How to Choose What Is an Idc Connector?

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:

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:

Interconnect

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 IDC&#;s 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 upfron&#;

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 s&#;

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&#;

Despite the rise of wireless, cables are still vitally important in modern electronics, and necessary within equipment enclosures. Both ribbon cabling and individual (discrete) wires are common, and both IDC and single crimp connections give reliable connectivity. So how do you choose?

What is an IDC Connection?

IDC is an acronym for Insulation Displacement Contact or Connector. That name also describes the way the contact makes connection to the cable conductor.

The rear of the connector, where the cable connection is located, has two rows of twin fork shapes. Each of these shapes has sharp points and a U channel between. The two rows of forks are offset by half a pitch &#; for instance a 1.27mm pitch connector has the rows offset by 0.635mm, ready for a 0.635mm pitch ribbon cable.

When you push the ribbon cable onto the rows of contacts, the sharp points pierce through the insulating rubber material, pushing it out the way (displacing it). As you push the cable further down, the sides of the center conductor are now in contact with the inside faces of the U channel. The conductor is squeezed slightly, ensuring a good connection joint between the cable and the contact.

This is where the name comes from &#; the insulation is displaced by the contact beams.

What is a Discrete Cable?

To make sure we&#;re comparing like-for-like, we&#;ll quickly define discrete cabling. This is a connection method that involves single cables with a single conductor (stranded or solid). These are often called equipment wires. You would attach them to single contacts, one at a time &#; whether that&#;s by crimping or soldering. Solder cup contacts may be pre-assembled into the connector, but crimp contacts will also need assembling to the housing.

The BIG Advantage of IDC

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It&#;s a really big advantage in terms of assembly processes &#; with IDC and ribbon cables, you&#;ll connect all your conductors in one action.

An IDC connector has a bar that goes over the back of the connections. This bar helps push the ribbon down into the right position. It also makes sure that in use, the cable stays on the contacts, and that the sharp beam ends are covered up.

If you&#;ve only got a few contacts in your connector, it might be possible to do this assembly just by hand. But the more contacts you have the more force you&#;ll need, so tooling is available to help. This tool works like a vice or clamp and helps push the contact, cable, and bar together.

Clearly, this process is much quicker than discrete single cables, where every single contact must be (a) stripped, (b) crimped or soldered, (c) inspected and (d) assembled into the housing (depending on contact type).

This is a big saving in time, which means saving in costs. So why are aren&#;t all cable assemblies using IDC and ribbon cables?

Why Discrete Cables Win over IDC

Finally, it&#;s not generally a good design choice for high reliability connectors that need to withstand the extremes of vibration, shock and temperature.

The performance of the contact design for IDC contacts often doesn&#;t match the more rugged and capable contact design we use on connectors like Datamate and Gecko.

Making the Decision

So how do you choose? Consider that your options will often be dictated by the connector performance you need. Make sure you first know what specifications you need from the connector, as that may eliminate one or other connector type.

If you still have a cabling choice, consider if it&#;s a one off, whether you have cable routing restrictions, and whether there are ready-made cables available. If you&#;re making cable assemblies in house, do you have the tooling or training for a particular type already?

Harwin&#;s Experts are ready to help guide you through the variety of cable connection styles and can eliminate the problems of in-house limitations with ready-made cable assemblies &#; contact us today.

Not sure of the right product

If you would like to talk to someone about which product would be the right fit for your requirements, contact one of our Experts for assistance.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website What Is an Idc Connector.