![Australian](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Australian_%22Quick_Connect%22_%28Dual%29_Power_Outlet.jpg)
An insulation-displacement contact (IDC), also known as insulation-piercing contact (IPC), is an
electrical connector
Components of an electrical circuit are electrically connected if an electric current can run between them through an electrical conductor. An electrical connector is an electromechanical device used to create an electrical connection between ...
designed to be connected to the conductor(s) of an insulated cable by a connection process which forces a selectively sharpened blade or blades through the
insulation
Insulation may refer to:
Thermal
* Thermal insulation, use of materials to reduce rates of heat transfer
** List of insulation materials
** Building insulation, thermal insulation added to buildings for comfort and energy efficiency
*** Insulated ...
, bypassing the need to strip the conductors of insulation before connecting. When properly made, the connector blade
cold-welds to the conductor, making a theoretically reliable gas-tight connection.
History
Modern IDC technology developed after and was influenced by research on
wire-wrap
Wire wrap is an electronic component assembly technique that was invented to wire telephone crossbar switches, and later adapted to construct electronic circuit boards. Electronic components mounted on an insulating board are interconnected by l ...
and
crimp connector
An electrical crimp is a type of solderless electrical connection.
Crimp connectors are typically used to terminate stranded wire. The benefits of crimping over soldering and wire wrapping include:
* A well-engineered and well-executed crimp is ...
technology originally pioneered by
Western Electric
The Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering and manufacturing company officially founded in 1869. A wholly owned subsidiary of American Telephone & Telegraph for most of its lifespan, it served as the primary equipment ma ...
,
Bell Telephone Labs
Nokia Bell Labs, originally named Bell Telephone Laboratories (1925–1984),
then AT&T Bell Laboratories (1984–1996)
and Bell Labs Innovations (1996–2007),
is an American industrial Research and development, research and scientific developm ...
, and others.
Although originally designed to connect only solid (single-stranded) conductors, IDC technology was eventually extended to multiple-
stranded wire
Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample diameter 40 mm
A wire is a flexible strand of metal.
Wire is co ...
as well.
Initially, IDCs were seen only in
extra-low voltage
Extra-low voltage (ELV) is an electricity supply voltage and is a part of the Low voltage bandIEC 61140:2016 Chapter 4.2 in a range which carries a low risk of dangerous electrical shock. There are various standards that define extra-low voltage. ...
applications, such as
telecommunications
Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...
,
networking and signal connections between parts of an electronic or computer system. However, they are now also used in some domestic and industrial
low voltage In electrical engineering, low voltage is a relative term, the definition varying by context. Different definitions are used in electric power transmission and distribution, compared with electronics design. electrical safety codes define "low vo ...
(power) applications, as can be seen in the illustration.
The benefits claimed for their use in these applications include up to 50 percent faster installation, due to the reduction in the stripping, twisting and screwing down processes.
Ribbon cable
Ribbon cable
A ribbon cable (also known as multi-wire planar cable) is a cable with many conducting wires running parallel to each other on the same flat plane. As a result, the cable is wide and flat. Its name comes from its resemblance to a piece of ribb ...
is designed to be used with multi-contact IDC connectors in such a way that many IDC connections can be made at once, saving time in applications where many connections are needed. These connectors are not designed to be reusable, but can often be re-used if care is taken when removing the cable.
Pin 1 is typically indicated on the body of the connector by a red or raised "V" mark. The corresponding wire in a ribbon cable is usually indicated by red coloration, a raised molded ridge, or markings printed onto the cable insulation. On the connector pin 2 is opposite pin 1, pin 3 is next to pin 1 along the length of the connector, and so on. On the cable, the wire connected to pin 2 is next to the wire connected to pin 1 (the red coded wire), and so on.
Telephone and network plugs
In some types of telephone and network plug, including the
BS 6312
BS, B.S., Bs or bs may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*BS-, a prefix for all games broadcast for the Satellaview modem via the Japanese Broadcasting Satellite system
* "B.S." (song), a song by Jhené Aiko from the album ''Chilombo''
*Team BS, ...
and the
registered jack
A registered jack (RJ) is a standardized telecommunication network interface for connecting voice and data equipment to a service provided by a local exchange carrier or long distance carrier. Registration interfaces were first defined in the ...
(RJ) family, generally separate wires in a sheath are used. In these applications, the outer sheath is stripped then the wires are inserted into the connector and a special termination tool is used to force the conductors into the contacts. Traditionally these connectors have been used with flat cable which makes it easy to ensure the correct conductors go into the correct slots. Modular connectors used with
Category 5 twisted pair
Twisted pair cabling is a type of wiring used for communications in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together for the purposes of improving electromagnetic compatibility. Compared to a single conductor or an untwisted ba ...
cable require careful arranging of the conductors by hand before inserting them into the connector.
