servo cables?

[Ross77]

Ive just bought this ac servo motor and matching drive.

There are no cables but I have bought the connectors and was going to make them up. Looking around I have seen a few threads that say to make sure the cables are included. is there a reason why I cant make them up?

[m_c]

Main reason is getting the correct connectors can be hard and/or expensive.

The other thing is for reliability, you really want them to be crimped, and not soldered. The proper crimping tools are usually very expensive. Soldering will work, but you run the risk of wires fracturing due to solder creep and wire vibration/flex.

And that's before you consider getting the correct type of cable.

[Ross77]

Ah, I see.

I have the connectors but yes they are quite small, its only for the encoder and pc connection so is it that critical on the cable? its a short run to the controller and spec just says to use twisted pair.

The main motor connectors are screw terminals.

[Boyan Silyavski]

No problem soldering the connectors. Depends of course the exact connector type.

You will need a proper soldering iron, if you dont have buy this one is the best buy for the money, no need to browse the hundreds of reviews. thats the one CXG 936D EU Plug 220V 2in1 LCD Adjustable Temperature Digital Electric Solder Iron Soldering Station

If you go for crimping Paron® JX-D4 Multifunctional Ratchet Crimping Tool 26-10 AWG Terminals Pliers Kit

The cheapest /quality/ cable you could buy from TME , Helucabel The link points to the 12core, you could find there the right one for you

The connector names you get from last page of servo manual usually

I think that covers it all. I have bought and have all of the above.

[Ross77]

Thanks
I have a temp controlled soldering station and the crimps as well so I'm good to go.

Not sure those crimps will work on the IDC ribbon connectors I have bought?

Do you have the lcd display for setting them up Boyan?

[m_c]

IDC ribbon connectors I normally use a vice. I have used pliers and mole grips in the past, but it's better if you can get the whole connector to crimp square and at once, with control over how quickly the connector closes.

Boyan, those crimping pliers won't cover that many connectors. I've got a set with 12 interchangeable jaws, and it still doesn't cover everything I need it to. I spent most of my life dealing with vehicle electrics, and some terminals just won't work without the correct crimping jaws. And although soldering will work, as I said in my previous post, you risk the wire fatiguing and breaking, especially if it's done poorly.
Unless the connector is designed to be soldered, I would never personally solder it.
Best case scenario if a crimp/solder joint/wire fails, is things stop working. Worst case is the drive and/or motor gets destroyed.
Ultimately how well any method will work, will depend on the final implementation. A cable that is well secured with minimal vibration, doesn't have the same risk of failure as something being constantly vibrated and flexed.