# Why do i have to cut the bridge? **URL:** \ **Category:** Proffieboards\ **Created:** [September 3, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://crucible.hubbe.net/t/why-do-i-have-to-cut-the-bridge/5780 "2024-09-03T15:02:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![daddyneil](https://crucible.hubbe.net/user_avatar/crucible.hubbe.net/daddyneil/32/5120_2.png) [@daddyneil](https://crucible.hubbe.net/u/daddyneil)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://crucible.hubbe.net/t/why-do-i-have-to-cut-the-bridge/5780/1 "2024-09-03T15:02:25Z")
in this chosen format using a blade connector the image says cut here…scary for my first build…is there a better way to wire to avoid this cutting …if not how would i safely cut the bridge? also i noticed that the charge port image is not there? ![Capture](https://crucible.hubbe.net/uploads/default/original/2X/1/130eca8a85b6615a2471f3d604e40bf493d8c7aa.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![ryryog25](https://crucible.hubbe.net/user_avatar/crucible.hubbe.net/ryryog25/32/1812_2.png) [@ryryog25](https://crucible.hubbe.net/u/ryryog25)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://crucible.hubbe.net/t/why-do-i-have-to-cut-the-bridge/5780/2 "2024-09-03T15:18:38Z")
Isn’t that for one of them old audio type connectors? @profezzorn I was under the impression BATT- and GND are bridged internally, elsewhere too? Very curious about this… ---
**Author:** ![profezzorn](https://crucible.hubbe.net/user_avatar/crucible.hubbe.net/profezzorn/32/8_2.png) [@profezzorn](https://crucible.hubbe.net/u/profezzorn)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 5:42pm UTC](https://crucible.hubbe.net/t/why-do-i-have-to-cut-the-bridge/5780/3 "2024-09-03T17:42:28Z")
tl;dr; these are not the ~~droids~~ circuits you’re looking for My original blade connector used an “aviation” (or cb-radio) connector for the blade. It had 8 pins, and I used one of those as a way to cut the power to the board when the blade is not connected. This option is available for backwards compatibility, but unless you have blades built like this, I do not actually recommend it anymore. In my original setup, GND would be interrupted when the blade was removed. However, for that to work, GND and BATT- had to be separated, and on the original TeensySaber boards they were. You needed to connect them with a wire if you _didn’t_ use this sort of setup. Nowadays, everybody uses pogo pin PCBs to connect their blades, and that means that this particular setup isn’t possible, so at some point I connected GND and BATT- on the board so you didn’t need to connect them with a wire anymore. However, they are only connected at this bridge, so they can still be separated if desired. It is possible to make something similar using a pogo pin connector. However, it would need to be wired on the positive side instead of the negatie side. Basically, you would need to cut a trace on the pogo pin PCB so that one of the positive pins is separated from the other ones. Then you connect that pin to BATT+ on the board, and the other + pins would connect to the + side of the battery. There would be no need to cut the GND-BATT- bridge in this case. ---
**Author:** ![ryryog25](https://crucible.hubbe.net/user_avatar/crucible.hubbe.net/ryryog25/32/1812_2.png) [@ryryog25](https://crucible.hubbe.net/u/ryryog25)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 5:47pm UTC](https://crucible.hubbe.net/t/why-do-i-have-to-cut-the-bridge/5780/4 "2024-09-03T17:47:44Z")
Interesting… I guess I’m confused though as to what the point would be? Why would you want to separate GND and BATT-? You mentioned “GND would be interrupted,” but interrupted how? I’m curious now… ---
**Author:** ![profezzorn](https://crucible.hubbe.net/user_avatar/crucible.hubbe.net/profezzorn/32/8_2.png) [@profezzorn](https://crucible.hubbe.net/u/profezzorn)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://crucible.hubbe.net/t/why-do-i-have-to-cut-the-bridge/5780/5 "2024-09-03T17:48:37Z")
The blade works as a kill switch. No blade - no power. ---
**Author:** ![ryryog25](https://crucible.hubbe.net/user_avatar/crucible.hubbe.net/ryryog25/32/1812_2.png) [@ryryog25](https://crucible.hubbe.net/u/ryryog25)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 5:53pm UTC](https://crucible.hubbe.net/t/why-do-i-have-to-cut-the-bridge/5780/6 "2024-09-03T17:53:19Z")
_Oh_ so the internal blade contacts were what connected the board to the battery power? (board GND to Battery -) ---
**Author:** ![profezzorn](https://crucible.hubbe.net/user_avatar/crucible.hubbe.net/profezzorn/32/8_2.png) [@profezzorn](https://crucible.hubbe.net/u/profezzorn)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 5:55pm UTC](https://crucible.hubbe.net/t/why-do-i-have-to-cut-the-bridge/5780/7 "2024-09-03T17:55:15Z")
That is correct. It’s easiest to see how that works in the original V1 design: [https://fredrik.hubbe.net/lightsaber/electronics.html](https://fredrik.hubbe.net/lightsaber/electronics.html) ---
**Author:** ![ryryog25](https://crucible.hubbe.net/user_avatar/crucible.hubbe.net/ryryog25/32/1812_2.png) [@ryryog25](https://crucible.hubbe.net/u/ryryog25)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 5:56pm UTC](https://crucible.hubbe.net/t/why-do-i-have-to-cut-the-bridge/5780/8 "2024-09-03T17:56:22Z")
Awesome, thanks for clarifying! > [@profezzorn](#): > > It’s easiest to see how that works in the original V1 design: That seems to be the case for at least a few things 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![daddyneil](https://crucible.hubbe.net/user_avatar/crucible.hubbe.net/daddyneil/32/5120_2.png) [@daddyneil](https://crucible.hubbe.net/u/daddyneil)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 10:36am UTC](https://crucible.hubbe.net/t/why-do-i-have-to-cut-the-bridge/5780/9 "2024-09-04T10:36:44Z")
ok thanks you, So i think i took the pictures to literally, the neo pixel setup shows wires direct to led chain but those same wires could link to pogo neg, pos and data ? ---
**Author:** ![LyleStyle](https://crucible.hubbe.net/user_avatar/crucible.hubbe.net/lylestyle/32/296_2.png) [@LyleStyle](https://crucible.hubbe.net/u/LyleStyle)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 3:47pm UTC](https://crucible.hubbe.net/t/why-do-i-have-to-cut-the-bridge/5780/10 "2024-09-04T15:47:04Z")
> [@daddyneil](#): > > the neo pixel setup shows wires direct to led chain but those same wires could link to pogo neg, pos and data ? Yes. There are different types of pogo pin connectors, but in general they get wired just like you would wire the led strips.