You have your perfect IDC connector, now what cable should you use? When choosing the cable the biggest factor you need to look for is pitch. The cable of a 2 row+ connector needs to be half the pitch. The reason the cable needs to be half is that this type of IDC connector has staggered pins.
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Here is an example on Digi-Key part number -4-ND (TE part number -4, the best place to see the staggard pattern is on the strain relief part:
Below is a quick cheat sheet for common pitches:
Connector Pitch Cable Pitch .079" (2.00mm) .039" (1.00mm) .098" (2.50mm) .049" (1.25mm) .100" (2.54mm) .050" (1.27mm)If you have a single row cable you can use the same pitch cable, making things much easier. With any number of rows, the proper cable pitch is on the manufacturer datasheet.
Here are some other helpful articles for IDC connectors:
How do IDC connectors work, and what tools should I use?Interconnect
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IDC (Insulation Displacement Contact) connectors work by forcing the connector through the insulated jacket on the cable. Eliminating the need for stripping the cable. [IDC Crimp] Photo Credit Molex There are two main types of IDC connectors Ribbon Cable and Punch-down blocks. Ribbon Cable IDCs are designed to connect all wires to the connector at once, thus saving you time. Ribbon cables usually have a specialized crimp tool to make all the connections at the same time. Making your upfronRibbon Cable Pitch vs Connector Pitch
Rectangular Connectors
When looking at the pitch of your connector and the pitch of your ribbon cable you will need to understand they are often not the same. If you have a 2 row connector your ribbon cable pitch will be half of your connector mating pitch. For example IDC socket HHKC10H-ND is a 10 position 2 row connector. This connector has a mating pitch of .100" (2.54mm) and a row spacing of .100" (2.54mm). The pitch of the cable that will mate with this connector will be .050" (1.27mm). These measurements are sIDC ribbon cable Connector Presses
Tools
When it comes to IDC Ribbon Cable Connectors what is a good crimp tool to use? Digi-Key does stock different Presses that will work. One option is the Press from Panavise. Part Number - 502PV-ND [image] Along with this Press an IDC Conversion kit is required for use. Part Number - 506PV-ND [image] The next part that is needed is a Base Plate. This can be different depending on the Style of connector that is used. IDC Socket base Plate - 510PV-ND IDC Card Edge Base Plate - 511PV-N
so. On a pcb I'm working on, I have 10 pins that I need to connect to another pcb. I had the two pcbs manufactured, both with the same 10 pin layout on their top sides. What I was planning on doing was using a 10 pin ribbon to connect the top of one board to the bottom of the other. What I'm finding is that the IDC connectors I have, which are the crimp on style and I believe to be fairly standard, don't allow the connections to be mirrored! It's actually pretty interesting, that no matter how you crimp on the connectors (facing up, down, left, or right), the connections are always the same, ie cannot be mirrored. the top left of the connector connects to the top left of any others on that ribbon, regardless of their orientation. I spent a good hour looking at them from every angle, sitting in different places in my apt trying to shake off the stupid. I used up all of my connectors trying to make this ribbon cable, and am now realizing that there was no hope to begin with!So my question is... how the in the balls can one connect something like this? I know the obvious answer is to get new pcbs with one of the connectors mirrored, but what I'd like is an IDC connector that mirrors the pin connections. Anyone have any experience with this?thanks in advance!
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