Wired Sensor Network Cabling and Connectors

[StBarnabas]

List
As you are hopefully aware some of us have been giving serious thought to home sensor networks . Great strides have been made and if one is prepared to tie up a PC to do the logging it is now possible to get the components for a network (based on 1-wire and HalfBee technology) for under £10. This would give you for example eight  10 bit ADC channels, four switches and two counters and the ability to view and record these to a  PC .
The problem however is how to connect up the network. Indeed cabling and especially connector costs can easily be more than the electronic components often in fact much more
1.   A fairly classical approach discussed on the forum before is to use RJ45 connectors with cat5 cable. This may well be familiar to you as Ethernet cable and patch connectors. This works but the cable is bulky and the female connectors are difficult to handle – fine if you can manufacture your own PCBs. It also works out very expensive in terms of the network cost.
2.   Another approach would be to use USB cables the female versions of these are easier to handle and they can be obtained quite cheaply. USB cables are generally limited to 2m but with a daisy chain network that might be OK
3.   A third option  would be to use audio cable with 3.5mm jack plugs. http://uk.farnell.com/pro-signal/audl-73-1m/lead-3-5mm-s-jack-bare-end-1m/dp/1219360, and use headphone splitters and extension cables. All these can be obtained for around £1.00 and would fit in well with the RGTech 1-wire master.
Thoughts very welcome.

[djh]

Can you not use ordinary twisted pair cable with some simple connectors, such as jack plugs or maybe RCA connectors would be more secure?

[billt]

My 1-wire network has more than 100 sensors, with a few more to add. I've been completely cheapskate and used cat-5 cable; RJ45 connector at the end with the interface, the first DS1820 is soldered to the cat-5 pair and looped on. Most of the inter DS1820 wiring just uses one pair stripped out of the cat-5 - easier to accommodate and very cheap.

Most of the sensors and wiring are monitoring plumbing, so appearance isn't important. For the few air temperature sensors that I use I'll probably run the wires through the walls and try to find an inconspicuous sleeve for the sensor.

There's no way that I'd use connectors, much too expensive and introducing lots more places for potential failure.

[ericw]

My twopenneth would be telephone extension cables, these are dirt cheap on Ebay and if cut in the middle to add the sensor you get both male and female wires for daisy chaining, without having to do any crimping of connectors.

Male plugs, PCB mounted females and (multi)Tees are also all cheaply obtainable should they be needed.

[MN]

I use CAT5 and Jelly Bean connectors where the wires can not be seen (attic etc).  Connectors are cheap when you ask Mr BT man for a handful

[mpooley]

I have soldered all my (12 so far) connectors except where they use RJ11 at the server.

As I dont see much cause to remove a sensor after its positioned I think this is ok.

I love the telephone lead idea though!

and

whats a jelly bean connector?