In many applications including audio/video, medical equipment, instrumentation and communications there are numerous interconnection demands for a single device. These could include power supply and grounding, signal, coax, twisted pair, strength members, vent tubes, individually shielded components, Litz wire, etc. New England Wire Technologies specializes in developing custom hybrid cable solutions to meet the wide range of requirements for these complex applications.
What is a Custom Hybrid Cable?
A hybrid cable is simply a cable in which multiple sizes or types of conductors or other components are incorporated into a single neat package. A custom hybrid cable can offer a wide range of functionality and the performance required for complex devices and applications without the clutter.
Some finished device manufacturers attempt to meet their variety of connection needs by bundling together many individual wires and components by hand. This approach allows for some design flexibility but unfortunately, the result is often disorganized, difficult to route and not very aesthetically pleasing. A single hybrid cable offers a much cleaner look than a bundle of individual wires and with overall shielding and jacketing in common. A hybrid cable will typically provide reduced diameter as well. Also, cleaning and sterilization can be much more effective with a single round and smooth jacket rather than a rough bundle.
In other cases, device manufacturers attempt to fit their device with an off-the-shelf product such as HDMI, USB, or category cable. Regrettably, the result is often the sacrifice of performance or design goals. The cable is an essential component of a high-quality device, so why use a cable that may not provide the appearance, dimensions, flexibility, flex-life, or other aspects that you would ideally want your device to offer? With New England Wire’s custom design support and manufacturing expertise, a hybrid cable can be tailored to the specific requirements of any application. We work closely with customers to combine multiple interconnection needs into a single easy-to-route hybrid cable.
What Components Can Be Combined Into a Hybrid Cable?
Some of the design options we’ve offered customers in the past include:
- Communications components including specialty USB, HDMI, fiber optics or other configurations of coax or twisted pairs can be easily incorporated into the design. Improved versions like autoclave capable, low attenuation or high flex life can be designed, built and tested in-house.
- Mixed AWG Sizes/Sub-cables to meet electrical performance, or to separate bundles. When power leads and signal wires need to be isolated, shielded, or routed differently in your device or connector.
- Strength Members can be anything from stainless steel cables to monofilaments to aramid fibers with a no- fray extrusion. Any of these can be cabled with other components to yield high tensile strength and low elongation in your cable.
- Lumens/Vent Tubes can be utilized to transfer liquids, gases or other cable components such as fiber optic filaments. Cables with multiple insulated conductors plus one or more vent tubes can be produced to meet specialty requirements.
- Thermocouple extension wires using ANSI standard materials can be bundled into a cable or added with a jacket for breakout. We also can design and manufacture finely stranded, highly flexible thermocouple wire as part of your custom-designed hybrid cable.
- High frequency power can be supplied using our custom Litz wire preventing heating and saving space and energy.
- Magnet wire twisted pairs for low voltage signal can be bundled into many pairs or insulated for breakout with other components such as strength members or power leads.
- Resistance wire, standard or finely stranded, highly flexible constructions, can be placed in a cable for heating components or placed around tubes to heat the contents.
Interested in incorporating wire or cable components into the wall of a tube? Visit our subsidiary company New England Tubing Technologies and take a look at their web page on eTubing® for more information!
Engineers Ask: Hybrid Cable FAQs
Is combining multiple functions into one cable actually better?
It certainly can be. If the application has space constraints, or if the cable pathways are limited, a hybrid cable can often save space by combining what would otherwise be multiple cables together. Another benefit is that only one cable needs to be routed during installation, saving time and hassle.content
Do hybrid cables simplify assembly?
That depends on the application and how termination of the internal components takes place. For a dental tool, power leads and tubes for fluid extraction are in proximity, for example. However, if tubes in the hybrid cable needed to be routed some distance from power or signal leads it might make for a more complex assembly process.
Can power and high-speed data coexist in a hybrid cable?
Yes, that is the beauty of a hybrid cable. There does, however, need to be care taken in the design and manufacturing of the cable to ensure proper component configuration and shielding exists to protect sensitive data signals from interference.
Can coax, fiber optics, Litz wire, thermocouple wire, vent tubing, and strength members all be included?
There are limits to the benefits of including everything but the kitchen sink – overall cable size, component layout within the cable, dissimilar mechanical and electrical properties of components, and more. For example, a coax transmitting high-frequency signals, fiber for data transmission, Litz to reduce AC loss in high-frequency power applications, thermocouples for temperature monitoring, vent tubes to move fluids or air, and strength members to protect against longitudinal pull forces has too much going on to optimize performance for any one component, and just isn’t best practice.
