DIY: Prototyping Cables

by akinich

6.1K187

Intro: DIY: Prototyping Cables

You have seen these cables everywhere........
you might have them ............. you might not  
but wouldn't you love it if you could attach to a wire of Ur choice
or even better make then from scratch your self???    
here is a simple yet almost free way of making these cables

you could buy them from various shops and online stores but that requires either waiting for it to arrive
or you going and buying it personally.

NOTE: This works on multistrand ( multicore) wire ..... i have not tried on single strand ( single core ) wire   and i don't intend to 

P.S    this is my first instructable.  

STEP 1: So What's Needed Again???

You must be having everything at your desk right now!!!

wire ( duh)
bell pins 
breadboard ( optional)
arduino ( optional)
wire strippers ( optional)

the arduino i have is called an Induino ( India+arduino)
it is an Indian clone of the amazing arduino 
http://www.simplelabs.co.in/content/induinox-low-cost-arduino-usb-clone-board
check it 

STEP 2: Procedure

Its very simple to make ........................
take ur wire 
strip it    
twist it 
wrap it around your pin 
push it back and make sure its tight
and ur done

STEP 3: Going Further!!!

You want to make it permanent ?.................. solder it on 
go ahead and modify it to your liking
go and enjoy the world
oh yeah please rate it!!!

7 Comments

shreyans29 11 years ago

I think it would be better to trim the pointed edge of the pins as the sharp points won't make good contacts btw really nice instructable

agis68 12 years ago

make it better by adding some thermal cover between the naked pin and the cabe....and then will look like the original in the stores..

maewert 12 years ago

This method relies on physical contact of the wire and the pin.  If the wire is wound around the pin as you show in your second picture, I would expect it to become less tight when the wire is pushed back toward the head of the pin.  I think a better approach is to tightly wind the wire so that it does not need any push-back toward the pin head. 

As a finishing step I would want to apply some heat shrink to maintain the physical contact, especially if you do not solder the wire to the pin.

Another alternative method would be to create a wire-wrap tool that fits the pin.  This would ensure the wrap winding goes on tight and up next to the pin head.

Have you found these to be as reliable as the store-bought ones?  I could see the benefit of making them yourself if for some reason the manufactured ones are not available in your country or if you are in a pinch. Otherwise I'd think the manufactured ones are pretty cheap and are so reliable there is no need to make your own.  The chance of a loose connection ruining your whole day is too great in my opinion.

Best Wishes.

akinich 12 years ago

there was hardly any difference after pushing it back . its your choice if you would like to do it that way or not .

As of rite now the manufactured ones are still on their way ( stuck in shipping)
they are not available locally and my electronic components are in a box.
i am shifting right now so i needed a quick fix!!!

one advantage to this is you can make any length you require
you dont have to go through your cables to get the perfect size

thanks for the advice

Kozz 12 years ago

It seems that if you wanted something more durable and permanent, you might consider using some shrink-tubing, too.

akinich 12 years ago

As of the moment i did not need anything permanent just a quick and dirty fix!