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+--- Thread: Using the on/off switch with the new Blue enclosure (/showthread.php?tid=2028)
Using the on/off switch with the new Blue enclosure - Dale.Reid - 2016-11-12
I have just gotten the gorgeous aluminum case for my Blue circuit board. Having installed all the parts I was very impressed with the precision of the machining and how nicely everything fits.
Then I got a couple spade connectors and some jumpers from an Arduino board to replace the shorting plug on the board to allow me to wire in the on/off switch that is on the back panel.
I cannot see how there is enough room for me to put any sort of wires from the switch to the two terminals that control power to the board.
While I cannot see a time that I might use the switch very much, and I can always unplug the power supply, I'm wondering if anyone who has purchased the enclosre has been able to gracefully wire in the on off switch?
Dale
RE: Using the on/off switch with the new Blue enclosure - Andrew.Instone-Cowie - 2016-11-12
(2016-11-12, 17:28)MDale.Reid Wrote: I'm wondering if anyone who has purchased the enclosre has been able to gracefully wire in the on off switch?
Never got around to it
RE: Using the on/off switch with the new Blue enclosure - kevinmcc - 2016-11-13
(2016-11-12, 17:28)Dale.Reid Wrote: While I cannot see a time that I might use the switch very much, and I can always unplug the power supply, I'm wondering if anyone who has purchased the enclosre has been able to gracefully wire in the on off switch?
Dale
Yes. I got pig tails from Adafruit.
https://www.adafruit.com/products/1003
Just remove the jumper, plug in the pig tail, trim wires to the length you need, strip and solder to switch.
RE: Using the on/off switch with the new Blue enclosure - Dale.Reid - 2016-11-13
Kevin, that was basically what I was going to do, but if the layout of my board and all is the same as yours, I can't see how you got room to put the slide on connectors of the pigtails onto the pins sticking up off the board (where the shorting plug was when the board arrived) since in my situation, the on/off switch is so long it sticks OVER the pins. Fortunately it is high enough to clear the shorting connector, but in order to slide a pigtail end over it, there needs to be at least another 7 - 10 mm clearance. My on/off switch when mounted in the slot on the rear panel is exactly over the two shorting plugs, the one to apply power and the other to give power to the preamps.
Can you take a photo of your installation somehow? I know it would mean taking the back panel off and some tricky lighting to get a good shot, so I'm not really expecting you to do so unless at sometime in the future you have the need to open your case for another reason.
Dale
RE: Using the on/off switch with the new Blue enclosure - DelandeC - 2016-11-13
I directly soldered the wires on the switch and on the pins.
Everything protected with a heat-shrink tube.
The wires are 10cm length.
RE: Using the on/off switch with the new Blue enclosure - kevinmcc - 2016-11-13
The switch is just to the left of pins 5,6 when looking from the front, note pin 1 marking on the board. Pins 5,6 are the ones you should remove the jumper from and plug in the pig tail.
Pins 1,2 and 3,4 are for voltage selection of the E field amp and the jumper should be left on pins 1,2.
DelandeC is correct.
RE: Using the on/off switch with the new Blue enclosure - vburolla - 2016-11-14
I wired my switch by crimping pair of Molex gold plated (the plating is important so it matches the plating on the header pins of the board) SL terminals (Molex Part Number: 16-02-0097) to a pair of 24 AWG wires and adding some heat shrink over most of the terminals to support the wires and help prevent shorting. I then soldered the other ends of the wires to the switch terminals with heat shrink covering those connections. The terminals are small enough to fit in the space available. Works fine.
Another caution about the housing. In addition to finding machine chips in the housing, I found chips in the LED holes. Also, all the edges of the housing and panels are way too sharp. They are NOT safety edges. The edges on all the metal parts and the holes should have been rounded. The LEDs and switch will mount more easily and you won't hurt your hands/fingers.
RE: Using the on/off switch with the new Blue enclosure - Dale.Reid - 2016-11-15
Thank you to all who pointed to several errors I was committing.
first, I was locked to a zoomed in image in my mind, and was trying to figure out how to connect to the wrong pin pair.
second, I was assuming that there would be much more clearance on the set of pins that does get the wires to the switch. They fit, but touch the switch itself which would seem a bit too close for comfort.
The support for such a low priority question to someone (me) who just couldn't see the obvious is very much appreciated.
I do note, however, that the fit otherwise makes this a top notch case, something much more professional than I would have ever been able to achieve otherwise. Alll the LEDs in front met their respective holes and slid in well. The back panel fit the exact mounting positions of the sockets and GPS and E field connectors.
Again, thank you for the help in solving this problem and as one participant said, if I had never gotten around to the on/off switch, it would have likely never been missed. I think the blue board since coming on line and the old RED station have never been powered down except to move them and attach various leads.
Dale