Skip to main content

Wiringly Glossary

Understanding the terminology helps to build and design harnesses. It's easier to continue when you understand the language. This glossary helps align the technical language used in the industry with the features you'll find in Wiringly.

A​

  • AWG (American Wire Gauge): The standard American measure for wire thickness.

  • Autosport Connector: High-specification, circular connectors (like Deutsch AS or Souriau) designed for the harsh environments of professional racing.

  • AUX (Auxiliary): A general term for an output that is used to control a device. Usually grounding the output to turn the device on. But in some cases / ECUs can also be used to switch 12V on. Can also be used as a PWM output.

  • ADIO: Analog Digital Input Output. Very flexible inputs/outputs that can be configured to be either an input or an output. Can be used as a digital input, analog input, PWM input, PWM output, etc. Commonly used in LinkECU.

  • ADC: Analog to Digital Converter. In Megasquirt and Microsquirt this is used to read analog signals from sensors, meaning analog sensor input.

B​

  • BOM (Bill of Materials): List of components, terminals, and wires used in the design. Wiringly generates this for most parts automatically, assuming that the components are correctly defined in the library. Always double check the BOM before ordering parts.

  • Bundle: A collection of wires following the same physical path. In Wiringly, bundles keep your design organized by treating a group of wires as a single visual element while maintaining individual connection data for the wiring table.

  • Bulkhead: A structural partition in a vehicle that separates different compartments, such as the engine bay from the passenger compartment. Wires are often passed through bulkheads using grommets or bulkhead connectors to protect them from chafing.

  • Bulkhead Connector: A connector that is designed to pass through a bulkhead. Usually used to connect the engine bay harness to the passenger compartment harness.

  • Battery: The main power source for the vehicle. Usually located in the engine bay or passenger compartment.

  • Battery Cable: Heavy gauge cable used to connect the battery to the starter motor and alternator. Usually 16mm² or larger. Gauge should be calculated based on the current draw and the length of the cable.

  • Battery power input: The main power feed for components. Battery power is usually considered to be always on. Check also Ignition power input.

  • Boost controller: A device that is used to control the boost pressure of a turbocharger. Usually controlled by the ECU, using AUX outputs. depending on an ECU.

  • Braid: A woven mesh of wires, usually copper or silver-plated copper, used to shield wires from electromagnetic interference. Usually build in to the cable jacket, but in some cases it can be a separate layer that is wrapped around the wires.

  • Boot: A protective cover that is placed over a connector or terminal to protect it from moisture and dirt. Can be heatshrinkable or just a mechanical cover.

C​

  • CAN-bus (Controller Area Network): A high-speed communication protocol used by ECUs and other devices. Common use is to connect ECU to display, TCU or CAN Lambda. Proper twisting and termination of CAN wires are essential.

  • Concentric Twisting: A technique for bundling wires in layers to create a flexible, durable, and lightweight harness.

  • Crimp: A mechanical connection method where a terminal is compressed onto a wire. Wiringly promotes IPC Class 3 standards for all crimps.

  • Canvas: The main workspace within Wiringly. This is the digital area where you add the components from the component library and make connections between them. The idea being that you design the harness in 2D from in here and get the documentation on how to make it a reality.

  • Connector body: A component that is used to hold terminals. Connector body locks the terminals in place and locks the connector body to another connector or component.

  • Connector pin: See Terminal

  • Connector seal: A rubber seal that is crimped with the terminal. It is placed inside the connector body and over the wire to seal the connector against moisture and dirt. To crimp properly, the correct tool must be used.

  • CAN Keyboard: A keyboard that is connected to the ECU and / or PDM via CAN-bus. Used to control the ECU and / or PDM.

  • Current: The amount of electrical charge flowing through a circuit. Usually measured in amperes (A).

  • Current Limit: The maximum amount of current that a wire can handle. Usually measured in amperes (A).

D​

  • Deutsch DTP/DT/DTM: Commonly used in motorsport and industrial applications. Needs specific tools to make the crimps, but popular in DIY and professional motorsport for their reliability and ease of use.

  • Display: A screen that is connected to the ECU and / or PDM via CAN-bus. Used to display information from the ECU and / or PDM. Best ones widely configurable and can be connected to multiple different brands of ECUs and PDMs.

  • Digital Input: An input that is used to read a digital signal. Switch, button, square wave signal, etc.

  • DBW (Drive By Wire): A system that is used to control the throttle body of an engine without a mechanical connection to the pedal. Needs double signals from the pedal position sensor and double outputs to the throttle body for safety reasons. When set up properly, it allows for advanced features like traction control, launch control, antilag, cruise control, etc. depending on an ECU. Also user can set up a pedal to throttle mapping in the ECU software to help the driveability of the car.

  • Derivative (D): In PID control, the derivative part is the part that is used to control the device based on the rate of change of the error. The larger the rate of change, the larger the derivative part.

  • Duty Cycle: The percentage of time a signal is high (or on) in a given period. Usually measured in percentage (%). For example 50% means that the signal is high for 50% of the time and low for 50% of the time.

  • Dwell: In ignition system the time the signal is high or low to charge the coil. Usually measured in milliseconds (ms). Different coils have different dwell times, so it is important to use the correct value for your coil. Too short dwell time can cause the coil to not charge properly, while too long dwell time can cause the coil to overheat as the energy after the coil saturation is lost as heat.

E​

  • ECU (Engine Control Unit): The "brain" of the engine. Wiringly includes libraries for major brands like MaxxECU and Link.

