Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] CAT 5 wiring

On Fri, 6 Apr 2001, Jon Elson wrote:

> JanRwl@... wrote:
>
> > In a message dated 06-Apr-01 17:16:06 Central Daylight Time,
> > jvicars@... writes:
> >
> > > Is there a reason not to use CAT 5, 8 twisted pair cable (ethernet) for
> > > wiring the signal wires from the parallel port to the drivers (I.E. the TTL
> > > level signals, step, dir, etc.)
> >
> > Joe: I may be all-wrong, but I THINK that will work just fine, particularly
> > if you carefully make sure ONE-each of each twisted pair is made GROUND
> > (-ve).
> >
> > Solder what? Cat. 5 wire? Connectors? I don't understand this part of the
> > question! If you use a good unshorted-to-AC-line iron, or a
> > green-wire-grounded one, I see no reason one COULDN'T solder it, so long as
> > power is off, and/or (better), connector is NOT connected until
> > done/checked-out!
>
> Some wires made for insulation-displacement connectors do not have
> platings that are compatible with solder. (I don't think this is true
> of these particular wires, however.) But, I HAVE come across pure
> aluminum wires, and others with strange platings that would not tin no
> matter WHAT I did.

Luckily, Cat 5 is solid copper and solders like solid copper ought to.

Let me second the part about grounding one leg of each twisted
pair. That's how twisted pair gets the signal to noise it gets. So long
as you ground one leg of each pair, Cat 5 can be used in some really noisy
environments with no problems.

Tom