Introduction:
The world of engineering and technology is moving so fast that we are witnessing new advancements coming up each day. With this fast-paced, moving engineering world, there are plenty of opportunities available for engineers now. As the essential aim of engineering today is to make smaller designs that can take less space and are efficient. The base of every engineering project is its wiring. The cable assembly is the best approach for accommodating complicated installation into simpler structures that can save much space.
In this guide, you are going to learn about first cable assembly, custom cable assemblies, types of different cable assemblies, cable assembly manufacturing and processing, and how to get your hands on the first order.
CHAPTER 1: What Is Cable Assembly
Cable assemblies are often designed by being taped, bound with cable ties, or available with a sleeve applied overall. This type of cable design is used to group the cables by providing them with protection and, most importantly, helps you use limited space. Terminations that are often available in these cable assemblies are socket and plug arrangements.
Figure 1 shows the cable assembly.
CHAPTER 2: Custom Cable Assembly
Ribbon cable assembly:
Ribbon cable assembly is used to a great extent for making internal peripheral connections within an electronic system.
Commonly used in connecting PCs to floppy, CD, and hard disk, ribbon cable assemblies are made from multi-conducting cables that are flat and thin.
Typical examples of ribbon cable assemblies which you will find in PCs include 40 – wire cable, 34 wire cable, and 80 wire ribbon cable. 34 wire ribbon cable assembly is often used for connecting the floppy disk to the motherboard. 40 wire ribbon cable assembly is used for connecting IDE (ATA) CD drive. 80 wire ribbon cable assembly is used for IDE (ATA) hard disks.
Figure 2 shows the ribbon cable assembly.
Throttle cable assembly:
Throttle cable assembly is used for linking the accelerator pedal to the plate of the throttle. The throttle cable’s primary function is to open the throttle, and it then further allows the air to get into the air for acceleration.
It is to be noted here that most modern vehicles today are embedded with an electronically controlled throttle system. It is also known as “drive-by-wire.” Conventional and old mechanical throttle cable assemblies are called accelerator cables.
Figure 3 shows the throttle cable assembly.
Cable harness assembly:
Cable harness assembly is used for transmitting electrical power or signals. It exhibits an assembly of wires or electrical cables coupled and bound using sleeves, electrical tape, cable lacing, cable ties, and conduit or extruded strings. And cable harness assembly is also known as wiring loom, wiring assembly, or wire harness.
You can use cable harnesses in construction machinery and automobiles. They have some advantages as compared to the use of loose wires. If you are binding cables and electrical wires into a cable harness, they will be protected against adverse conditions like moisture, abrasions, and vibrations.
Figure 4 shows the cable harness.
CHAPTER 3: Cable Assembly Manufacturing And Usage
You will find cable assemblies extensively used in planes, cars, and so on. Cable assemblies are considered significant for handling the high volume of cables and electrical wires as they are great for making maximum use of given space. They are also used for making electrical architecture where required.
Cable assembly wires’ advantages speak on their great scalability, reliability, safety, and above all, they are high with saving time, cost, and ease of use. They also do not require much expertise in handling.
More often, you will see cable assemblies in aircraft and automobiles where so many buses are complicated wiring and electrical cables. Embedded cable assembly helps them get into a single wiring structure, which saves much time and optimizes much power.
CHAPTER 4:Cable Assembly Manufacturing
Xbox one power cable:
The length of the Xbox one power cable is almost 1.2 meters. The classification of the Xbox one power cable is as under:
DC power cord:
The dc power cord of the Xbox power supply consists of hardwire and produces direct current. It gets plugged directly into the Xbox. The length of this power cord is 1.1 meters long. The end of the DC power cord is attached with a permanent, proprietary power connector. It has been specially designed for original Xbox One and Xbox One S power sockets.
AC power cord:
The AC power cord of the Xbox is connected to the wall socket by means AC power cord which is detachable. The length of the AC power cord is 1.2 meters which makes it 5 feet 9 inches long. You must remember one thing, using any power cord that is not designed for your power supply will ultimately bring damage to your Xbox and power supply.
Figure 6 shows the Xbox one power cable.
Figure 6: Xbox one power cable
In-wall power cord and cable kit:
Do you want to mount any of your systems on the wall by routing the cables behind the wall? You can do this by using an in-wall power cord and cable kit. These in-wall cords are found running in – wall from your electronic system to the AC outlet.
No electrical wires or cable assembly is exposed in this structure. The box’s outlet’s top and bottom sides are attached with specially designed components known as “snap–fit.”
The good thing about in-wall power and cable management system is that they do not need any experience or electrical certification from the user as they are much more comfortable in use.
Consisting of approximately 5 inches cord, exhibiting the drywall feature saw and embedded with pre-wired outlet box, in-wall power cord, and cable kit is for hiding cables below any wall-mounted electronic system.
Figure 7 shows an in-wall power cord and cable assembly kit.
Ac power cable:
Ac power cables are designed for carrying out alternating current. An alternating current implies the fact that the flow of electrical current is in the reverse direction.
