Real World Instrumentation with Python

Supplies

Having a supply of items such as wire, wire nuts, electrical tape, and so on, readily available can make things a whole lot less frustrating and help to ensure that the end result will be both reliable and professional-looking. Table 6-2 shows a list of suggested supplies to keep handy.

Table 6-2. Suggested supplies

Item	Description
Insulated hookup wire	#22 stranded, various colors
	#20 stranded, various colors
	#18 stranded, various colors
	#16 stranded, various colors
Shielded coaxial cable	RG-58, 50 ohms impedance
Wire nuts	Small (#18–14 size)
Electrical tape	Black
Kapton tape	1/4″ wide
Heat-shrink tubing	Various diameters (from 3/32 to 1/2″)
Resistors	1/4 watt; 100, 330, 1K, 2.2K, 4.7K, and 10K ohms
Wire lugs	#18 to #16 wire gauge size

Wire and cable typically come on spools in lengths from 10 feet to over 1,000 feet. For hookup wire, 25 feet is a good length, and a selection of standard colors (red, black, white, blue, and green) allows one to readily identify power (red), ground (black), and signal wires. Some types of wire, particularly in the smaller gauges, will have only a single copper conductor instead of multiple strands. Single-conductor wire is not recommended unless there is a specific reason to use it, as the single conductor can break if bent too far or nicked when the insulation is removed. Stranded wire is much more flexible and durable.

The Kapton tape mentioned in Table 6-2 deserves a brief explanation, as most folks outside of the aerospace and electronics production realms ...