d1stewart Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 That's the question: Is the VDI cable simply a ruggedized Ethernet cable with standard Ethernet wiring, or is the wiring different? Do some of the wires go to a different place in the RJ45 connector? I can make an ethernet cable easily. I have a VDI from Line 6, but it's 25', which is a bit long for my little room studio; I'd like to use a 10'er or something like that. If it's different does anyone have the wiring diagrammed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 It's a standard cable; the wiring is the same. Make sure you add the protective housing on the cable ends. Don't just use the RJ-45 connectors. Over time, movement of these loose ends will cause damage to the VDI jacks on the connected equipment. Or, there's this option: http://line6.com/support/topic/958-more-more-added-new-colors-cool-vdi-cable/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_Watt Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 There are several sources of good quality VDI cables for Variax. One poster here sells them. Get yourself a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealZap Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 just make sure not to use a crossover cable! the cable needs to be entirely 568A or 568B not both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Make sure it's the VDI cable and not everyday CAT5. VDI has the XLR casing. You need that so that the connector doesn't wiggle and cause intermittent contacts. Seen a number of connectors in the past with both old Variax and JTV, where someone used the cheaper standard CAT5 Ethernet without the XLR casing. It resulted in bent pins, intermittent contacts and Volt transients that damaged the electronics. Always use the VDI version of the cable, and not the everyday CAT5 Ethernet stuff,... please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealZap Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 agree... just talking cable specs cause you can build your own VDI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regsiz Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Does the raw/bulk cable for the VDI cable have to be Cat5 or Cat6 cable, or will any high-quality 8 conductor cable work? Do the internal cable wires need to be twisted pairs? I'd like to build my own cables but don't want to use the usual Cat5/6 cable as it all too stiff. I can't find a supplier for the cable like Line 6 uses for this. Any ideas?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 CAT5 or CAT5e,... no CAT6 or CAT7. It's not about the highest bandwidth or bit rate, it's about the bandwidth and bit rate for the application you are using. So stick to the CAT5 or CAT5e, or you may find yourself with drop outs and artifacts because of being so far outside the operations range of the device. Like trying to run a Formula-1 racer on a Go-Cart track,... it doesn't work. I have this chat with Steve Lampen of Belden Cable from time to time, since this a subject of discussion here. And he is the King of Cables who has books out on this stuff. And he knows it well. The right cable for the right application, for the operating parameters of the device. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 On 2/1/2018 at 1:13 PM, psarkissian said: CAT5 or CAT5e,... no CAT6 or CAT7. It's not about the highest bandwidth or bit rate, it's about the bandwidth and bit rate for the application you are using. So stick to the CAT5 or CAT5e, or you may find yourself with drop outs and artifacts because of being so far outside the operations range of the device. Like trying to run a Formula-1 racer on a Go-Cart track,... it doesn't work. I have this chat with Steve Lampen of Belden Cable from time to time, since this a subject of discussion here. And he is the King of Cables who has books out on this stuff. And he knows it well. The right cable for the right application, for the operating parameters of the device. Old post I know but this is an interesting point as it perhaps applies to a whole range of electronics devices, not just the Variax. This flies in the face of what I have usually done. Unless I am trying to save a few bucks on an older standard (they are usually less expensive) as long as a cable claims to be backwards compatible I tend to opt for the latest and greatest with the highest possible data transmission rate so I will be prepared if and when my devices get updated. My understanding is that the later CAT standards widen the operating range but do not place older devices "outside" of it. If that is the case I may have to change my cabling upgrade strategy. I'm curious, did Steve Lampen have any technical specifics as to why a later CAT* standard would not perform as well as an old one matched to an older device? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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