Changes

It’s good practice to minimize the amount of bare, exposed wire in your circuit because this reduces the risk of shock or short circuits. Most projects that would use the DC power supplies in the Maker Hub would be considered low voltage, but that does not sanction careless “rat’s nest” wiring with exposed live wires. Design neat circuits that maintain a proper separation of line voltages and neutral/ground connections to reduce the chance of free-moving wires touching and creating a short circuit. A short circuit occurs when an electrical circuit of significantly lower resistance is completed (unintentionally); this is usually a result of accidental contact between electrical components or an internal component failure. Short circuits are dangerous high-current events and can cause fires, component damage, blown fuses, and tripped circuit breakers. We would like to avoid that.

It’s good practice to minimize the amount of bare, exposed wire in your circuit because this reduces the risk of shock or short circuits. Most projects that would use the DC power supplies in the Maker Hub would be considered low voltage, but that does not sanction careless “rat’s nest” wiring with exposed live wires. Design neat circuits that maintain a proper separation of line voltages and neutral/ground connections to reduce the chance of free-moving wires touching and creating a short circuit. A short circuit occurs when an electrical circuit of significantly lower resistance is completed (unintentionally); this is usually a result of accidental contact between electrical components or an internal component failure. Short circuits are dangerous high-current events and can cause fires, component damage, blown fuses, and tripped circuit breakers. We would like to avoid that.

If you are going to make a physical adjustment to a circuit, unplug or turn off the power to the circuit first. Certain electrical components (such as capacitors) can retain a voltage/charge even after the power to a circuit has been cut. You can test voltages with a multimeter to ensure that the circuit is discharged, or ask the Maker Hub staff for assistance if you are unsure. It is also good practice to work on circuitry with one hand. Using two hands increases the risk of completing a circuit across your heart from one arm to the other, which can be fatal. It only takes about 100mA across the heart to kill a human. However, this risk is extremely small when working with low voltages because low voltages are unable to drive that much current through a human body. Seek guidance from the Maker Hub staff before working with voltages above 50 V (AC or DC).

If you are going to make a physical adjustment to a circuit, unplug or turn off the power to the circuit first. Certain electrical components (such as capacitors) can retain a voltage/charge even after the power to a circuit has been cut. You can test voltages with a multimeter to ensure that the circuit is discharged, or ask the Maker Hub staff for assistance if you are unsure. It is also good practice to work on circuitry with one hand. Using two hands increases the risk of completing a circuit across your heart from one arm to the other, which can be fatal. It only takes about 100mA across the heart to kill a human. However, this risk is extremely small when working with low voltages because low voltages are unable to drive that much current through a human body. Seek guidance from the Maker Hub staff before working with voltages above 50V (AC or DC).

===Using a DC Power Supply===

===Using a DC Power Supply===