Create comprehensive wire crimping best practices document #3142
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- Covers Anderson Powerpole crimping techniques - Documents required tools and quality ratcheting crimpers - Provides step-by-step instructions for 15, 30, and 45 amp contacts - Includes troubleshooting and quality control procedures - Adds practice tips and competition preparation guidance Fixes wpilibsuite#1263
The image was referenced but never created, causing build failures
sciencewhiz
reviewed
Nov 19, 2025
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| - **Low electrical resistance** - Minimizes voltage drop and heat generation | ||
| - **Mechanical strength** - Prevents wires from pulling out under vibration | ||
| - **Reliability** - Eliminates intermittent connections that cause brownouts |
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intermittent connections don't cause brownouts, they cause short blackouts. Really this seems like it's subsumed by electrical resistance and the mechanical strength bullets, unless there other failure modes considered but not mentioned.
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| Ratcheting crimpers provide consistent, high-quality crimps by ensuring proper compression force every time. They prevent under-crimping or over-crimping by not releasing until the crimp cycle is complete. | ||
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| Recommended tools: |
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| Poor crimps are a common source of mysterious electrical problems. A connection that works on the bench may fail under the vibration and stress of competition. | ||
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| ## Required Tools |
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The organization seems wierd. I think a description of different types of connectors needs to come before you start talking about how to crimp them.
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| Wire ferrules are crimped metal sleeves used on stranded wire ends for screw terminal connections (like motor controllers, PDH channels, etc.) | ||
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| **Best Practices:** |
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| Used for battery terminals and some ground connections. | ||
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| **Best Practices:** |
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| Many FRC components use JST, Molex, or Dupont-style connectors for signal wiring. | ||
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| **Best Practices:** |
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| ### General Guidelines | ||
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| 1. **Use the right wire gauge** |
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| 4. **Inspect every crimp** - Look for even compression, proper insulation support, no gaps | ||
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| 5. **Test the connection** |
| 5. **Test the connection** | ||
| - Visual inspection: Crimp should be symmetrical with no gaps | ||
| - Pull test: Gently tug the wire - it should not pull out | ||
| - Resistance test: Use a multimeter to verify low resistance (<10 mΩ for power connections) |
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10 mΩ seems high for a single connection. I also question whether a normal multi-meter that teams have would measure that low. Isn't that 4 wire measurement territory?
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| .. important:: Contacts that are not fully inserted can cause intermittent connections, brownouts, or complete disconnection. Always perform a pull test! | ||
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| ### Common Powerpole Crimping Problems |
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Some of these feel like they need pictures. How would a student now that something is deformed?
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Summary
Creates a new comprehensive document covering wire crimping best practices, with a focus on Anderson Powerpole connectors commonly used in FRC.
Changes
crimping-best-practices.rstwith detailed crimping guidanceKey Topics Covered
Fixes #1263