pre-made subminiture cables? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: dnotq
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2019, 10:08:39 pm
content: Is anyone making premade sub-miniture cables? I need something with 2 or 3 wires, but smaller than what you typically fine like the JST HS, etc. I really would like to use some of the smaller board-to-wire connectors on my projects, but I'm not thrilled to buy pins and expensive crimp tools. Places like AdaFruit, SparkFun, and SeeedStudio have premade cables, but they are always huge 0.1" pitch connectors and such, i.e. really large and easy to work with. I like small and painful to use. ;-)If anyone have some sources, I would love to know about them.Thanks,Matthew

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2019, 10:13:53 pm
content: Perhapshttps://dirtypcbs.com/store/cables?

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2019, 10:54:21 pm
content: Look into FFC/FPC connectors and cables.Example:https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10pcs-FFC-FPC-Flexible-flat-cable-4-PIN-Step-0-5-mm-different-sides-Length-50mm/32830994550.html

author: dnotq
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2019, 11:39:32 pm
content: DirtyPCB does not go lower than the JST SH, which is not really low profile or sub-miniature, sadly.I thought about the FFC/FPC, but they require a connector on both ends and in this cause I need the flexibility of plain-wire on one end. I also need about 8 to10 inches, and I think they get prohibitive in cost when you start getting that long. I'll have to check though.

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2019, 12:18:03 am
content: Perhaps if you gave us an example of a board connector you consider acceptable?And the minimum gauge wire required.

author: ajb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2019, 02:21:29 am
content: You can get preterminated wires for JST ZH (1.5mm pitch), just need to pop them into the housing size of your choice. I think digikey stock then

author: dnotq
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2019, 02:27:29 am
content: Sure, anything similar to the images below. Basically the kind of results you see if you do an image search for something like "miniature board to cable connector". If I use any of those connectors, the first thing that comes to mind is "where in the heck am I going to get the mating cable??"In this case it is just for an off-board battery, so small gauge is fine, but the height is critical, i.e. tall is bad. And, I don't want to use a connector that will be hard for other people to get a cable for (myself included). Sometimes other people will use the boards I make, and I like to make them easy to get parts for.

author: dnotq
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2019, 02:51:10 am
content: Ah, nice, the JST ZH looks like it will work. Should be low enough and cable assemblies seem readily available. Thanks. Yes, DigiKey does have pre-crimped wires too, if you only need black... One more color option would be nice.

author: ElectronicSupersonic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2019, 03:30:36 am
content: Quote from: dnotq on April 21, 2019, 02:51:10 am"A customer can have a car painted any color he wants as long as it’s black" H.Ford