Flat wire distribution - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: WarSim
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2013, 03:52:20 am
content: I am wondering is anyone has tried using flat wire for distributed communication and power.My first search was for a 6 wire super flat paintable wire for POE Tbase10 assuming anything faster would no survive a non twisted long run.Max conductor count I have found was 4 wire. So now maybe I2C.Has anyone managed to make a distributed power and communication network using this super flat wire intended for speakers?I can't start the project right away, so I figured I would ask for tips in the meantime.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2013, 04:05:15 am
content: You can definitely get flat 4 pair network cable. I've got some around here somewhere.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2013, 05:21:12 am
content: Psi, was it 8 wires side by side, or 4 twisted pairs?

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2013, 05:28:53 am
content: It looked like 8 wires all flat, ill see if i can find it tonight.It was a 2M network cable that came bundled with something.I can't remember if it had any twisting at all. It may have been dodgy china network cable

author: WarSim
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2013, 07:09:21 am
content: The type of cable I was talking about was the multi conductor tape that you can stick to a wall then mud and paint over top.Just realized that my description could be ambiguous. Flat is used as a relative term these days.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 25, 2013, 07:48:45 am
content: Quote from: Psi on September 25, 2013, 05:28:53 amSounds like the standard flat, untwisted cable that comes with Buffalo kit. I've always assumed it was untwisted, it's far too flat to be twisted, and if it is the AWG must be high(low?).... small CSA.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2013, 09:51:18 am
content: Well I'll be. Never knew flat CAT5 cables existed. Just Googled and sure enough, there it is!

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 25, 2013, 06:27:47 pm
content: Quote from: David_AVD on September 25, 2013, 09:51:18 amI knew it existed but always assumed it was untwisted. I haven't seen any evidence to the contrary yet. Looks like I'll be gutting a flat Buffalo supplied flat cable in a bit then......

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2013, 06:37:42 pm
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on September 25, 2013, 09:41:16 amyeah, the pairs are still twisted, but they're organized like: OOOO with each O being a twisted pair. if it wasn't twisted, interference would be a bitch.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2013, 08:56:24 pm
content: Hmmm... if the pairs are side by side, that would make them no good for applications that use the inner two pairs as those pairs would now be split.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2013, 06:19:01 pm
content: I would assume that part of the cable termination prep is the correct alignment of the little cores in the plug in the right order, not just cut and place all flat like phone cabling.I wonder just how long you can made a mylar flexiboard though.......

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2013, 09:08:14 pm
content: D-oh! That would make sense.