F​

  • Formboard (Jig Board): A physical board used to assemble a harness. Can be just a big table or separate board with pins in it to hold the wires in place. Or 3D prints to help route and keep the wires in place. Wiringly’s 1:1 Scale Export allows you to print your design and lay it directly onto your formboard. If there is no availability for big prints, you can also print sections in A4 form and tape them together.

  • Fuse: A safety device that protects an electrical circuit from overcurrent. Nowadays most used is a blade fuse. But can also mean other fuse types - the functionality still is the same

  • Full Bridge: A circuit that allows current to flow in both directions. On Engine control units it is used commonly to control electronic throttle bodies, electronic wastegates etc.

G​

  • Gas-tight: A quality of a perfect crimp where the metal-to-metal contact is so tight that oxygen cannot enter, preventing corrosion over time.

  • Gauge: The thickness of a wire, measured in mm². Commonly used in motorsport and industrial applications.

  • Grommet: A protective sleeve inserted into a hole to prevent chafing of wires passing through a bulkhead or chassis.

  • Ground: The return path for electrical current in a circuit. Usually connected to the chassis or engine block.

  • GPO: General Purpose Output. A digital output that can be used to control a variety of devices. Usually grounding the output to turn the device on. But in some cases / ECUs can also be used to switch 12V on. Can also be used as a PWM output.

H​

  • Harness: A bundle of wires that are protected by a sleeve or wrap. Used to protect the wires from chafing and abrasion.

  • Harness board: See Formboard.

  • H-Bridge: A circuit that allows current to flow in both directions. On Engine control units it is used commonly to control electronic throttle bodies, but can also be used to control other devices that require current to flow in both directions.

  • Heat shrink: A plastic tubing that shrinks when heated. Used to protect wires from chafing and abrasion. Also used to seal connections. Can be lined with glue or not. If lined with glue it is also waterproof. And without glue it allows movement of the wires.

  • Half-bridge: A circuit that can be used to control devices with ground or 12V switching.

I​

  • Insulation Support: The part of a terminal that grips the wire’s outer jacket, providing strain relief for the delicate conductor strands.

P​

  • Pinout: A table showing the functions of each pin in a connector. This is saved in component level and helps to create the wiring harness with correct connections.

  • PDU (Power Distribution Unit): A smart alternative to traditional fuses and relays, allowing software-controlled power management. Makes wiring a lot easier, reliable and flexible.

  • PWM (Pulse Width Modulation): A technique for controlling the amount of power delivered to a device by varying the width of electrical pulses. Commonly used to control the boost controller, water pump, etc.

  • Pull-up / Pull-down: A resistor that is used to pull a signal to a certain voltage level. Usually 5V or 12V. Used to prevent the signal from floating. If a signal isn't connected to anything, it's said to be floating. So it can be anything in a measurable range, and can pick up noise from the environment.

  • Proportional (P): In PID control, the proportional part is the part that is used to control the device based on the current error. The larger the error, the larger the proportional part.

S​

  • Service Loop: An extra length of wire left near a connector to allow for future repairs or changes without needing to replace the entire wire. And making wiring more reliable.

  • Splice: A point where multiple wires are joined together. Commonly used in for example 5V or 12V power wires to connect multiple devices.

  • Signal: A wire that is used to transmit information from one device to another. Usually meaning sensor or actuator signal.

  • Schematics: A diagram that shows the connections between components in a system. Used to visualize the connections made in design. Makes fault finding a lot easier, when you can see the connections and where the wires go to.

T​

  • Terminal: A component that is crimped or soldered to the wire to make a connection.

  • Tefzel: A high-performance wire insulation material known for its excellent chemical resistance, high-temperature tolerance, and low weight. It is widely used in aerospace and motorsport applications where reliability is critical.

  • Termination resistor: A resistor that is placed at the end of a CAN-bus to prevent signal reflections. Usually 120 ohm. Can be build inside the control unit and in some cases can be switched on / off in tuning program. Only installed on the ends of the CAN-bus, so if control units has internal resistor that can't be switched off, care must be taken that those control units are installed on the ends of the CAN-bus.

  • TTL: A digital signal that is used to transmit information from one device to another. When used within ignition coil, it means that coil works with 5V signal and has internal transistor circuitry. So called "smart" coils

I​

  • Integrator (I): In PID control, the integrator part is the part that is used to control the device based on the accumulated error. The larger the error, the larger the integrator part.

V​

  • Voltage: The difference in electric potential between two points in a circuit. Usually measured in volts (V).

  • Voltage Limit: The maximum amount of voltage that a wire can handle. Usually measured in volts (V). Usually the limiting factor is the insulation of the wire

  • Voltage Reference: A stable voltage that is used as a reference point for other voltages in a circuit. Usually measured in volts (V). For automotive sensors 5V is a common reference voltage.

W​

  • Wiring: The process of connecting components in a circuit. Usually meaning the physical connection of wires to components.

  • Wiring Harness: A bundle of wires that are protected by a sleeve or wrap. Used to protect the wires from chafing and abrasion.

  • Wiring Diagram: A diagram that shows the connections between components in a system. Used to visualize the connections made in design. Makes fault finding a lot easier, when you can see the connections and where the wires go to.

  • Watt: A unit of power. Usually measured in watts (W). Can be calculated by multiplying the voltage and current. For example 12V * 1A = 12W. Or knowing the wattage and voltage you can calculate the current. For example 12W / 12V = 1A.

  • Wiringly: The name of the software. It's a web application that helps you design and document your wiring harnesses. The target audience is hobbyists and professionals who are building their own harnesses and want to make the process as simple as possible.