An aligning apparatus for performing the method steps of: incorporating a conducting wire into a tubular braid comprising a multiplicity of supporting wires; covering the tubular braid with a sheath; identifying a location of the conducting wire within the tubular braid; attaching an electrode through the sheath to the conducting wire at the location; and configuring the conducting wire to be visually differentiated from the supporting wires; wherein the tubular braid encloses an internal volume, and wherein the sheath is opaque to a human eye when illuminated by radiation external to the sheath, and wherein identifying the location comprises: illuminating the tubular braid from the internal volume, so as to render the conducting wire and the supporting wires visible through the sheath; and allowing a microscope operator to identify the location of the conducting wire within the tubular braid while the tubular braid is illuminated from the internal volume; the apparatus comprising: a first rotatable chuck and a second rotatable chuck having a common axis of rotation and being configured to mount a section of the tubular braid; a travelling microscope which is configured to travel by measured amounts in a direction parallel to the common axis; and a fiber optic configured to be inserted into the internal volume of the tubular braid and configured to illuminate the internal volume. incorporating a conducting wire into a tubular braid comprising a multiplicity of supporting wires; covering the tubular braid with a sheath; identifying a location of the conducting wire within the tubular braid; attaching an electrode through the sheath to the conducting wire at the location; and configuring the conducting wire to be visually differentiated from the supporting wires; wherein the tubular braid encloses an internal volume, and wherein the sheath is opaque to a human eye when illuminated by radiation external to the sheath, and wherein identifying the location comprises: illuminating the tubular braid from the internal volume, so as to render the conducting wire and the supporting wires visible through the sheath; and allowing a microscope operator to identify the location of the conducting wire within the tubular braid while the tubular braid is illuminated from the internal volume; the apparatus comprising: a first rotatable chuck and a second rotatable chuck having a common axis of rotation and being configured to mount a section of the tubular braid; a travelling microscope which is configured to travel by measured amounts in a direction parallel to the common axis; and a fiber optic configured to be inserted into the internal volume of the tubular braid and configured to illuminate the internal volume. illuminating the tubular braid from the internal volume, so as to render the conducting wire and the supporting wires visible through the sheath; and allowing a microscope operator to identify the location of the conducting wire within the tubular braid while the tubular braid is illuminated from the internal volume; the apparatus comprising: a first rotatable chuck and a second rotatable chuck having a common axis of rotation and being configured to mount a section of the tubular braid; a travelling microscope which is configured to travel by measured amounts in a direction parallel to the common axis; and a fiber optic configured to be inserted into the internal volume of the tubular braid and configured to illuminate the internal volume. a first rotatable chuck and a second rotatable chuck having a common axis of rotation and being configured to mount a section of the tubular braid; a travelling microscope which is configured to travel by measured amounts in a direction parallel to the common axis; and a fiber optic configured to be inserted into the internal volume of the tubular braid and configured to illuminate the internal volume.