We would like to know if the following cable from this site is legal?
All part legality questions must be asked over at https://ftc-qa.firstinspires.org/.
Answers provided here are not official and can not be relied upon.
Sorry, I realized it after I sent the question.
Thank you
Vinay
What is the intended use of this cable? What robot rules are you concerned about? These are questions you need to consider even before asking the question on the Q&A.
-Danny
The wire is being used to power and encode our servos which are attached to a part on the viper slider. So as the viper slider extends and retracts, we want to be able to manage the wires with a coiled cord. We want to make sure we are using legal parts.
Thank you
Vinay
There’s really no “legal” or “illegal” wires (AFAIK, assuming the wires are copper, in good shape, and insulated), the legality comes almost entirely from how they’re being used. The majority of the wiring rules are in RE14, though there are bits and pieces within other rules.
It’s already been established that servo extensions are allowed, and the manual specifies that 22AWG is the minimum wire gauge for servo wire extensions. What’s different in your case is that you’ve got a multi-conductor cable, so some things are nearly out of your control (such as wire color within the bundle which may run afoul of RE14 - though some smart marking can help). The outer sheathing shouldn’t be a problem, that’s pretty much the same thing as wire shrouds or cable coverings. And also you need to bring documentation regarding your multi conductor cabling so inspectors know what gauge the wire is.
How many servos are you trying to control? With 6 conductors if you’re trying to control 2 servos and each conductor is just extending an existing servo wire, or minor supported variances, this is more or less a slam dunk - Q336 (FIRST FTC Q&A System) might even already have you covered.
One “yellow flag” to all this, however, is a spec on the cable that surprises me. The cable says it’s 22AWG, but it says 0.92A max current - You might want to contact the company and have them clarify if that’s just for power transmission (which I almost never see specified), and not chassis wiring (which is almost always used), as it is not specified which one they’re using (but I think we can guess). 22AWG does safely support up to 0.92A for long distance power transmission, but supports up to 7A for short distance chassis wiring.
-Danny