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Electrical & Wiring·Lesson 16 of 34

Crimping and Connectors Done Right

Master Anderson Powerpole/SB connectors, WAGO terminals, ferrules, and ring terminals.

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Why connections matter most

The weakest link in robot electrical reliability is almost always a connection, not a wire. A cold crimp or loose terminal adds resistance, heats up, drops voltage, and eventually fails - often during a match. Learning to make clean, repeatable connections is the single highest-value skill in this branch.

Anderson Powerpole and SB connectors

Powerpole connectors are genderless plug connectors used for motor and device power; SB50 connectors are the larger battery connectors.

Crimping tips:

  • Use a crimper that keeps the contact's round shape - cheap crimpers deform the barrel into an oval and weaken the grip.
  • Position the contact with the barrel flush to the jaw and the Anderson logo facing up so the cores aren't twisted when you insert them into the housing.
  • For SB50, use a 6 AWG crimp die even on smaller wire - it just makes thicker walls on smaller conductors.
  • After crimping, tug the wire firmly to confirm it won't pull out.

WAGO lever connectors

The PDH uses toolless WAGO-style lever terminals: lift the lever, insert the stripped wire, close the lever. For inline splices, WAGO 221 lever connectors are popular - strip about 11 mm, insert, and clamp. They are reusable and far more reliable than twisting wires together.

Ferrules

A ferrule is a small metal sleeve crimped onto a stranded wire end. It bundles the strands so they can't splay or work loose in a screw or lever terminal. Strip an appropriate length, slide on the ferrule, and crimp with a ferrule crimper (a four-indent / square crimper gives the best grip). Use ferrules anywhere stranded wire enters a clamping terminal.

Ring and fork terminals

For screw-stud connections (like motor controller input lugs or the main breaker studs), crimp a ring or fork terminal sized to the wire and stud. Use a ratcheting crimper so every crimp gets full pressure, then heat-shrink the barrel for strain relief and insulation.

Habits of reliable teams

  • Tug-test every connection after making it.
  • Heat-shrink exposed barrels to insulate and add strain relief (and to satisfy the R607 insulation rule on battery/breaker terminals).
  • Strain-relieve wires so vibration loads a zip-tie, not the connector.
  • Keep a crimper, spare contacts, and heat-shrink in the pit kit.

Sources

Key takeaways

  • Connections, not wires, are the usual point of electrical failure - crimp them well and tug-test each one.
  • Use a round-barrel Powerpole crimper; for SB50 use the 6 AWG die regardless of wire size.
  • WAGO 221 lever connectors (strip ~11 mm) and ferrules make stranded-wire terminations reliable and reusable.
  • Crimp ring/fork terminals with a ratcheting crimper and heat-shrink for strain relief and insulation.

Go deeper

Lesson quiz

Required

Answer all 3 questions correctly to complete this lesson.

1.When terminating stranded wire into a Wago/Weidmuller lever connector on a CTRE PDP or REV PDH, what should you AVOID doing to the wire end?

2.Why are crimp-on ferrules recommended for stranded wire going into PDP/PDH spring terminals?

3.For a ferrule to give the most reliable contact in a Wago-style connector without derating the wire gauge, how should it be crimped?

Answer every question to submit.