Control Switches¶

None of these switches are required. The regulator runs and charges without any of them — they let you reach a function from the helm or the panel instead of the dashboard. Fit the ones you want and cap the wires you don't, as described on Data Cables & Pinout.

Which switch to buy¶

	Switch	Use it for
Default	Sherco K3WP — splashproof SPST ON/OFF toggle with a detachable waterproof boot, 15 mm mounting hole	Any maintained function, on a protected panel
Sealed	BEP 1002010 / Cole Hersee 55025 — sealed SPST OFF/ON with double O-ring, epoxy-sealed back and 10" of 14 AWG flying leads	A switch mounted somewhere it will get wet
Momentary	Any sealed momentary (push-to-make, normally open) marine switch	RESET only

The K3WP is splashproof, not immersion-rated. For a switch that takes spray directly or sits in a locker that sweats, use the BEP. Its leads are 14 AWG, so splice them to your run with an HSBBS-10 16–14 AWG adhesive butt connector.

Maintained or momentary¶

Most of these inputs are a state rather than an event, so a maintained toggle is what you want: the function is active for as long as the switch is on. FactoryReset, WakeFromSleep and WifiReset all work this way — the regulator stays in factory firmware, stays awake, or keeps serving the WiFi config page for as long as the wire is grounded. A momentary button also works for WifiReset: it serves the config page while pressed.

RESET (Cable 4 pin 13) must be momentary. It holds the processor in reset while the wire is grounded, so a maintained toggle left on keeps the regulator off.

The two wiring patterns¶

The two cables work in opposite directions.

Cable 3 — active-high. Pins 3, 5 and 7 are triggered by applying a voltage. Pin 2 on the same cable is a 5 V source: run it to the common side of the switches, and each switch's other side to its input pin. Anything from 5 V to 28 V works, so an existing switched 12 V circuit is also fine.

Cable 3 pin 2 (5 V) ──┬── switch ── Cable 3 pin 3  (OPT GPIO1)
                      ├── switch ── Cable 3 pin 5  (HIGH/LOW)
                      └── switch ── Cable 3 pin 7  (FORCEFLOAT)

All three Cable 3 inputs are wired through to the processor but have no function defined in the firmware yet, so a switch on any of them does nothing today. Charge rate Low/High is selected on the dashboard under Setup → Alternator → RPM Table, and maintain mode under Setup → Battery → Charge Settings → Phase Definitions → Float Phase.

Cable 4 — active-low. Pins 9 to 14 are triggered by grounding them. Pin 16 on the same cable is the ground return: run it to a common point near the switches and take every switch's return from there.

Cable 4 pin 9  (FactoryReset)  ── switch ──┐
Cable 4 pin 10 (WakeFromSleep) ── switch ──┤
Cable 4 pin 11 (WifiReset)     ── switch ──┼── Cable 4 pin 16 (GND)
Cable 4 pin 12 (AP/ClientMode) ── switch ──┤
Cable 4 pin 13 (RESET)         ── button ──┤
Cable 4 pin 14 (ON/OFF)        ── switch ──┘

A Cable 4 input fed 5 V does nothing, and a Cable 3 input grounded does nothing.

Terminating to the switch¶

The Cat6 conductor is 24 AWG and switch blades are sized for boat wire, so step up here:

HSWSD-10 crimped straight onto 18 AWG tinned marine wire.
HSBFN-10 fully insulated female quick disconnect at the switch's 0.250" blade.

If the boat is standardized on 16 AWG, add an HSRSD-10 between the two steps.

Crimp first, then heat until the adhesive flows out of both ends of the sleeve, and pull-test every splice. Put a little dielectric grease on the blade before pushing the disconnect on.

ON/OFF¶

Cable 4 pin 14 shuts off the alternator field in hardware. Grounding that wire kills the field whether or not the firmware is running and whether or not the dashboard is reachable. It is the only input here that works with the processor hung.

Next step¶

Pin-by-pin colors and the rest of the terminations: Data Cables & Pinout.