Silicone USB wire flexible as a thin rope

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

Hello.
could anyone say where i can find some thin and ultra flexible silicone wire able to transport an USB signal on one meter please ?
Regard

[tooki]

For USB, you have to use USB cable because of the defined impedance. (Or find something else with the same 90 ohms (IIRC) impedance.)

I really like these: https://www.dfrobot.com/product-2078.html

They’re thin and soft, flat and not round. Like a piece of overcooked linguine.

 I use them for programming microcontroller boards (Arduino, ESP32, etc) because they don’t move the board around the way ordinary USB cables do, and the built-in USB-C adapter makes it universal for the majority of boards. I have not subjected them to testing for more demanding applications (either for wattage or data rates).

It’s also a bonus that they’re inexpensive ($3.50) and readily available on DigiKey.


If you absolutely have to make your own, there are round bare (unterminated) silicone USB cables sold on AliExpress as “liquid silicone” USB cable.

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

For USB, you have to use USB cable because of the defined impedance. (Or find something else with the same 90 ohms (IIRC) impedance.)

I really like these: https://www.dfrobot.com/product-2078.html

They’re thin and soft, flat and not round. Like a piece of overcooked linguine.

 I use them for programming microcontroller boards (Arduino, ESP32, etc) because they don’t move the board around the way ordinary USB cables do, and the built-in USB-C adapter makes it universal for the majority of boards. I have not subjected them to testing for more demanding applications (either for wattage or data rates).

It’s also a bonus that they’re inexpensive ($3.50) and readily available on DigiKey.


If you absolutely have to make your own, there are round bare (unterminated) silicone USB cables sold on AliExpress as “liquid silicone” USB cable.

Thanks, i will try your dfrobot cable, i've bought few of the AliExpress “liquid silicone” cables and they are rigid as you can see :

post url online

[MarkL]

I have have some of these USB-C to USB-C cables from Anker in both the 3ft. and 6ft. variety:

  https://www.anker.com/products/a8552

Silicone and very flexible.  Amazon carries them and you can also order direct from Anker.

[shabaz]

There was another thread recently about silicone USB cables, which listed a load of options at various price-points.
I too like those Anker 643 cables; they feel markedly more flexible/floppy than other manufacturer silicone cables, at least the few I've come across so far.
It's a pity they are so pricey, but they feel top quality.

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

Thanks, a round cable is better because the mechanical resistance is homogeneous in every directions, the chinese manufacturers ear picks are equipped with a rigid PVC cord that made them impossible to use.

[Halcyon]

Have you tried the Ikea ones? They are actually pretty decent.

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

Yes, they are really hard, consumer cables are designed to be sturdy and i need a really flexible cable with a insuation made of all silicone only.
I've seached for years to find a good camera module because all the Aliexpress earpicks are bad designed with hard cables and a bad camera module with a too smoothed image treatement or optic with a too long focal distance.
It's really hardcore difficult to find a usable product in the gigantic mass of BS.

[ebastler]

i need a really flexible cable with a insuation made of all silicone only.

Could you describe your use case? If the cable will be moved a lot in use (maybe even in a motorized setup which moves a device around?), making the insulation very soft and flexible may be counter-productive. It will encourage the formation of sharp local bends and put more strain on the conductors inside. A stiff insulation, or even extra support by a cable chain or other guide to give defined large-radius bends, may be preferable.

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

i need a really flexible cable with a insuation made of all silicone only.

Could you describe your use case? If the cable will be moved a lot in use (maybe even in a motorized setup which moves a device around?), making the insulation very soft and flexible may be counter-productive. It will encourage the formation of sharp local bends and put more strain on the conductors inside. A stiff insulation, or even extra support by a cable chain or other guide to give defined large-radius bends, may be preferable.

It is a hand tool, the neuro-muscular accuation is a lot more precise when there is no cable pulls to manage when you perform a human body internal cleaning.

[ebastler]

Another thing to keep in mind is that the silicone surface will probably have a high friction coefficient when rubbing against clothing or skin. If the cable can touch anything while the device is operated, a sudden tug might be more annoying than some steady bending force?

Anyway, just give it a try. If you retain the plugs on both ends, the cable will be quick to replace if it breaks or if you don't like the feel. 

[tooki]

i need a really flexible cable with a insuation made of all silicone only.

Could you describe your use case? If the cable will be moved a lot in use (maybe even in a motorized setup which moves a device around?), making the insulation very soft and flexible may be counter-productive. It will encourage the formation of sharp local bends and put more strain on the conductors inside. A stiff insulation, or even extra support by a cable chain or other guide to give defined large-radius bends, may be preferable.

It is a hand tool, the neuro-muscular accuation is a lot more precise when there is no cable pulls to manage when you perform a human body internal cleaning.

OK, now you REALLY need to tell us more about what it’s going to be used for!

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

You put the stick inside, localize the thing that have to be evacuated and exctract it with a straight stick in the S shaped tube.
Without touching any inner surface

[tooki]

Is it a camera? (And thus, is the USB carrying data?) Or is it just using USB to power a light?

