Australia
Asked — Edited

Short Circuit / Melted Fuse

I have been blowing the 20A fuse of my EZBV4 power base while plugging in servos.

I just figured out why (and I'll tell you why I've been making a stupid mistake):

I have separated the white data lines from all the servo plugs so I can run them into the EZBV4. This way I can run the power for the servos directly to the power supply so the current doesn't blow the EZBV4 power base fuse.

STUPIDLY, I kept wondering how the fuse kept blowing whenever I plugged a servo into the EZB. If you look at this picture it becomes self evident:

User-inserted image

The answer is that I have wrapped all the exposed red wires together and all the black wires together to keep them neat and out of the way. Under the tape, these superfluous and useless power wires are actually stripped and connected, rather than taped individually and kept away from one another or removed completely.

This means that when I have already plugged a servo into the EZB, power is now surging from the EZB, through the wires I thought were being ignored, and now every servo plug in the group is now powered (in the wrong direction).

Therefore, the moment I accidentally let a black wire touch a red pin, I am closing a circuit and sending power straight into the EZB via a servo port!

I will now buy another replacement fuse and this time INSULATE THE NON ESSENTIAL WIRES.

It was stupid of me, but I hope this can help someone. Don't send power INTO a servo port. The power needs to come OUT only. Check your wiring.


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Australia
#1  

I have fixed the wiring now, but the EZBV4 power base has issues as well. The inputs are fragile and probably need to be re-soldered. Might be a good time to throw the power base in the trash and connect a streamlined direct circuit breaker wire with on/off switch.