AC power cables measure current by keeping in view its cycles. AC power cables are used for systems or devices running on batteries and do not consist of any other power source. When attached to any system like a computer laptop, AC power cables’ primary purpose is to alleviate the need for using the standardly sized power supply.
Xbox 360 power cable:
The power supply unit of the Xbox 360 consists of two power cables, i.e., DC power cable and AC power cable. DC power cable is fundamentally hardwired and is based on producing direct current. Om the contrary, an alternating current power cable is attached to the PowerPoint.
DC power cable:
Attached to the power supply unit permanently and connected to Xbox 360 console, DC power cables usually are 1.1 meters long. A permanent, proprietary power connector is attached to the DC power cable’s end. It has been specially designed for Xbox 360 power socket control.
AC power cables:
Designed to get detached from the central power, the AC power cable is approximately 1.8 meters long. It consists of two to three holes. Three holes are present for making correspondence to the power supply unit’s number of prongs. It is always remembered that you should use either a two-prong power supply unit with the cable, which enables connection with two holes, or a three-prong power supply unit, which is primarily used for connecting to three holes on PSU. Please do not use any other power cable assembly other than the specially designed one, as it will damage your Xbox 360 console or your power supply unit.
Power connectors:
The three connectors that you will find for Xbox 360 console are as under:
- 203 – watt connector
- 175 – watt connector
- 150 – connector
Figure 9 shows the power connectors used for the Xbox 360 console.
Power over Ethernet cable:
Commonly known as POE, Power over Ethernet is defined as the technology that allows electrical energy to be carried out by network cables. There are two types of connections used in Power over Ethernet (POE) technology, i.e., network connection and power connection.
It is to be noted here that if the device under POE technology is used, the only network connection is used. Under network connection, the connected device will also take electrical power from the cable.
You will find Power over Ethernet’s technology being used in different applications, including VoIP phones, wireless – Wifi and Bluetooth APs, RFID readers, and IP cameras. The advantages of using Power over Ethernet technology are as under:
- Scalability
- Reliability
- Safety
- Time-saving
- Cost-saving
- Flexibility
There are two routes available by which you can add POE (Power over Ethernet) to your network. You need to choose any of the following routes depending upon the nature of your application:
- POE switch – this network switch is known to have built-in Power over Ethernet injection
- Midspan (POE injector): This route is mainly used for making non – POE network links compatible with POE
Figure 10 shows Power over Ethernet’s working by keeping in view the example of an IP camera.
CHAPTER 5: Cable Assembly Manufacturing And Processing
Fitting and manufacturing – cable assembly:
We found cable assembly in different lengths, wire ranges, and diameters. They are known for giving users incredible ease of use as they are very good with quick installation. As their assembly is so simple, they allow users to build electrical applications all by the need.
Cable assemblies are manufactured using outer sheaths. These outer sheaths protect the cable assembly from ultraviolet radiations, moisture, oil, heat, fire, and cold. It makes them resistant to any plethora of conditions. That is great about cable assembly’s manufacturing that it can go beyond any environmental conditions.
Many cable assemblies are made from recyclable materials that are friendly to the environment. One of the most significant advantages that manufacturing cable assemblies include is an extensive range of available connectors and terminals. These connectors and terminals are primarily used for output and input of control, data, and electrical current.
Cable assembly processing:
The cable assembly, also known as wiring assembly or cable harness, exhibits an integrated and systematic cable arrangement encapsulated within an insulating material. The primary purpose of cable assembly processing is the transmission of the signal and electrical power.
The wire harness or cable assembly design is based on the required geometry and on the electrical specification of equipment used for following the applications. The board of cable assembly is known as a pinboard. The pinboard of the cable assembly is also known for working as a harness workbench.
There are plenty of different cable assembly processes available. The manual methods used for cable assemblies include:
- Installation of terminated wires that are found in various lengths
- Use of sleeves and conduits through cables and routing wires
- Breakouts and taping
- Use of multiple crimps for conduction
- Components to be bounded with cable ties, clamps, and tape
Please note that manual production is considered great for cable assembly processing most of the time just because there are many difficulties involved in automated processes. Manual handling of the cable assembly is deemed great as it is cost–effective and can produce batches of small sizes. The method of production takes some days to weeks to finish. And it is dependent on how complicated your design is. The production time is longer for complex circuitries.
CHAPTER 6: Cable Assembly Ordering
We have a huge experience with manufacturing custom cables for our clients from all over the world. All wiring looms, cable assemblies, cables, and harnesses available with us pass IPC – standards. Our products are thoroughly inspected, designed, and tested.
We keep quality and customer satisfaction on the top note. Most importantly, we are best for providing manufacturing processes on a short scale to mass production. From soldering to termination and from wrapping to testing, we are covering all your cable assembly needs. We are, and we are designing all by your budget. We are giving our customized cable assemblies in industries like medical, military, aerospace, and engineering. Our engineers make sure that you got the right product under the given guidelines. We know how to meet your best standard. You can contact us at any hour of the day. We will get back to you as earliest as possible.
Conclusion
The engineering world demands to stay updated with every latest happening as there are so many innovations emerging.