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® 2018 Valco Companies, Inc.
Suspend sensors from the ceiling to ensure free airflow. Sensors should hang close to the
animals, but should be out of their reach. Leave enough wire so you can tie up several
loops of slack to keep the sensor at the right height. If you must replace a bad sensor in
the future, the extra length allows you enough wire to cut off the old sensor and still have
plenty to splice to the new sensor.
As you install sensors, record wire length and gauge on the Sensor Data Sheet, Appendix 6 on page 175. The person
programming the controller will need these values.
Sensor Wire
(Recommendations)
Sensor Installation - Input Terminals
Use
shielded 16 to 24 gauge
(or .5mm to 1.2mm for metric users) stranded wire, such as Carol® AWM style 2426, to
connect sensors to input channels. Wire can be twisted pair or straight type. The shielding should be grounded to
GND at the controller’s terminal block.
Only 22 to 24 gauge wire will fit the Scotchlok® connectors supplied with the sensors.
If a sensor or communication cable runs parallel to power cables, allow a separation of at
least 12” (30cm) to avoid interference.
The splice between the wire and the sensor lead should be protected from the corrosive air in the building. The
best splices can be made using the gel-filled 3M Scotchlok connectors enclosed with the sensors. These create low-
resistance, corrosion-resistant connections. Wrap your splice well in electrical tape.
Replacement sensors can be connected by cutting the old sensor lead and making a new connection with a Scotchlok
connector. It is not necessary to strip the insulation from the individual wires when using Scotchlok
connectors.
Make all sensor connections to the sensor
terminals on the controller’s input/output
Interconnect board. There are 14 analog
inputs (temperature, humidity, feed
sensors and static pressure) and 6 digital
inputs (water meter, whisker switch and
digital alarm).
Analog Input
Terminals (4)
Digital Input
Terminals (2)
(Input Terminals) Inside Control
Sensor Wire Spacing
Sensors Placement
Splices
Terminal Connectors
Do not run sensor or communication cables through conduit with power wires.