Brake Controller Trigger Wire?

[jrmgren]

I have a quartermaster. I'm also installing a REDARC tow pro elite. It appears the back seats need to come out to get to the TRM. I tested my control wire under the seat.....nothing. Irritating! BTW, I dont understand the nature of the signal. If the signal is just 0 or 12 volts, what information determines how much brake is applied?

That's the job of the TowPro. It has an accelerometer in it;. When the brakes are applied, it determines the vehicle's deceleration, and applies a variable voltage accordingly.

 

[holto]

That's the job of the TowPro. It has an accelerometer in it;. When the brakes are applied, it determines the vehicle's deceleration, and applies a variable voltage accordingly.

The output of the brake controller is actually a pulse width modulation (PWM) . But as you correctly state the duty cycle of the output is derived from the the accelerometer.

A mechanical analogy would be operating a valve on and off continually over a given period off say 50 percent of the time to acheive half the flow over the period as opposed to operating the valve half open.

It allows the controller to use modern high speed mosfet switches rather than less efficient voltage regulators.

 

[GrenaRik]

I am going a different route but hoping for some input...my Grenadier did not come with a factory tow package. I already added a tow hitch, and I have a Curt 3/2 converter that handles not only 3/2 but also 2/2 and PWM configurations. For a trailer brake unit, I ordered a Redarc Link (that simply plugs in between the 7-pin USCAR socket and the pigtail...no hard wiring and lots of features). The only mystery is regarding the blue wire for the USCAR pigtail input side. I know it is for the trailer brake signal, but I was wondering if it is as simple as connecting the blue/orange brake signal wire to that blue wire OR should it be the grey wire that is located under the back seat from the tow ready harness? 4 of the other USCAR wires come from the output of the converter, and the others (in addition to the brake control wire) are a fused 30 amp and a backup signal (I will run that off a relay to provide enough power for the backup lights on the trailer). Thoughts from the collective?