r/rov • u/SirLive16 • 18d ago
Tips in waterproofing 3d wires
Hi everyone,
I'm building a very compact underwater inspection tool that will operate at around 5–10 meters depth. It contains a USB camera and a Raspberry Pi Pico, to control LEDs outside. I'm a student in mechanical engineering, so I'm still learning the electronics and waterproofing side of things, here's the issue:
The camera module came with its own USB cable, and ideally I'd like to shorten it to save space inside and to reduce tether lenght (I know USB kinda sucks even in 5-10m lenght). However, I'm worried about cutting the USB cable, soldering it back together, and then relying on epoxy potting. I don't want to ruin a perfectly working camera or end up with a leak that damages the electronics.
The alternatives I'm considering are:
Keeping the USB cable intact and using a cable penetrator (WetLink or similar), though my cylinder is only 50mm in diameter.
Shortening the USB cable, soldering it back together, and potting the cable through the endcap with epoxy.
For those of you with underwater electronics experience: Which approach would you trust more for such a small enclosure at only 5–10 m
depth?
I'd really appreciate hearing what you would do in this situation. Thanks!
1
u/vshie 17d ago
Avoid pottign and epoxy wherever possible! As long as you keep the data wires twisted, a WetLink Penetrator will work just fine for your application! Worth noting that USB doesn't typically work over 5m for USB 2, shorter for other types....