If it’s the latter, then you could really replace the cable with any flexible cable, since it’s not really USB. (Kabeltronik LifYY is superbly soft PVC cable.)

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

it is a tiny camera module with a round array of leds, Ø4 OD.
I need the softest cable humanly possible.

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

(soft PVC cable.)

I'm looking for a "no memory" cable.

[tooki]

(soft PVC cable.)

I'm looking for a "no memory" cable.

I didn’t say it was “soft”. I said it was “superbly soft”.

With that said, no cable has absolutely zero memory, and that includes silicone. (Interesting fact, some silicone is surprisingly deformable. I have some where you can take the stripped-off piece of insulation — so no copper inside — and if you bend it, it stays bent. Completely useless for my desired application as test lead wire.)

Most of today’s softest cables aren’t actually silicone. Other polymers can be just as soft or softer in practice. And of course the cable’s construction (conductor size and stranding, etc) make a HUGE difference in overall flexibility.



Anyway, since you have a camera, and thus it is a USB data stream, you can’t just use any cable, it needs to be USB cable specifically — or PCB made to USB impedance specs. You could, theoretically, make a flex PCB (the super thin orange ribbons) that would work. It would just be mechanically delicate.

Try the cheap dfrobot cable I suggested. It doesn’t have zero memory (since no cable does), but it is extremely soft.

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

(soft PVC cable.)

I'm looking for a "no memory" cable.

I didn’t say it was “soft”. I said it was “superbly soft”.

With that said, no cable has absolutely zero memory, and that includes silicone. (Interesting fact, some silicone is surprisingly deformable. I have some where you can take the stripped-off piece of insulation — so no copper inside — and if you bend it, it stays bent. Completely useless for my desired application as test lead wire.)

Most of today’s softest cables aren’t actually silicone. Other polymers can be just as soft or softer in practice. And of course the cable’s construction (conductor size and stranding, etc) make a HUGE difference in overall flexibility.



Anyway, since you have a camera, and thus it is a USB data stream, you can’t just use any cable, it needs to be USB cable specifically — or PCB made to USB impedance specs. You could, theoretically, make a flex PCB (the super thin orange ribbons) that would work. It would just be mechanically delicate.

Try the cheap dfrobot cable I suggested. It doesn’t have zero memory (since no cable does), but it is extremely soft.

I've already a silicone iphone cable that meets my requirements but i don't know where i've bougt it 
I've tried the Anker and the Belkin soft silicone cables and they are bulk and stiff, the 90 ohms impedance is at wich frequency please ?

[tooki]

I've already a silicone iphone cable that meets my requirements but i don't know where i've bougt it 

Um, OK. So try the one I said to try, since it’s a regularly available product.

I've tried the Anker and the Belkin soft silicone cables and they are bulk and stiff, the 90 ohms impedance is at wich frequency please ?

In the simplified formula (which is good enough for most things that ask for an impedance-controlled line), the frequency term cancels out of the equation. I don’t remember off the top of my head what the symbol rate and analog bandwidth of USB are (plus, that depends on which USB speed you’re using, and you haven’t told me that), but since it doesn’t matter I’m not going to bother looking it up.

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

After searching in my 24943 mail DB, here is THE really soft cable : 
https://hocotech.com/product/mobile-accessories/cables/lightning/cable-usb-to-lightning-x21-plus-charging-data-sync-1m-2m/

But they are not avaliable anymore 

Here are the chips of the camera module PCB :

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

Here is the secret for a flexible USB cable :
Conductors=enameled wire
Insulation=Silicone
  FLEXIBLE


 

[tooki]

Here is the secret for a flexible USB cable :
Conductors=enameled wire
Insulation=Silicone
  FLEXIBLE

Nope. That’s not “the secret”, it’s just one recipe that works.

You can make extremely flexible cable from silicone. You can also make it from many other materials. (And you can make terrible cable from silicone. Trust me.)

That the internal wires are enameled is not important. What is important, and you didn’t quote, is the “118pcs” part, which likely means 118 strands, which is very high (high strand count is good).

[ebastler]

Here are the chips of the camera module PCB :

I believe you are overthinking this. As tooki wrote, cable impedance is largely independent of frequency in the relevant frequency range of 0.1 MHz and above. Z = srqt (L/C), i.e. dependent on cable properties only. If it's sold as a "USB cable", it should work.

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

That the internal wires are enameled is not important. What is important, and you didn’t quote, is the “118pcs” part, which likely means 118 strands, which is very high (high strand count is good).

I have a problem to believe that there is 118 strands in a cable of Ø3.5mm OD because 118/4=29.5 and 118x4=472

PS : an enameled wire don't require any polymer insulation 

[Coordonnée_chromatique]

Here are the chips of the camera module PCB :

I believe you are overthinking this. As tooki wrote, cable impedance is largely independent of frequency in the relevant frequency range of 0.1 MHz and above. Z = srqt (L/C), i.e. dependent on cable properties only. If it's sold as a "USB cable", it should work.

I can try any cable, it is non destructive test, the worst case is a loss of sync.

PS : let's try the MOGAMI 3316 !