Control Cable for robotic machine

[xitian]

I'm working on building a robotic machine and have a question regarding cabling. Will I have problems if I combine cabling for 2 steppers (8 conductors) limit switches ( 4 conductors) and misc wiring into a single shielded cable with around 20 conductors total? I want to have a single cable running from the controller to the machine with Amphenol connectors.

[xitian]

Someone has to have some ideas....

[vger]

The stepper and limit switches might not be a problem. It's the "misc wiring" that is in question. Is it feedback to the controler? or ? analog ? digital ?
A bit more information will help.
Steve

[xitian]

No feedback to the controller. It will be open loop. The other misc wiring is just 24 volts to power brakes and solenoids.

So does anyone know a good company to make such a cable?

Thanks for the help.

[vger]

How about just using DB25 connectors and cable. Unless the current requirements are more than a couple of amps.
Steve

[martinw]

Dear xitian,

My humble take...

It is not a good idea to have high current conductors (eg motor current ones) running close to low level ones , eg limit switches and logic signals. The simple reason being that the stepper conductors' current, at a frequency of say 20k Hz, could possibly induce a whole load of noise on the low level signals. Screening (shielding) individual circuit paths within a single cable is entirely possible, and cable to attain this is available. It is however , hard to find, and a bit "aerospace" as regards cost, and may well not be available to you in short lengths.

Actually, there has been quite a lot of stuff posted about cable choice and electrical noise, so have a search. My guess is that putting all functions into a single cable, although elegant, might be a bit pricey...

Best wishes, and good luck,

Martin

[keebler303]

you could try igus chainflex cables. They make several types with power and shielded logic level conductors in the same jacket. As martin said, to do it properly will not be cheap, but solutions do exist.

www.igus.com

Matt