
Connecting Electronic Equipment 7
3.0 Connecting Electronic Equipment
Sixty feet of six-wire homerun cable is supplied for
wiring the J-box to the indicator. It is best to run this
in 3/4" galvanized metal or plastic conduit from the
J-box to the indicator. Conduit for this purpose and for
connecting peripherals is to be obtained locally. A
section of flexible conduit with connector is provided
where this cable exits the load cell pocket. Do not run
any other electrical cables in or near the conduit to the
indicator.
3.1 Indicator to Peripherals
Conduit runs may be buried in a trench or secured
above ground. Use separate conduit runs for AC
power and DC data lines to avoid interference. As a
general guideline, run AC and DC cables in separate
trenches if possible. When DC data cables must run in
the same trench as AC power lines, separate cables as
much as possible.
Figure 3-1. Conduit Run in Trench
3.2 Single-Point Ground Conductor
A bare 10 gauge solid wire is run from the scale frame
to the main AC power earth ground. If DC transient
protection is included, it must be properly grounded to
function correctly.
3.3 J-box Connections
Each J-box contains a JB8SPT summing board with
DC transient protection devices. A desiccant such as
the RLWS Industrial Corrosion Inhibitor (PN 16037)
should be added to the J-box before final closure.
Each self-contained module has a single J-box located
in the J-box pocket. A summing card mounted within
the J-box is used to make all cable terminal
connections. All terminal pins are clearly marked as to
function.
3.4 Electrical Ground Connections
Improper grounding systems on outdoor
truck scales often cause corrupted data
from ground-loop current flows and costly
lightning damage to electronics.
Always strive for a single-point grounding system
(see Figure 3-3 on page 9). Do not drive ground rods
at the scale location to establish separate earth
grounds for the scale. These separate earth grounds do
not share the same zero reference as the existing earth
ground for the AC power system. This difference in
electrical potential invites ground-loop current flow
between the separate grounds, often corrupting serial
data like RS-232 which depends on a stable zero
reference.
In addition, a separate earth ground system at the scale
can actually invite lightning or power surge damage:
• A minor powerline surge in the scale house
electrical supply should immediately be
shunted to ground. If a separate ground
system exists at the scale with a lower
potential than the main ground, the surge may
travel out to the scale ground rod, damaging
load cells on its way.
• A nearby lightning ground strike may
instantly raise the zero potential of a ground
rod at the scale location, while leaving the
scale house ground rod unaffected. That
lightning surge now takes the easiest path to
the lower-potential ground—through the scale
wiring and back to the scale house ground,
possibly damaging the indicator on its way.
Therefore, the best grounding system for the scale is
the same one used for the incoming AC power system.
The 120 VAC power source used to power the
indicator is connected to an existing earth-grounded
rod system at the scale house or other building where
the indicator is located. This should consist of a
double ground rod system of two 5/8" x 8' copper rods
driven 8' deep at the service entrance where the local
utility company brings their lines into the building.
The local utility company can test the resistance of the
existing ground rods with a clamp-on megohmeter
that measures zero resistance. A reading of 3¾ or less
is acceptable as a ground. If the test determines that
the grounding system is inadequate, the utility
company can suggest methods to improve the system.
It is crucial that the scale owner authorize and make
the recommended improvements to ensure an
adequate electrical ground. Do not connect the scale
to the AC power supply until the grounding system is
adequate.
Caution