Johnny Yip, a computer engineering student at the University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada), was one of 100 students involved in the design and construction of the Midnight Sun IX, a solar-powered race car for the Panasonic World Solar Challenge in Australia. The challenge is a 3,000 k race that spans the Australian outback, starting in Darwin and ending in Adelaide.
To ensure the vehicle would operate in the rugged environment of the Australian Outback, the team made sure the car’s connections were all in-line. The car uses DeviceNet for the on-vehicle network, supporting communication between the motor controller and the drive control unit. BradConnectivity Micro-Change cables send low speed and analog signals and make the electrical connections for turn signal lights and the accelerator pedal.
Connectors give racecar competitive advantage
The team used Molex connector sockets to build custom cable sets for board-to-board communication. According to Yip,”One great advantage is the product’s screw-in type connector. This makes our electrical connections more durable when subjected to vibration on the road.”
Woodhead Industries, Inc. Div. of Molex, Inc.
www.woodhead.com
Molex, Inc.
www.molex.com
Filed Under: Automotive, Connectors (electrical) • crimp technologies
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