Cycle Analyst: rewiring a bit

[zacksc]

I have a V3.1 Cycle Analyst directly plugged into a controller and also getting input from a throttle. It is a simple set-up and its works fine. I am thinking, and maybe this is not smart, that I would like to clean up the wiring a little and get rid of some of the things I am not using and don't plan to use. The temperature sensor (2 pin), Aux (3-pin) and Ebrake (4-pin) connectors are all bundled with the throttle in a large cable, and I am thinking I will just cut those connectors off and get a cleaner look with just the throttle connector coming out of that cable, since that is the only one I am using. Would it be risky to just leave those loose ends basically uncapped? I am thinking they are all used for input (not output) and that that makes them pretty safe and not likely to cause problems. Is that true? (I should mention here that I am really new to all this and just learning.) Is there something I don't understand maybe that could mean these modifications could lead to problems?

Also, I was thinking of cutting the PAS cable coming out of the Cycle Analyst and the rewiring it to get some practice with JST sm crimping and inserting pins, etc. Is there anything tricky in that? I have pins, spare connectors (a Con bag) and a JST-sm crimper. Any advice, warning or anything is really appreciated.

 

[zacksc]

Now that I have gone over the colors of the wires, I am thinking that maybe it is not quite as simple (safe) as I thought, but probably still possible.
Ebrake: black, blue, red
Throttle: black green, red
Aux: black, white, red
Temp: black, yellow
So now I am wondering if maybe black is "hot", like maybe 5V? and maybe red is ground or return (or visa versa). So maybe I need to be careful to cap off one or both of those? Any advice, information is most welcome. Is this stuff in a manual for the CA?

 

[zacksc]

I did find it in a manual. red is 5V and black is ground.

 

[amberwolf]

I am thinking, and maybe this is not smart,

As long as no smoke comes out, thinking is usually safe.

that I would like to clean up the wiring a little and get rid of some of the things I am not using and don't plan to use.

Since you can always re-add connectors to the wires if you leave the wires, should you decide you want those functions later, then there's not much reason not to do it.

But..I would use some heatshrink, probably 1/16" or 1/8", whatever will fit over the individual wires, to isolate them so moisture can't get easily get in there and cause problems, like causing current flow from 5v to a signal, or grounding a signal, and triggering behavior you didn't want.

Leave at least a centimeter of heatshrink sticking out past the end of the wire, and while the heatshrink is still hot from the heat gun (or lighter, etc), pinch it with your gloved fingers to close it off, and fold it back against the wire. Then use a larger piece of heatshrink over the whole bundle end that you're closing off.

If the throttle connector is also on that bundle, then you have to use a size that will fit over that before it's shrunk; this may not securely shrink over the wire bundle, but you can fill the ends before shrinking with silicone, then shrink it, and let the silicone cure.

Since the JST connectors on the CA are open-frame, you can also fill the ones you're still using with dielectric grease while they're unplugged, including their backs if there's no heatshrink covering them, to keep moisture out of those, too.

Also, I was thinking of cutting the PAS cable coming out of the Cycle Analyst and the rewiring it to get some practice with JST sm crimping and inserting pins, etc. Is there anything tricky in that? I have pins, spare connectors (a Con bag) and a JST-sm crimper. Any advice, warning or anything is really appreciated.

Nothing tricky, but make sure you have thin tools (dental picks with blunted ends, etc) to fully seat the short (female) contacts in from the back. You can use needle nose to grab the contact flats on the males and pull them thru till they lock.

I'm not sure but I thought there was a video on JST crimping on Grin's site in the Learn section. If there isn't ,there should be.

If you have to remove a contact you can use the picks to press the little angled tabs while pushing the contact from the front. Don't pull the wires, they can just break off at the back

 

[amberwolf]

Is this stuff in a manual for the CA?

Yes, all the connector info is on the CA info page on http://ebikes.ca , including the PCB pads inside the unit.

