Flexi-Connectors

NEW RCI Flexi-Connectors

The new Flexi-Connectors provide a variety of ways to wire external devices to IO-48 and O-48 cards. The Flexi-Connector is a small circuit board with a female molex socket that plugs right into a group of output pins on the IO-48 or O-48. In the middle of the Flexi-Connector board are spaces to install 8 resistors, which may be used as current limiters for LED displays or as pull-up resistors. Two types of boards are available: model FC, in which the resistors are in series with the outputs, and model FP, in which the resistors are connected as pullups to the +12 volt power on the IO-48 or O-48 card.

Having series limiting resistors on the FC card is convenient because it eliminates soldering resistors to the fine wires on the signals, or trying to find a place for them under the layout. It also eliminates any concern about a short circuit under the layout damaging your the outputs on the card, since the resistance is always in place to limit current flow. In the picture below, resistors are shown soldered into the leftmost 4 positions on the card. if no resistance is desired, jumpers may be inserted as shown on the rightmost 4 positions. In this case, the card is just used as a plug-in connector.

As shown in the picture above, the output of the card can be set up in 3 ways:

Soldered-on Wires -- As shown in the two rightmost connections, wires can be passed through the upper hole and soldered
to the lower hole, thus creating a strain relief for the wire.

Screw Terminals (optional) -- As shown at the left above, screw terminals can be added to the board for simple
screw-down connection to the signal wiring.

Molex Plug (not included) -- Show in the center above, the user may add a molex connector if desired. The user must also
supply molex housings and crimp pins to plug into this connector as needed.

The FP model of Flexi-Connector allows resistors to be wired as pullups. The pullup resistors are connected directly to the +12 volt power on the IO-48 or O-48 board. The pullup configuration is perfect for operating common cathode signals. Just connect the common of the signals to ground and wire the LEDs to the FP card. In your software, reverse the output polarity, i.e. output ON turns the LED off, while an output OFF turn the LED on.

The FP will also allow you to directly hook up stall motor switch machines. For this application, use 680 ohm resistors on the FP board. Hook the switch machine across two outputs. Turning on one output drives the switch machine one direction; turning on the other output drives it in the other direction. Turning both outputs off (or both on) removes power from the switch machine if desired.

NOTE: Assembled Flexi-Connectors come with Screw Terminals and either 1K or 680 ohm resistors installed. 680 ohm is suitable for operation of stall-motor switch machines. If you need any other configuration, you must order the kit and assemble it yourself.