Problem

You want to make sure you're making a proper screw connection when wiring a device to the Make Controller.  We've found, time and time again, that bad connections account for the vast majority of problems when creating a project involving electronics, so your concern is well placed!

Solution

A few simple precautions can prevent a lot of stress when trying to debug your project:

• Select the appropriate wire.
• Prepare the wire properly.
• Make a firm connection and give it a quick test.

Discussion

When selecting wire, there are just a couple main concerns:

• Whether the wire is stranded or not - stranded wire is much more flexible, and will withstand many more flexes than solid wire.
  
• The size of the wire - 22 AWG or 18 AWG are good for connecting to the Make Controller screw terminals.

• Strip about 1/4" insulation off the end of the wire - if you strip more and too much wire is left exposed, there's a possibility of making contact with other external devices.  If you don't strip enough, the screw terminal will close on the insulation instead of the wire, making a poor connection.
  
• Tin/solder the wire if you've used stranded wire.  This is optional, but recommended.
  

Finally, once you've got your wire stripped, make sure the cage on the screw terminal is up far enough to allow the wire into it.  Then, insert the wire and screw down the terminal firmly.  You don't need to screw it down too hard and, in fact, you'll shorten the life of your connectors if you screw them down too tightly.  A light tug on the wire should tell you if a good connection has been made.

See Also