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NASA Workmanship Technical Committee

Originally Posted by Toolmonger

Toolmonger » Blog Archive » Need Help Wiring? NASA Shows You The Right Way
NASA staffs its organization with engineers who are completely humorless on the subject of electronics workmanship. They’re responsible for some of the most complicated machines humanity has ever produced, costing billions of dollars, brimming with high explosives, and carrying human lives. So I suspect their standards are more than sufficient for a DIY car audio installation. Fortunately, NASA offers its Workmanship Standards Pictorial Reference for free to anyone who wants to know.

The reference offers a wide array of illustrations, from the correct use of a spade connector to high-end fiber-optic terminations. The guide shows simple examples of preferred, acceptable, and unacceptable ways of connecting electronics.

You can get every series of examples as PDFs or web pages. While some of the material is way out of most people’s league, you can’t beat it as a reference for the more common electrical connections that come up in a Toolmonger’s life.

Originally Posted by Engadget

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


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.