Ribbon Connector Cuts Assembly Costs

June 18, 2001
A novel insulation displacement connector (IDC) for terminating discrete wires or multiconductor ribbon cables also cuts assembly costs. Ranoda Electronics' EECOM-IDC uses the company's EECOM connector technology on the circuit-board (bottom) side...

A novel insulation displacement connector (IDC) for terminating discrete wires or multiconductor ribbon cables also cuts assembly costs. Ranoda Electronics' EECOM-IDC uses the company's EECOM connector technology on the circuit-board (bottom) side to eliminate the need for female receptacles. This slashes parts count, cost of labor, and assembly time for electronic devices like home appliances, office equipment, industrial controls, telecom products, and automobiles.

The part uses a simple plastic assembly to terminate discrete wires and ribbon cables of up to 40 wires on 0.050-in. (1.27-mm) centers to pc boards via plated through-holes without the need for a second female connector. On the top side, a simple hand tool terminates a ribbon cable to its connector in just 10 seconds. Only another 5 seconds is needed to mate the entire assembly to its circuit board.

In operation, the top side of the EECOM-IDC uses a V-shaped knife contact to terminate the ribbon cable. The hand tool forces the wire into the wedge, displacing its insulation as it enters the gap. The wire strands force the jaws apart, making a secure connection on both sides of the wire, which is held captive by the IDC contact.

The contact resistance is 10 mΩ or less, the contact voltage rating is 250 V ac minimum, and the per-line current rating is 1 A. Also, the insulation resistance is 500 MΩ minimum, and the dielectric withstanding voltage is 1500 V ac for 1 minute. The top and bottom contacts are tin-lead plated over a copper alloy. And, the pin mate-demate lifetime is specified at 500 cycles for the bottom EECOM pins.

Pricing of the EECOM-IDC depends on quantity. Delivery is within two to four weeks.

Ranoda Electronics Inc., 704 West Highway 131, Clarksville, IN 47129; (812) 945-2280; www.ranoda.com.

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.

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