Maximum supported current of the Mini Maestro 24 controller?

Hello,

I have a university project to build a hexapod. I’m looking to use the Mini Maestro 18-Channel USB Servo Controller to power and control all 18 of these servos.http://www.servoshop.co.uk/index.php?pid=HITHJP2217660&area= Each of them use a maxium of about 2A at 6V. I’d imagine this board was designed to support this kind of current but I just wanted some confirmation that it can. I looked at the trace width of the board and they seem wide enough.

Can anyone confirm this?

Hello.

The traces on the Maestro should be able to handle that current. However, I suspect you might have problems with getting that power to the board. I recommend soldering the biggest wires you can directly to the board without using the terminal block. Alternatively, you could also break up the servo power rails into sections and connect separate power sources to each group of servos or power the servos directly without going through the board.

- Grant

[quote=“grant”]Hello.

The traces on the Maestro should be able to handle that current. However, I suspect you might have problems with getting that power to the board. I recommend soldering the biggest wires you can directly to the board without using the terminal block. Alternatively, you could also break up the servo power rails into sections and connect separate power sources to each group of servos or power the servos directly without going through the board.

  • Grant[/quote]

Thanks for the reply. I was beginning to think I wouldn’t get any help :stuck_out_tongue:

It’s disappointing to hear that the terminal block may be an issue because I like the convenience of it. Is the problem that the amp rating of the block is too low? If that is the problem, would it be possible to replace the block with one of a higher rating? I would really prefer this solution as it is the cleanest.

The terminal blocks that come with the Maestro are only rated for up to 10 A. You can find more information about them on the product page for the terminal blocks we sell separately. I am not sure if you will be able to get a bigger terminal block in there since the hole spacing is for that size of terminal block.

By soldering the wires directly to the board, you are going to get a better connection. You’ll probably be able to use a thicker wire as well. If you solder wires to the holes directly, you might consider adding a connector, like our T connectors, to the wires for convenience.

- Grant

Ok you’ve convinced me. I’ll go with soldering to the board directly and adding a connector. Thanks a lot for your help.