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Wiring and Circuits (2019)
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Wiring and Circuits (2019)

Connectors

A robot's electrical system has to stay connected even when the robot encounters harsh conditions. Loose wires are inconvenient to handle and not robust enough to stay attached, so connectors are usually attached to the conductive ends.

Did you know? Connectors are also called terminals, from the Latin "terminus" meaning "the end" of something, because they go on the end of the wire.

There are many kinds of connectors, but they all do the same job: they physically and electrically connect the conductor in the wire to something else in the circuit.

Mini Project Alligator Clip

Create an alligator clip connector
Alligator Clip Connector
Alligator Clip Connector
Alligator Clip Connector: Required items and tools

To begin crimping clips, you will need the following:

  • Alligator Clip Alligator Clip
  • Wire Wire
  • Alligator Clip Crimper Alligator Clip Crimper
  • Wire Stripper Wire Stripper
Step 1: Prepare wire for alligator clip

Take the end of the wire, and make sure there is enough conductor exposed to attach the connector -- about 1 cm, or half an inch is good for this type of clip.

  • If you need to expose more conductor, use a wire cutter.
  • If you have a wire cutter with gauge holes, find the hole that matches the size of wire you have, place the wire through the hole, and squeeze the handle firmly. Twist the wire back and forth until the insulator is cut, and the conductor slides out smoothly.
  • If you have a wire cutter without gauge holes, place the cutting head where you want to trim to, and cut "around" the outside by squeezing the blade down gently on the outside of the insulator, and rotating the blade and wire back and forth to saw through the insulation without damaging the conductor inside.
  • If you have too much conductor, use a wire cutter to cut off the excess length.
Step 2: Insert conductive core into alligator clip

Insert the exposed conductor through the small loop on the back of the alligator clip.

Note: If the connection is too loose, strip off some more of the insulator and fold the conductor together to create an extra "thick" wire for the alligator clip slot.

Tip: Twist the ends of the conductor strands so they stay together more easily.

Step 3: Insert clip and wire into crimper slot

Insert the loop + conductor into the slot on your crimper that matches the size of the loop.

Step 4: Crimp the connection

Firmly squeeze the handle of the crimper to press the loop closed around the conductor. Many crimper designs will not open back up until you have squeezed far enough -- if the crimper won't open, keep squeezing until it does.

Tip: You can squeeze harder if you grip toward the ends of the handles.

Tip: If you really need the crimper to open early, there is usually a small release latch inside the handle.

Step 5: Crimp both sides

To ensure the fit is good on all sides, rotate the connector 90 degrees, and squeeze the handle closed again.

Step 6: Complete alligator clip crimping

The alligator head connector should now be securely attached to your wire!

Explanation

Since the alligator head is metal, this forms both a physical and electrical connection.

On the wire side, the head has a small loop that the conductor goes into. This metal-to-metal contact ensures an electrical connection.

Alligator Clip
Alligator Clip

The physical connection to the wire comes from "crimping" the connector so that the metal loop collapses and grips the wire.

Good Crimping
Good Crimping
When you're done...
  • Log entry 1.5.1: Technicians put a lot of value on the quality of workmanship even for simple tasks like attaching a wire connector. Why do you think this is?
  • What is wrong with the following crimp?
What's wrong with this?
What's wrong with this?
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