There is also setup information, videos, and guides on how to setup all the functions of the CA to do different things.

 

[zacksc]

Thanks a lot amberwolf. That helps a lot. I used that trick you recommended with the small heatshrink to isolate the cut ends of wires I am not using. I am doing that with the Torque/PAS connector as well, since I am not using that. I was thinking that with that one I would just have to isolate the 10V and the ground and that I could maybe just leave the other 3 wires cut but not insulated? It has 5 pins: 10V (white), ground (black), Dir (blue), RPM (yellow), and Torque (green). I am thinking I don't really need to isolate the Dir, RPM and Torque wires, thinking that with the 10V not operational there is no way they acquire a voltage. Is that true/safe?

I think I am starting to get the hang of making JST connectors. Those small pins are a bit harder than Anderson. A magnifying glass really helps. Is there some set-up that is kind of portable for magnifying and maybe light, like those things that people where on their head, that anyone recommends for JST sm crimping?

 

[zacksc]

I am crimping some pins for a 6-pin male JSTsm (for the cable going from the cycle analyst to the controller) and I just crimped the wire too far into the 4th pin. I am thinking maybe I should cut all of the wires and start over so that they will be the same length? or would you cut just the one? Is it important to keep them all the same length?

 

[flat tire]

You can open up the ca and desolder the connectors you don't want directly from the board. That's what I do.

 

[amberwolf]

I was thinking that with that one I would just have to isolate the 10V and the ground and that I could maybe just leave the other 3 wires cut but not insulated?

Since it only takes a tiny bit of heatshrink and a few seconds per wire, I'd recommend doing it to all of them, if no other reason than to protect the wires themselves from environmental intrusion so you can just pull off the HS and recrimp them if you later need to use them.

But it's unlikely that any signal would enter the input wires, so it's not something you *have* to do.

I think I am starting to get the hang of making JST connectors. Those small pins are a bit harder than Anderson. A magnifying glass really helps. Is there some set-up that is kind of portable for magnifying and maybe light, like those things that people where on their head, that anyone recommends for JST sm crimping?

I use Helping Hands type of thing from Harbor Freight, whcih has positionable alligator clips on either end of a positionable bar, with a positionable magnifying glass between them, and a base just heavy enough to not tip over with most of the stuff I do with it.

I also have to do most stuff out in sunlight, or use several bright LED lights, cuz it's hard to focus on stuff if it's not bright enough.

I also have a camera on a flexy tube with heavy base, that hooks up to Svideo on a TV or monitor, that is designed for closeup work. It's not perfect, but it will let me see even SMD stuff clearly...they probably make these for USB ports nowadays, but they're probably expensive (mine was a goodwill find).

 

[amberwolf]

I am crimping some pins for a 6-pin male JSTsm (for the cable going from the cycle analyst to the controller) and I just crimped the wire too far into the 4th pin. I am thinking maybe I should cut all of the wires and start over so that they will be the same length? or would you cut just the one? Is it important to keep them all the same length?

it only matters for stress relief, if you don't have some other way to achieve that (ensure no pulling on the wires).

Basically, if the wires are unequal length, the shorter ones are pulled on by the connector at the contact itself, so if you don't provide strain relief that "equalizes" this difference in pulling, the shorter wires can eventually break at the back of the contact.

It's much less of a problem with larger wire gauges, like 18 and up, than when you get into little 24g stuff like I'm using on my multi-wire-pair main bundle cable on the steering tiller tube of SB Cruiser (cuz that only has maybe 7-8 strands of conductor in it, vs the larger sizes that have more and more as size goes up).

The stuff on the CA itself is kinda small on mine. 20g? Not sure. The stuff on the Grinfineons I have is much larger and I don't have problems with those even when it's uneven lengths. I also have some 2-wire stuff I use for individual signal pairs and lighting and whatnot on the trike, "Honeywell Genesis" "alarm wire" that's about that thick too.

 

[zacksc]

Thanks very much!