How to Find the Correct IDC Cable

[Rachel_Thompson]

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.

Here is an example on Digi-Key part number 1658526-4-ND (TE part number 1658526-4, 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?

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…

Ribbon Cable Pitch vs Connector Pitch

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…

IDC ribbon cable Connector Presses

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…