Practical tips for routing wires

conurus

I am working on optics but I guess the same problem is very common in robotics. I have a rotating lens barrel, which rotates a maximum of a certain number of degrees (let's say 270). I have some wires to route from one end of the barrel to the other, along the inside wall of the barrel. What are the techniques to make sure the wires do not get all tangled up or ripped apart while the barrel turns?

Thanks in advance.

Sparks-R-Fun

Conurus,

I would recommend two things.

1.) Allow sufficient slack in the wires. You might consider making them 1.5 – 3 times the length of the distance they must travel down the barrel.
2.) Use stranded wire. Solid wire is likely to eventually break with repeated flexing. Stranded wire is essential for applications that must flex.

- Sparks