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Gear / Technical Help => Cables => Topic started by: balou2 on July 10, 2006, 05:43:54 PM
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So, I'm ripping apart some old cables to see how they're built. Inside the 4-pin XLR power cable, there are 4 colored wires: white, black, red, green. If I'm going to wire them from the 4-pin, to a 2-pin, which colors go together? Is there a standard or is it dependent upon which pin #'s get each specific wire?
It looks like:
Pin 1: black
Pin 2: red
Pin 3: white
Pin 4: green
with a ground in the middle. So, if I were going to connect this to something like a tamia connector (plastic RC), which colors join together, and how do I know that?
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the general standard for dc power is red= positive and black = negative. However, if following color convention results in reversed polarity, etc. you'd be hosed. So, while there is a general convention, the key is that the wire coming from the pin being fed the positive battery power be connected to the 2 pin connector expecting the positive battery power and that the wire coming from the pin being fed the negative battery power should connect to the other power lead on the 2 pin connector.
A voltmeter is key.
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even though it's a 4-pin connector, it's just two leads that you needs (plus and minus). so you don't need to connect the other wires in there to anything. if you're 4-pin XLR is already soldered together like you said:
Pin 1: black
Pin 2: red
Pin 3: white
Pin 4: green
then just be sure that whatever pin should be positive is connected to the positive lead on the tamia connector (almost always the red cable coming out of the connector. and then do the same thing for the negative pin. and don't connect the other two to anything
A voltmeter is key.
exactly. also, if it's a digital volt meter, you should also be able to test for continuity. that way, when you're all done, you'll no that everything is connected as it should be and that there are no shorts anywhere.
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Super! Thanks guys...and t's!
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It really depends on what battery you are using. The 4pin standard for 12v is pin 1 is ground and pin 4 is 12v. Going off memory here, but I'm pretty sure the 6v standard is pin 2 is ground (maybe it is still pin 1), and pin 3 is 6v. (This isn't to say the battery system you have is wired differently from the standard.)
If you are using ecocharge, this is only for their original BP-50 batteries. The most recent EC-90 batteries are wired differently. It is still pin 1 ground and pin 4 12v for the 12v side, but the 6v cables need to be pin 1 ground, pin 3 at 6v, and pins 2 and 4 wired together.
So if you are using an ecocharge EC-90 system at 6 volts, you will actually need all 4 pins to be wired up correctly in order for it to work.
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Sound Devices 7 Series decks all use 4 pin power connector, and manual shows conventional wiring that also applies to other 'XLR' type 4 pin power connections.
Pin 1 is GND or - Pwr
Pin 2 is - Pwr usually for charging circuit, but also can be used for -Pwr
Pin 3 is + Charger input if deck has internal battery charger circuit, and sometimes also + Pwr
Pin 4 is + Pwr for deck