The Tech Note, OBS-USR-TN001-R2 C3 Latching Solenoid Router Card, is available for printing and downloading.
The C3 Valve Control Card (Item Number 01702) includes the Solenoid Router PC board assembly and its mounting hardware, a dual-input control cable, and a power input cable.
This note describes its installation in conjunction with any C3 Actuator-Enabled Telemetry Module (C3-A-...).
It can also be used in conjunction with a C3 Cell/900 Telemetry Module and High Current Cable (Item Number 10082).
Note that the Latching Solenoid Router Card is not compatible with a Solo or C3 Cell/UHF telemetry module.
Application
The C3 Valve Control Card (previously Latching Solenoid Router Card or LSR Card) can control up to 4 latching 12 VDC solenoids with a maximum current draw of 3-4A. These solenoids can be either a 2- or 3-wire type and are used under most typical irrigation scenarios to switch irrigation valves.
It can also be used to control 2-wire 12V actuators with maximum current draw of 7A.
Mechanical Installation
The LSR Card is designed to be mounted on the inside of the door of the C3 outdoor enclosure with the supplied screws (as shown below).
If the C3 module is being used without the enclosure, the card can be directly mounted on the wall inside an appropriate waterproof enclosure (below or beside the C3 module) using screws appropriate for the wall material. Note that in that case, the wall surface must be non-conductive as the backside of the board is not insulated and it might lead to short circuit otherwise. You might need to lengthen the cables according to the distance of the mounting.
Electrical Installation
The LSR Card is supplied with just the following 2 cables, required for connection to the C3 telemetry module (as shown in the wiring diagram below).
The cable required for connection of the solenoids themselves (shown below wired to one of 4 possible solenoids) must be provided by the installer.
Additional Items Required for Installation
- The wire(s) or cable(s) connecting the LSR card and the solenoid(s) via screw terminal blocks.
- Appropriate tools for cutting and stripping solenoid cabling.
- Small, flat-bladed screwdriver for connection of the solenoid cable to the LSR card's terminal blocks.
- Small, Phillips-head screwdriver for mounting the LSR card to the inside of the C3 enclosure door with the supplied screws.
Special Instructions for 3 Wire Connection
- Untighten the the screw and remove (-) or common wire from the Weidmuller two wire terminal block on LSR card end of the power cable. Please use the marking on the LSR card to identify correct wire to remove.
- Connect the common wire of the Solenoid and (-) wire of the power cable together and tighten the screw back to the Weidmuller terminal block.
- If you need to connect more than one Solenoid you need to distribute the (-) / Common connection to other Solenoids as required. You can drive only 4 Solenoids with this LSR card.
Wiring Diagram
Further Wiring Considerations
- All solenoid wiring should be at least 18 AWG.
- For distances over 300ft (100 m) a larger-gauge cable may be required.
- If the installation is contained within a small area (such as a pump shed), any type of sheathed or figure 8 style cable may be used.
- If the cabling has to be routed outdoors, then a sheathed, UV stable, direct-burial style cable is recommended. (It is common for suppliers to refer to this type of cable as “irrigation” or “sprinkler” cable.) Otherwise, standard, less-robust cable can be used when contained within an electrical conduit to protect it from mechanical and moisture damage.