NASA's wiring guide -- only the most demanding geeks need apply

In our opinion, the best rigs are the ones held together with duct tape and wired up with leftover speaker cable, but if you're looking to class things up -- and avoid any number of potential fire issues -- NASA's got you covered with the agency's official Workmanship Standards Pictorial Reference. The exhaustive guide covers everything from wire splicing to connector tightness, and if you're opening up walls to install a home theater or just trying to build the prettiest casemod on the block, it's well worth a look -- the rest of us can stick to using chewing gum and prayer to keep our gear running.

[Via Toolmonger]

[Byzil Mystwing @ Feb 9th 2008 5:44PM]

You mean to tell me my method of "Twist, bend, and pray" isn't top-of-the-line? ._. well..crap.

[trevor @ Feb 9th 2008 10:00PM]

I think you picked up NASA's guide to yoga by mistake.

[Saint Dumb Ox @ Feb 9th 2008 10:57PM]

Don't knock the power of prayer. My first computer build POSTed only because of the prayer "Why God? Please just make it work!"

[dhodge @ Feb 9th 2008 5:50PM]

No wonder NASA is having trouble: this artist's rendition of a wiring connection seems physically impossible, like an M.C. Escher drawing! Note the wire starting on the left; once it passes the middle where the wires cross, it loops down behind the wire coming from the right, then back up toward the viewer. Follow through a few more loops, then it seems the wire should end behind the right wire pointing DOWN not UP! Try it yourself. This is on page 93 of the PDF doc: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codeq/doctree/87394.pdf

[Tim @ Feb 9th 2008 5:57PM]

you know what, i'm going to go ahead and leave this to nasa. We're not supposed to understand.

[applefreak @ Feb 9th 2008 6:05PM]

ooo I love the impossible cube (as shown :)

[fanlandcheese @ Feb 9th 2008 7:02PM]

Good old Nasa. If the wire had started twisting in the opposite direction then the ends of the wire would be correct, but as it is its an impossibility UNLESS the wire doesn't actually go fully around the under wires. A bit like a U and less of a O.

[mark wright @ Feb 9th 2008 8:26PM]

You are correct sir. You must have spent some time looking at that :D

[CraigJ @ Feb 9th 2008 10:26PM]

Probably some obscure English to metric conversion...

[ElvisLives @ Feb 10th 2008 8:11AM]

Good catch!

[Nerd @ Feb 10th 2008 8:36AM]

You don’t understand, this is all supposed to be done in space, where zero-gravity reigns supreme, see... On the good ol’ earth, gum and a prayer should (continue to) work just fine.

[Abuzar @ Feb 10th 2008 11:45AM]

No in space MICRO GRAVITY reigns supreme. Zero gravity is a totally wrong concept.

[tekdemon @ Feb 10th 2008 8:22PM]

Don't be silly, I thought we all knew that the UFO crash at Area 51 gave NASA the technology to make wires that coil into themselves in exactly this impossible manner.

[newgalactic @ Feb 9th 2008 6:04PM]

We used to do something very similar at Circuit City when wiring up car audio. Maybe we should have asked for a raise, ...or looked for a better job at least.

[XDS @ Feb 9th 2008 6:21PM]

This should help end-users and small biz who have put much time and effort into learning advanced soldering techniques get a real challenge , and learn some things in the process.

[Blaktornado @ Feb 9th 2008 6:29PM]

Uhh... I'll give it a miss, thanks.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Feb 9th 2008 6:29PM]

Mmmmmm . . . . impossible soldering . . . .

[Brent @ Feb 9th 2008 6:41PM]

Soldering? Why'd I buy 23 rolls of colored electrical tape then?

[Paul Hildebrandt @ Feb 9th 2008 7:11PM]

To cover up your soldering job.

[Ogre @ Feb 9th 2008 7:00PM]

The same standards have been used in the Telephone business for years. I've got a head full of that crap, and I've left some of the damned finest wiring you've ever seen all over this continent. If it looks good, it will last a long time.

That diagram up top is baffling though. I've done many Western Union splices, but I've never been able to defy the laws of physics like that!

[noazark @ Feb 9th 2008 7:29PM]

and remind me. just what is NASA's record with holding things together and not blowing up?

I'm sorry but I didn't accept NASA's job offer because I enjoy helping people live. Thats why I'm in web design now.

[ZekeSulastin @ Feb 9th 2008 7:39PM]

Seems to be pretty good to me ... Apollo 1, Challenger, Columbia. Not bad, given the quantity of flights they HAVE sustained.

I'm guessing you don't fly commercially or drive, either?

