GROOV Epic Module Terminal Blocks

groov EPIC
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Is it just me or are the Opto22 Groov Epic module terminals a pain to work with. The clamp terminals are very stubborn to push, frustrating to add and remove wires without taking off the whole terminal block, which is not ideal for field work. Any options to do screw on?

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Are you using the groov Spring Clamp Terminal Tool?

Here is a video how to use the spring clamps correctly with a standard screw driver.

The key is the slight backward pressure once you have inserted the screw driver (or groov Terminal Tool) into the cage clamp.

There are no terminals available with screw on connections.

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It took me quite a few installs before I warmed up to them @kevino but now I really like them as they are much (much) faster and a lot more secure than screw terminals.

Opto is just finishing off a video on this exact subject as you are not the only one that has commented on them. Hopefully, the video is only another week or so from finishing up in the editing process.

Two keys.

  1. Use a 2.5mm diameter tool. Either a flat blade screwdriver (my preference) or the Opto tool. The key is 2.5mm (Yeah, I used a set of digital calipers to measure) diameter.
  2. Hug the outside edge of the punch-down terminal. Go straight down! Don’t try and lever the tool. The key is that the point of the tool gets behind the spring clamp on the outside edge and moves the clamp over into the wire side of the terminal.
    The fact that the tool diameter then is exactly 2.5mm means that once the tool is fully inserted, the camp is open 100% so no levering or jiggling, etc of the tool is required.

Tool the outside, straight down, insert the wire, and remove the tool. Done.

I don’t recommend removing the terminal from the module. It’s a lot easier to use the clamp process when the terminal is on the module and better still if the module is screwed down on the rack. Given dressed wires, you can ‘mow the lawn’ of all 26 in about a minute (2 seconds per terminal).

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Using two tools at the same time for twisted pair is helpful too.

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Good point. When the tool is a 2.5mm it stays put pretty well once inserted.
The clamp opens and the spring tension is then against the tool, so you can put one tool in, then the next and then use both hands to feed the twisted pair in.

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It would be nice to have a single tool that can depress two at a time - 5mm wide with a slot in the middle.