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 . <EOS>