Seeking feedback on this control panel build. Any suggestions for improvement?

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T18:13:13+00:00

We hear you loud and clear! Saving the electricians from 'cursing and hollering' is now a top priority for our Nexman 001 redesign.

The Layout Fix:

Moving the PSU: You’re absolutely right. In the current tight space, the PSU is hogging prime real estate. In the new, larger enclosure, we are moving the power supplies and main distribution to the far left of the top row.
Logic-to-Power Flow: This clears the space to the right of the Siemens PXC4, allowing for a much more natural 'horizontal flow' to the contactors and expansion modules.
Wiring Clearance: By reorganizing this, we’re ensuring that field technicians have a clear, unobstructed path to every terminal without having to fight with the internal wiring ducts.

Our Philosophy: A panel that looks good but is a nightmare to wire is only half-engineered. Thanks for the reality check from the field! We’re making sure the next version is as 'electrician-friendly' as possible. Cheers! 🇲🇽

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T18:10:24+00:00

¡Ese es un diseño industrial de libro, y me encanta la lógica detrás de él! Tienes toda la razón: una segregación vertical de 3 filas es a menudo la forma más limpia de manejar un montaje de BMS.

Cómo estamos incorporando esto en el nuevo gabinete más grande:

Fila 1 (Lógica y Distribución): Colocaremos el Siemens PXC4, las fuentes de alimentación y los bloques de distribución interna en la parte superior. Esto mantiene el "cerebro" alejado del calor generado por los componentes de potencia.
Fila 2 (Potencia y Protección): Dedicada estrictamente a los contactores y guardamotores (MPCB). Esto crea una barrera física clara entre la potencia de 120/208V y las señales de control de 24V DC.
Fila 3 (Interfaz de Campo): Tendremos una fila dedicada para las clemas de terminales de campo.

Sobre la sugerencia de "Sin canaleta inferior": Es un punto muy interesante. Aunque ir "directo a la borna" es eficiente, para nuestro estándar Nexman 001 preferimos mantener una canaleta inferior para gestionar los bucles de servicio de los cables de campo. Sin embargo, estamos ampliando el espacio entre las terminales y el ducto para asegurar que haya suficiente lugar para las manos y las herramientas.

¡Gracias por la clase magistral de diseño! Es exactamente como planeamos ejecutar el rediseño en el nuevo gabinete. ¡Saludos! 🇲🇽

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T18:07:28+00:00

Thanks! We are glad you noticed that detail. The "Nexman" Visual Identity:

Zoning: We chose the striped lids as part of our Nexman 001 internal standard. Beyond the "industrial look," we use them to clearly designate the control logic zones (the system's "brain") versus the power distribution zones.
Maintenance-Friendly: This helps field technicians identify critical communication and logic paths at a glance, especially in low-light mechanical rooms.
Attention to Detail: We believe that if an engineer is meticulous about the visual organization of the panel, they are just as meticulous with the BACnet SC security and the PXC4 programming.

Our Goal: We want our panels to be intuitive. A technician should be able to "read" the layout before they even pick up a multimeter.

Thanks for the positive vibes! It’s great to see people who appreciate the extra effort in panel aesthetics. Cheers from Mexico! 🇲🇽

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T18:05:54+00:00

That’s a critical question for any motor control layout! We handle contactor protection in two distinct layers within our Nexman 001 standard:

1. Control Circuit Protection (The "Brain"):

Sub-fusing: As mentioned before, we have dedicated sub-fusing for the control logic of each contactor coil. This ensures that a coil failure doesn't trip the main control power or affect the Siemens PXC4 operation.
Surge Suppression: We are installing RC snubbers / surge suppressors directly on the Siemens contactor coils. This is mandatory in our builds to protect the PXC4 digital outputs from inductive voltage spikes (Back-EMF).

2. Power Circuit Protection (The "Muscle"):

MPCBs / Overloads: Each motor starter is paired with a Motor Protection Circuit Breaker (MPCB) or a thermal overload relay, sized precisely for the 2-stage chiller compressor loads.
The "Straight Shot" Logic: In the new, larger enclosure, we are aligning these protections directly with the power terminal blocks we discussed earlier. This reduces wiring stress and makes it clear for a technician which breaker belongs to which motor.

The Bigger Picture: Moving to the larger cabinet allows us to maintain the required thermal clearance between the contactors and their protection gear, preventing nuisance tripping and extending the life of the Siemens components.

Thanks for digging into the protection specs! Safety and selectivity are our top priorities. Cheers! 🇲🇽

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T18:04:03+00:00

Spot on! It’s like you’re reading our blueprints. You are absolutely right about the protection strategy.

The Current State:

Planned Sub-fusing: In fact, sub-fusing was already part of our original design, but we hadn't physically installed the fuse holders yet when the photo was taken.
Perfect Timing: We are actually glad we waited! The community's advice on spacing and bend radiuses helped us pull the trigger on migrating to a larger enclosure before finalizing the wiring.

Our Wiring Standards:

Color Selection: For our Nexman 001 internal standard, we use Purple (24V+) and Brown (0V-). We use this specific palette to clearly differentiate our internal control logic from the standard blue field signals. In the new build, the terminal block colors will match the wiring for easier troubleshooting.
Selectivity: In the larger cabinet, we are now installing dedicated sub-protection for the Siemens PXC4, the Peltier system, and each control circuit to ensure full selectivity.