Punch-down blocks
Punch-down block
A punch-down block (also punchdown block, punch block, punchblock, quick-connect block and other variations) is a type of electrical connection often used in telephony. It is named because the solid copper wires are "punched down" into short open ...
s are intended to connect individual conductors punched down into each position in the block with a special punch-down tool. Punch-down terminations are also generally seen in telephone and network connectors, in
patch panel
A patch panel is a device or unit featuring a number of jacks, usually of the same or similar type, for the use of connecting and routing circuits for monitoring, interconnecting, and testing circuits in a convenient, flexible manner. Patch ...
s and
distribution frame Distribution may refer to:
Mathematics
*Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations
*Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a varia ...
s, and in telephone equipment such as
PBXs.
Common layouts
![Pin 1 idc](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Pin_1_idc.png)
Pins are commonly numbered from pin 1 with odd numbers along one side and the even numbers along the other side. Connectors are categorized by pin spacing in mm (pitch), number of pins, and number of rows. Connectors commonly used in computers include:
* 3.5 inch
IDE desktop computer
A desktop computer (often abbreviated desktop) is a personal computer designed for regular use at a single location on or near a desk due to its size and power requirements. The most common configuration has a case that houses the power supply ...
hard disk drive
A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magnet ...
s – 2.54 mm pitch, 40 pins, 2×20 (2 rows of 20 pins)
* 2.5 inch IDE
notebook computer
A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard. Laptops typically have a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper lid ...
hard disk drives – 2.00 mm pitch, 44 pins, 2×22 (2 rows of 22 pins)
*
SCSI
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI, ) is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, electrical, optical and logical interface ...
8-bit – pitch, 50 pins, 2×25 (2 rows of 25 pins)
* SCSI 16-bit – pitch, 68 pins, 2×34 (2 rows of 34 pins)
*
Floppy disk
A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, or a diskette) is an obsolescent type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined w ...
– pitch, 34 pins, 2×17 (2 rows of 17 pins)
*
Serial DE-9
The D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector. They are named for their characteristic D-shaped metal shield. When they were introduced, D-subs were among the smallest connectors used on computer systems.
Description, no ...
on motherboards – pitch, 10 pins, 2×5 (2 rows of 5 pins) – sometimes called ''everex''
*
Parallel
Parallel is a geometric term of location which may refer to:
Computing
* Parallel algorithm
* Parallel computing
* Parallel metaheuristic
* Parallel (software), a UNIX utility for running programs in parallel
* Parallel Sysplex, a cluster of IBM ...
DB-25
The D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector. They are named for their characteristic D-shaped metal shield. When they were introduced, D-subs were among the smallest connectors used on computer systems.
Description, no ...
– pitch, 26 pins, 2×13 (2 rows of 13 pins)
* In some instances
USB
Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication and power supply (interfacing) between computers, peripherals and other computers. A broad v ...
through version 2 on motherboards – pitch, 10 pins, 2×5 (2 rows of 5 pins)
For all of the above connectors, the computer manufacturer typically attaches a female IDC connector onto one end of a ribbon cable, and later slides that connector onto a matching male
box header or
pin header
A pin header (or simply header) is a form of electrical connector. A male pin header consists of one or more rows of metal pins molded into a plastic base, often apart, though available in many spacings. Male pin headers are cost-effective du ...
on the computer motherboard.
See also
*
Vampire tap
A vampire tap (also called a piercing tap) was a device for physically connecting a station, typically a computer, to a network that used 10BASE5 cabling. This device clamped onto and "bit" into the cable (hence the name "vampire"), inserting a ...
*
Wire wrap
Wire wrap is an electronic component assembly technique that was invented to wire telephone crossbar switches, and later adapted to construct electronic circuit boards. Electronic components mounted on an insulating board are interconnected by l ...
*
DC connector
A DC connector (or DC plug, for one common type of connector) is an electrical connector for supplying direct current (DC) power.
Compared to domestic AC power plugs and sockets, DC connectors have many more standard types that are not interchan ...
*
Krone LSA-PLUS
*
Berg connector
Berg connector is a brand of electrical connector used in computer hardware. Berg connectors are manufactured by Berg Electronics Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri, now part of Amphenol.
Overview
Berg connectors have a pitch, pins are squar ...
*
JST connector
JST connectors are electrical connectors manufactured to the design standards originally developed by J.S.T. Mfg. Co. (Japan Solderless Terminal). JST manufactures numerous series (families) and pitches (pin-to-pin distance) of connectors.
JST c ...
*
Molex connector
Molex connector is the vernacular term for a two-piece pin and socket interconnection. Pioneered by Molex Connector Company, the two-piece design became an early electronic standard. Molex developed and patented the first examples of this connec ...
*
Pin header
A pin header (or simply header) is a form of electrical connector. A male pin header consists of one or more rows of metal pins molded into a plastic base, often apart, though available in many spacings. Male pin headers are cost-effective du ...
References
External links
{{Commons category, Insulation displacement connectors
IDC Cable, Headers & ConnectorsBrochure on 3M Scotchlok insulation displacement connectorsMolex Connectors Explained, as used in PinballInsulation Displacement Contact Technologyfrom Sensors, May 2001.
A New Type of Very High Reliability Torsion IDCZierick Manufacturing Corporation white paper.
Electrical signal connectors
Telephone connectors