Electronics > Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff
Making a robust Y-Joint in a cable
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ezalys:
I'm finding myself in a situation where I have one 8 conductor cable (+ shield) that needs to branch into two four-conductor (+ shield) cables. What's the most mechanically and electrically sound way to do this? My first impulse is a project box with a couple of cable glands... but this seems like overkill. I also am thinking of using a bunch of self-adhesive heat shrink, but I'm not sure if this is mechanically sound or conducive to good shielding. I'm also thinking of just soldering everything together and then potting the junction... what would you do?
NiHaoMike:
Solder the wires together, each individually heat shrinked (except the shield), shielding done with copper foil wrapped around the pairs and soldered to the shield ground. Then add a layer of hot glue over it and finish off with heat shrink, using enough length to allow it to grab onto the outer insulation on the cables. It would be better to have a little too much hot glue than not enough, since it's very easy to clean up the excess after letting it cool.
If moisture resistance is important, use electronics safe silicone adhesive instead of hot glue. (The curing time will be much longer than usual due to it being sealed in heat shrink.)
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