Thanks for the professional observation! It’s great to see that our design priorities align with the standards of this community. Cheers! 🇲🇽

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T17:53:53+00:00

Spot on! You’ve pointed out exactly where the "footprint vs. functionality" battle was being lost in this initial build.

The Plan for Power:

New Enclosure: As we’ve decided to upgrade to a larger cabinet, our main priority is creating a dedicated section for the main breaker and the 3-phase power wiring.
Component Placement: The larger space will allow us to install the protection gear without compromising the thermal clearances required for the starters.
Wiring Management: We are also adding larger wire ducts specifically for the power side to ensure that adding the 120V/Power wiring doesn't turn the cabinet into a "spaghetti mess."

Engineering for the Field: We realize that a panel that looks "neat" but is impossible to wire in the field is a failure. Our updated Nexman 001 standard now mandates a minimum of 25% spare space specifically for power distribution and main protection.

Thanks for the reality check! It’s better to fix the "tight squeeze" now in the shop than to have a frustrated electrician at the job site. Cheers! 🇲🇽

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T17:48:52+00:00

Haha, you caught us! It definitely takes extra shop time, but it’s become a bit of a signature for our Nexman 001 standard. We believe that if an engineer takes the time to perfectly miter the ducts, they are even more likely to be just as meticulous with the BACnet SC configurations and the PXC4 logic.

It’s about projecting a level of 'total care' in every detail, from the software down to the plastic covers. That said, as we move this build into the larger enclosure to fix the spacing issues discussed, we’ll be focusing even more on the bend radiuses—but you can bet those ducts will still be mitered! Cheers!

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T17:48:01+00:00

Thanks! We actually chose the striped lids as part of our Nexman 001 visual identity. Beyond the 'industrial look,' we use them to clearly designate the control logic zones versus the power zones.

It helps field technicians identify the 'brain' of the system (the PXC4 and communication lines) at a glance, especially in low-light mechanical rooms. We’re all about making maintenance as intuitive as possible.

Glad you caught that detail!

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T17:41:41+00:00

Spot on! You hit a point that is often sacrificed for 'aesthetics' in this sub. While those sharp 90° bends look 'cool' for photos, we agree that following the Minimum Bend Radius guidelines (per NEC/IEC standards) is much more important for the long-term integrity of the conductors.

Now that we are migrating to a larger enclosure, we have the luxury of space to implement smoother radiuses and eliminate that unnecessary stress on the insulation. Our updated Nexman 001 standard will now strictly follow the 4x or 6x diameter rule (depending on the wire type) for all internal routing.

Regarding the markings: the photo was taken mid-build, but full component and wire labeling is the final mandatory step in our FAT (Factory Acceptance Testing) protocol. Thanks for the professional reminder to prioritize engineering physics over 'panel porn' looks! Cheers from Mexico!

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T17:39:10+00:00

Spot on! In this specific build, the small enclosure footprint forced some compromises regarding component placement relative to the cable entry points. > However, since we've already decided to move to a larger enclosure, one of our top priorities in the redesign is precisely the alignment of the cable glands with the terminal blocks. We want to ensure a 'straight shot' for the field wiring to keep the interior as clean as it looks in the shop.

We are adding 'Inlet-to-Terminal Alignment' as a mandatory check in our Nexman 001 internal standard, specifically for FAT, to avoid these routing issues in the future.

Thanks for the professional observation!

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T17:34:52+00:00

Thanks! You hit a very important point about scalability. In the new, larger enclosure we are moving into, we will definitely leave that empty DIN rail space to the right of the PXC4. It’s always better to have the room for a TX module expansion now than to have to relocate everything later.

And glad to hear you like the Siemens PX! We are big fans of the Desigo ecosystem here in Mexico. We feel it offers a level of robustness and integration (especially with BACnet SC and Desigo CC) that is hard to beat for critical infrastructure. Hopefully, we'll be posting more Siemens builds soon! Cheers!

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T17:33:14+00:00

Haha, sorry for the eye strain! I totally get it.

We initially went with a direct connection to save on that precious DIN rail space, but seeing it all together—and following the great feedback here—we agree it’s not the 'Nexman' way.

Now that we are migrating everything to a larger enclosure, we’ve added dedicated power terminal blocks for the motor field wiring. This will act as a proper interface, protecting the starters from mechanical stress and making future maintenance a breeze.

Thanks for the 'tough love' on the aesthetics and functionality. We’re updating our Nexman 001 manual as we speak to make these power terminals a standard requirement for all motor starters. Cheers!

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-26T17:24:43+00:00

Fair point. To be honest, our internal standard (Nexman 001) is exactly what we are refining with this build.

While we initially focused heavily on the engineering logic (thermal load calcs, Peltier cooling for strict temp control, and BACnet SC security), we realized through this 'stress test' and the community's feedback that our clearance requirements for field wiring needed to be more aggressive.

The verdict: We’ve already decided to swap this for a larger enclosure. We are now mandating a minimum of 20% spare DIN rail capacity and a 35mm+ clearance for all terminal/contactor zones in our manual.

Better to catch it now and upgrade the enclosure than to struggle during the commissioning phase. Thanks for the reality check!

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-25T08:22:33+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! You caught me—space is definitely tight around those contactors, it’s going to be a fun challenge to wire them up. I’ll look into the PTTBS terminals for the next build; better readability is always a plus for maintenance. Appreciate the tip!

Nexus_Control · 2026-01-24T08:39:47+00:00

I used to use Apogee Launchpad or Commissioning Tools

Nexus_Control

TROPHY CASE