[trevor @ Feb 9th 2008 11:19PM]

And sweet Christ, if you have an aversion to crashes and explosions, why are you working in the computer industry!?

[Will H. @ Feb 10th 2008 3:57AM]

Yes, and remind us how many times you've sent a man to the moon?

http://space.about.com/od/toolsequipment/ss/apollospinoffs.htm

But I'm sure as a web designer ( who is relegated to making rather unintelligent comments on engadget ) you've produced a lot of things that have benefited mankind.

[James @ Feb 10th 2008 11:44AM]

Page 50 of the PDF ( http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codeq/doctree/87394.pdf ) made me chuckle:

Note: Do not use spiral wrap sleeving on spacecraft or launch vehicles.

[DarkLightConnection @ Feb 9th 2008 7:56PM]

Used chewing gum FTW!

[zed @ Feb 9th 2008 7:59PM]

Looks just like the Wiring Guides that the Navy had when I was in, and those splices had to withstand salt water spray and such....:P

[ofsoundmind @ Feb 10th 2008 12:05AM]

Good thing this is what I 'taught' when I did a 'how to' on wiring in PAS Magazine...

[bartoron @ Feb 9th 2008 8:23PM]

I prefer to just stick to the basics:

Lefty loosey, righty tighty.

[R1cebrner @ Feb 9th 2008 8:25PM]

Guess thats what happens when a graphic designer who doesn't know the physics of wiring draws a picture. Kinda like the people who write the computer program but don't know what it is used for. (but to give credit i can't draw that good or program so i guess i shouldn't be posting this.. oh well

[Dirkus @ Feb 9th 2008 8:44PM]

Now I'm ashamed of my telephone wire speaker cables, chopped-twisted-scotchtaped crossover cable, and telephone line splitters used as splices. :(

[DarkLightConnection @ Feb 10th 2008 4:28AM]

"use telephone splitters as splicers" LOL I thought I was the only one who did that

[DarkLightConnection @ Feb 10th 2008 4:32AM]

Oh and I also use telephone wire as speaker cable LOL.... it's really good quality wire and you can get long chunks of it for free with a few lies to your telephone company

[snowenloe @ Feb 9th 2008 8:51PM]

I am well aware of the majority of these techniques used by NASA. I actually used these to build a robot once, but alas, it became self aware and now rules our country (USA).

[Dirkus @ Feb 9th 2008 10:08PM]

Apparently your work is inferior, as that robot obviously has some screws and solder joints loose. I just wish you had commented out the SeekWMD() and BlowShitUp() functions before you started it up.

[snowenloe @ Feb 9th 2008 10:25PM]

@Dirkus

Yes, it is an inferior product and I wish I would have added some sort of self destruct mechanism. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.

[Natedog @ Feb 10th 2008 1:39AM]

Our only hope now is that it will find too many WMDs with SeekWMD(), fill up the WMD_location array, and segfault.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Feb 9th 2008 8:59PM]

Using duct tape and Elmer's glue to hold together broken heat shield tiles before re-entry wasn't a very good idea. NASA had told Columbia not to try that solution, but the crew probably figured it would likely hold together for at least five minutes.

I sure wouldn't have wanted to take the chance, but when you're that far up with little resources they didn't have much of a choice.

Every time I witness a shuttle launch it scares the crap out of me. Those astronauts are truly fearless. Going up is only half the danger. They gotta get back, too.

[vigilante.killer @ Feb 9th 2008 10:31PM]

That is, unless they choose they like it better up there than down here.

Difficult choice when you consider all the crap that happens down here.

[HDpurist @ Feb 10th 2008 5:47AM]

Nasa's wiring techniques works well when applying a twist-tie on a garbage bag.

[theMountie @ Feb 10th 2008 9:49AM]

i'm a connector engineer and those articles gave me a big chubby... =)

[Tranman @ Feb 10th 2008 9:57AM]

Actually, if you've ever taken a basic electronics soldering course, that is a standard wire splice, I regularly use that splice for most of my needs, it is SUPER strong compared to other ways of splicing...

[shiba @ Feb 10th 2008 11:29AM]

whaaa? I actually do a lot of this stuff already because its either A. pretty standard or B. Well I don't really know, I guess I somehow figured it out without ever reading it anywhere because it seemed to make sense?

Maybe I used to be involved with NASA and they didn't wipe my brain all the way.

[Aaron @ Feb 10th 2008 2:59PM]

any one else notice in the picture that the twisted wires are finishing the wrong way??? (the counter clockwise twist on the left ends as clockwise)

[JR @ Feb 11th 2008 1:52AM]

But I LIKE my wires to arc...