Hey, I'm working on a project right now that has Jumper Wires running along my fingers. The problem is that I naturally move my fingers and the wires can't take it and break off at the Arduino. Can anyone recommend good sturdy but flexible wires?
Welcome to the forum
Cables with silicon insulation would be a good choice but you also need to introduce strain relief to prevent continual bending when they connect to the Arduino or anything else
A change of flexibility at any point, such as a solder joint, will cause problems but you can ameliorate that to a great extent by bundling cables together so that the strain is not on a single cable
Yes, the silicon wires also have a greater number of finer gauge wire strands, which increases the flexibility and also allows more bending without stress on the conductors. But if you want "sturdy" you have to choose the gauge carefully. The insulation is much thicker on that wire, giving the impression of a larger gauge than typical wire.
The strands on silicon wires are so fine, I always tin them with solder to hold the ends together...
Under what circumstances do you do that ?
What are the wires connected to ?
The wires are inserted into screw terminals on an adapter plug, almost identical to the ones shown in post #4, the other end of the wire pair goes to a bench test device.
TINNING is the cause of the failure! The wires break where the solder stops. I use the standard M-F duponts and strip one end for insertion into the terminal strips. I cut them double length (~4mm or 3/16"), twist and then fold the end over. This means inserting a rounded end instead of the stranded ends, and is MUCH easier and more reliable.
That's true, the repeated flexing is not an issue with mine since it's an easy repair, post #2 mentions the need for strain relief. At my device end, the connections have extensive strain relief, the wires go through support holes and are also taped down. Internally, the wire joins are fixed in place with tape and also covered in heat shrink.
I have heard of Silicone rubber insulated wires..................
Would Silicon insulation be flexible ?
From Silicone Valley?
No idea, never heard of Silicone Valley.
I tried a Google search but all I get is prompts for somewhere called Silicon valley.
If it was thin enough, sure.
Anyway, a useful thing I can convey, is that the reason I tin them, the wire gauge is really too thin for the screw terminals without the treatment. With some motion, it just pops out unless I do that. Actually, I should try a thicker gauge... I'm using #26.
I think a reliable permanent attachment would be a strain relief of some kind on the wires, the conductors soldered directly to a PCB.
Notice the 3D printed shrouds on the free ends of the duponts. These increase retention, prevent rotation, ID pin 1 both visually and by touch, as well as providing a label area.
For me, these are a LOT easier to connect than loose duponts. Meshing four or six separate duponts at a time is difficult, especially once things are mounted.
They slip on the ribbon duponts, and really aid retention at the module ends (F) and interconnections.
Rugged mounting is the difference between a testbed, and a sellable product. Nothing shakes loose, not even under the influences of ElectroCat!
Like I said, don't tin. Double the strip length, twist, and fold over. The rounded ends are MUCH EASIER to insert, and they hold. The ribbons are 22ga, so they're easier to strip and twist/fold.
The ribbon cables are atiff, but a little heat lets you fold and the shape will hold when cool.
Direct soldered leads break, and the holes are impossible to clear. DAMHIKT
I agree that tinning a wire before placing it in a compression terminal is wrong (sorry).
If it's too small to compress and remain in place, then the wire you're using isn't big enough (so fix that).
Unlike some others, I'm always open to advice, and I'm looking into that.
We suggested a certain kind of wire for the OP's purpose, it's good to suggest how not to connect it, however they may need to know how to connect it. I haven't tried, but I suspect silicone wire may not fit in Dupont connectors very well.
Need to know more, like which Arduino...
I did say what to do, by implication: use the right size wire, no tinning.
Solder gets crushed and becomes resistive.
Been around, seen "installers" (et al.) tinning wires, then crimping lugs on the tinned wires, and then flowing solder onto the lug and wire. What a mess.
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