Home » Electronic components » this page
For more information, please visit RHT.
Connector Technology Includes:
Connector basics
Connector types
Specifications
Selecting the right connector
D-type connector
IEC power connector
Jack connector
XLR connector
IDC connector
PCB edge connector
DIN connector
The IDC connector finds many of its uses in computer related technology. Although a variety of different forms of IDC connector are used, the most widely used one is with flat ribbon cable where multiple parallel connections are needed.
The letters IDC stand for insulation displacement contact, or it can be seen as insulation displacement connection.
The name of the connector describes the way in which it operates: it is an electrical connector designed to be connected to the conductor or conductors of an insulated cable by having specially designed connection points that cut through he simulation and make connection with the wire in the cable. This overcomes the the very time consuming process of stripping the conductors of insulation before connecting to the pins on the connector.
Insulation displacement connectors use the concept of cold welds as the basis for the technology. It was heavily influenced by research on wire-wrap and crimp connector technology where cold welds formed the concept on which these techniques depended.
Cold welding is a technique where two metals fuse when they are brought together under pressure. This occurs without the need for heat that is required for the more traditional forms of welding.
For electrical contacts the advantage is that once made, the cold weld will provide high levels of connectivity and reliability.
In terms of multi-way IDC connectors, the ribbon cable is forced down onto the contact. The contact consists flat metallic contact with an upper region where there is a slight angle to locate the wire correctly. There is then a lower U shaped region which is used to cut through the insulation and then compress the conductor so that a cold weld is formed.
These connections are not only very quick to make, but also very reliable. To improve the reliability and prevent damage from flexing and strain, these connectors normally come with strain relief mechanisms that clamp the wire and hold it firmly in place.
IDC connector technology works well because metal to metal contact is generated during he assembly process. If the joint remains mechanically stable, then as time progresses additional diffusion welding can occur which can improve the joint.
However it is also possible that stress relaxation and creep of the terminal and wire can degrade the reliability. Normally the IDC terminal not only bites through the insulation, but it also applies significant pressure onto the wire so that the cold weld is formed.
The mechanical stability of the joint depends upon a number of factors including the spring properties of the terminal or connection and the loading and strain put on the wire. Both these factors can be improved by the design of the connector.
External strain relief of the cable considerably improves the long term reliability of the joint as it protects against movement at the wire terminal interface. Also the design of the IDC terminal has a major effect.
Also the wire has an effect: since the strand bundle is under compressive load, there is a tendency towards lower contact forces as the bundle relaxes in the slot due to mechanical disturbance, stress relaxation and creep. This can be affected by the number and lay or twist of the strands in the wire, the conductor top plating and the type of insulation.
If solid wire is used, this can produce a better connection, but often the wire itself is not as robust. Typically most ribbon cable is multi stranded to provide the best performance.
Insulation displacement connection technology is used within a number of different types of connector as the technology is applicable for many areas.
IDC connectors provide a very easy method for creating cables. Particularly those types used with computer ribbon cable provide a very fast, reliable and easy way of assembling and connecting a connector to its cable. By just aligning the wires and clamping the connector, a huge number of connections can be made very quickly.
In addition to this, IDC connector technology is generally very reliable.
Written by Ian Poole .
Experienced electronics engineer and author.
If you have ever taken apart your computer, then there’s no doubt that you’ve come across ribbon or flat cable cables that connect various components of your computer. Custom ribbon cables provide designs, especially for applications with space constraints.
The article below covers all you need to know about ribbon cables and how they can save your project money and time.
Flat ribbon cables are rectangular cables made of wires running parallel. Manufacturers specially design it to enable mass termination of IDC connectors.
Some older computer systems (Apple II series and BBC Micro) were used for external connections also.
The ribbon shape disrupts computer cooling by interfering with airflow in the case. Also, it makes the cable awkward to handle, especially if several of them exist.
Hence, round cables almost replace ribbon cables for external connections and are increasingly used internally.
Below are the various custom ribbon cable considerations.
Ribbon cables are normally categorized by the pitch or spacing of conductors and the number of ways or connectors.
The most common spacing is usually 0.05 inches, which allows for a 2-row connector with a spacing of pins of about 0.1 inches.
The size applied for interconnections in an enclosure was used for floppy disk drive cables and custom or older parallel ATA cords in personal computers.
