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PRODUCTS DOCUMENTATION TELEO USER GUIDE	Teleo Network Construction Guide to making Teleo Network Cables:   Configurations Connectors Receptacles Header

There are several reasons to make your own Teleo Network cables. For example, you might want to have one or more modules run at a distance from the rest of your installation, in which case you would need a long cable with a header on one end and one or more receptacles on the other.

Long Teleo Network Cable

You might also have a need to connect more than one or two modules to a single run of cable. One header and several receptacles on one run of cable would be what you need for that.

Reqular Short Run Teleo Network Cable

Finally it's handy to have utility cables around that let you offer two Receptacles where before there was only one.

Utility Cable for Teleo Network

In all cases, apart from getting the wiring correct which required much more concentration than you might think, the most important thing to remember is to only have one Header per network cable. This is good news since the Header is harder to install.

The connectors used are MTA 0.156" connectors from Tyco/AMP. They were selected because they are capable of carrying quite high current and they're simple to use. The polarizing tabs on the receptacle, and slots on the header provide some assurance that the connector will not be applied the wrong way round.

Teleo Network Connectors

Headers (the black connectors) are all the same. They are designed for use in PCB applications and hence require to be soldered to the wire if they're being used on a cable.

Receptacles are much simpler to install - they are called Insulation Displacement Connectors (IDC) because the wire to be connected is pressed down onto the contact. As it is pressed on, the contact cuts the insulation and connects with the copper of the wire.

Receptacles have several variations: firstly, they come in two major shapes: the closed-end kind for use at the end of a cable when the wire doesn't go on to another connector and the feed through kind for connectors in the middle of a cable. A plastic cap called a strain relief exists for both kinds. The purpose of the strain relief cap is to protect the electrical connection from mechanical tugs on the wires.

Closed-End and Feed Through-Receptacles with Strain Relief Caps

The other dimension along which receptacles vary is the size of wire they fit. The orange-colored connectors are designed to work with AWG 18 wire, the red ones with AWG 22 wire.

The wiring should be as follows:

Connector	Color	Function
1	RED	V+
2	WHITE	DATA A
3	BLUE	DATA B
4	BLACK	GROUND

Both the header and receptacle have indicators of pin numbering, the header has a large numeral "1" on that pin. The receptacle has tiny numbers on each location.

 

Receptacle and Header with Correct Wiring

The installation of wires onto the receptacle requires a stable fixture. A good solution for this is a header glued onto a big piece of plastic.

Connector Fixture

The receptacle is inserted fully into the header, and the first wire is laid into the correct channel.

Receptacle with 18 AWG Wire

The wire is pressed down into the connector with a T-Tool. There are more professional tools that do the job much faster, but the complete setup costs more than US$500 so it is anticipated that this is beyond the budgets of all but the high-end work shops.

MTA 0.156" T-Tool

The T-Tool has very tough teeth that press down onto the wire pushing it into the IDC contact. This requires a lot of force, especially for the 18 gauge wire. Some people use a mallet.

T-Tool Preparing to Fix Wire.

The end result is that the wire is buried deep into the connector and the contact makes a good connection with the wire in two places.

Wire installed into Receptacle

The rest of the wires can be inserted and strain relief installed. Let me remind you again of how easy it is to get the wires wrong - even after you check. Check twice!

Receptacle with all four wires installed and strain relief installed

Each Teleo Network cable requires exactly one header. The header is soldered onto the cable and tidied-up with heat shrink. Be careful to put the heatshrink on before you have to undo something to get it on.

Header with 18 AWG Wire Soldered and Heatshrink Applied