors are probably a good example of how to make connections in a vibrating environment.
CatalinaWOW:
As implied by the previous posts the key is to have mechanical support for the wire separate from the electrical joint. That's after you get through making a proper electrical joint, either with solder or appropriate screw terminal.
Several methods.
For wire to wire twist the wires tightly together before soldering, or shrink wrap, or ...
For wire to board mechanical clamp on insulation, or hot glue, or lace tie downs to board or ...
Solder has horrible mechanical properties and copper is malleable, so any mechanical stress on the electrical joint can cause failure. You need to make the joint move as an entity, eliminating that mechanical strain. The second clamp in many connectors to grip the insulation behind the joint helps and is good enough in many situations, but most insulation is an elastic material and passes some amount of motion. You may have to go further.
Remember the numbers game you are playing. I am sure you have dozens, and possibly hundreds of connections. 99% reliable joints aren't good enough. With three dozen joints that predicts an overall reliability of only about 70%.
Automotive wiring systems are fairly good for this. Look at what they do. Aircraft are better. If you can, look at their methods. Both in person and in the form of specifications.
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