Solenoids come in many forms, flavors, and functions. Sometimes they are called contactors in the electrical realm.
Solenoids rely on electromotive force to move plungers. Those plungers then close a given electrical circuit, or open or close fluid pathways through a valve body.
Category: Power Systems
Sabertooth Motor Controllers
The Sabertooth family of DC Brushed Motor Controllers, made by Dimension Engineering, are versatile and very simple to set up as long as you follow the datasheet/instructions. Below, we will run through some example circuits and behaviors.
(more…)Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Fuses and Circuit Breakers are a necessary safety device for all circuits. They come in many shapes, sizes, and colors.
(more…)Electromechanical: Switches and Relays
In the world of microcontrollers and semiconductors, one thing will never go away: The need to open or close a circuit. There are multiple types and formats of these electromechanical interfaces.
(more…)5V Single Board Computers on 12/24V Systems
As the Raspberry Pi and Atmel/Cortex/ESP platforms become more powerful computational processors, they require more power to do so. Powering these devices in Automotive 12V or Industrial 24V applications has become its own challenge.
(more…)Using the correct wire
Current Capacity
When choosing a wire for the job, the single most important factor is wire size. The International Code Council (ICC) published table 310.16 regulating the maximum performance current load for a given size and type of wire. Section 240.4 also discusses overcurrent protection for conductors 10 AWG and smaller. Likewise, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Document 60228 specifies the technical parameters related to cable size.
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