I'm a complete newbie and this is my first project! I'm planning to buy a power supply to power a CNC shield that will control three stepper motors. However, I'm confused about how to correctly identify which wires to connect to the input of the power supply, especially since the color coding on the wall-plug cable doesn't clearly indicate what each wire is for. Also, I've noticed that the middle wire on the cable, which is yellow, has a loop—can anyone explain why that is? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
2 Answers
Typically, cables have standardized color codes: Brown is usually live, Blue is neutral, and the Green/Yellow is the earth ground. If you're connecting to a standard PSU, these colors should guide you. As for the yellow wire having a loop, it’s often a strain relief; it keeps the wire from pulling too hard on the connection!
First off, it’s great to see you diving into your first project! To determine which wires to connect, check the power supply manual for labels like L (live), N (neutral), and GND (ground). If you’re still unsure, using a multimeter can really help you test the wires to see which is which.