Category: Show Your Stuff
Are the following components suitable for making a voltage divider? My plasma has a 1:1 arc output.
Yes.
I'm using a TH-CAD2 in combination with two resistors in series and a 0.1uF capacitor to absorb the voltage spikes. Am I doing this correctly?
Yes, but wire one resistor to each side of the arc voltage, not both on the same wire. That makes it much safer in case the cable is kicked somewhere on the way to electronics and lowers the interference caused by plasma source.
And you can skip the capacitor as it does work without it, but i like to have it as it smooths the voltage readout and subsequently the torch motion up/down while cutting, but it will limit a bit the reaction speed.
What happens if a voltage spike does occur? Will the capacitor fail?
Usually nothing, if the polarity is correct.
Can I connect the start arc and arc OK signals directly to the Mesa board, or is it better to use a relay to protect the mesa board?
Yes you can, 7i96S has two fully isolated outputs ( 4 and 5 i think, double check that), so no need for relay.
Can I route these signals to the plasma cutter through the same cable as the THC?
Yes, if the resistors are mounted inside or outside the plasma source, but close to the plasma source.