Depending on the availability of basic connectors, the number of conductors is normally restricted to small numbers.
Sometimes, one can use a bigger width and strip it back to the needed requirement. For example, a 26-way IDC cable might have 1 wire removed to create a 25-way. The wire is normally stranded, either 26, 24, or 22 AWG.
Furthermore, there are also coarser and finer pitch cables available. You can find finer pitches of about 0.3mm on portable electronic devices like laptops, which normally use FFC.
Often, IDC termination occurs on both cable ends. However, in some cases, just one end is IDC terminated while the other is terminated with a soldered bucket connection or regular crimp.
The company is the world’s best Idc Connector Types supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
The primary use of ribbon cords is to enable mass termination for specially-made IDC connectors. The ribbon cord is forced on a column of sharp fork-like contacts, removing the need to strip the insulation of a wire before connecting.
IDC connectors are grouped according to number of rows, pin spacing, and number of pins.
Although sometimes it’s possible to disassemble and use IDC connectors again, the design doesn’t make it easy.
The most common types of IDC connectors that come with IDC termination that are ideal for ribbon cables include;
Electronic hobbyists working on digital music boards or computers to hack or modify them often end up soldering ribbon cables.
For someone who hasn’t been certified as an electrical technician, soldering ribbon cables can be difficult.
Cloom offers ribbon cable options for reliable performance even when exposed to extreme conditions.
In medical, commercial aviation, and industrial automation, single applications often require coaxial, power, and data cables. However, they are extremely constrained by environmental limitations and space.
Hybrid ribbon cables utilize different types and sizes of wires, including shielded parallel pairs, single hook-up wires and micro coaxial cables.
This cable can maintain a constant design on both sides thanks to the bonding.
It also makes mass termination simpler for a variety of cable products.
However, bonding eliminates significant adaptability and is often challenging in small spaces.
Unlike a standard ribbon, the wires of a bonded ribbon cable are aligned differently because its dimensions aren’t standard.
At Cloom, once you pick an item, our team of experts uses adhesive glue to bond all the pieces permanently.
Bonding does all the same identifying, bulk terminating, and organizational functions similar to other constructs.
A flat, intermittent bonded ribbon cable enables increased flexibility, cable rotation at separate sections, and better wire placement.
Also, it enables semi-automated or fully automated termination, thus saving time during the termination of mass production and reducing termination errors.
The components of the twisted flat ribbon cable comprise alternating parallel and twisted wire sections.
The parallel pairs enable the termination of PCB connectors and headers via the traditional IDC ribbon cabling technique. The twisted pairs reduce the risk of crosstalk.
Rainbow ribbon cords utilize a repeating color pattern to identify the conductors.
Typically, the pattern applies the industry-set color code in which brown is used for a conductor and pins 24, 11, and 1. On the other hand, the color red is used for a conductor and the pins 22, 12, 2 etc.
The rainbow ribbon cable might have insulated conductors drawn parallel to one another. However, it might also be manufactured using twisted pairs with a constant flat section enabling termination at certain length intervals.
The edge-marked cord normally has a marked stripe in the beginning conductor that connects to the first pin of the adapter. The stripped mark can be a random color as long as it’s established on the center spacing or pitch of the cord.
The above identification method is ideal for cords with more than two IDCs, with all the connectors connecting to all the wires.
However, when small bundles or individual wires require separate termination, the above identification method becomes less helpful.
For such a case, some additional marking will be used on certain conductors to enable proper termination and identification.
One edge of the cable is marked with a red stripe to reduce the chances of a reversed connection. The striped edge is usually connected to the first pin on the connector.
The above identification method is ideal for cables with only two or more IDC connectors that every connector connected to a wire.
However, when small bundles or individual wires require separate termination, the above identification method becomes less helpful.
The round-to-flat ribbon cable is a rather unusual form of ribbon design. It starts as a group of circular structures, then unwinds, enabling use in several locations.
This is ideal for confined areas since the final segment enjoys the benefits of the ribbon construction.
Ribbon and flat cables can fold to create custom configurations where spacing constraints are a limiting design factor.
Folding your cables during the assembly process helps reduce costs as your cables arrive ready to use in the assembly.
The folding process requires equipment and tooling to ensure the folds are complete and permanent.
Want more information on Sim Card Connectors? Feel free to contact us.