The worldwide cable assembly market is expected to hit $218.6 billion in 2023. The Automotive and Telecom industries are the two largest markets for cable assemblies, and China and North America are the two largest manufacturing regions. Interestingly, application-specific (i.e., custom) and rectangular assemblies are the two largest product groups. (1)
Two of the most popular types of cable assemblies are discrete wire and insulation displacement contact (IDC) systems. Here’s a link to another blog if you want to learn more about the pros and cons of each type of assembly. BTW, Samtec has a variety of both types of products.
Samtec has a full line of discrete wire cable assemblies and components, from ultra-micro assemblies (the SESDT series on 0.80 mm pitch and 32 AWG) to 34 amp power (the PESS series 6.35 mm pitch and 10 AWG), and about every stop in between.
If you’re looking for a discrete wire cable assembly, the sheer volume of product series and options can be overwhelming. A good place to start is with our Discrete Wire Solutionator®, an online, intuitive design tool.
The most popular discrete wire design is the .050” (1.27 mm) Tiger Eye™ system. This is the Samtec SFSD Series, a double-row discrete wire cable assembly, and the SFSS Series single-row design. The Tiger Eye contact is a rugged contact for micro pitch interconnects. It’s ideal for high reliability and high mating cycle applications. Tiger Eye is reliable because it is a multi-finger design.
As previously mentioned, our most popular .050” discrete wire product is the SFSD Series. It’s shrouded, polarized, and keyed, and it’s available with a ton of options, including:
- A variety of pin counts
- single and double-row connectors
- optional retention latches which increase unmating force by 5-10 times, depending on the number of pins
- optional screw downs
- single-ended or double-ended assemblies
- PVC or Teflon cable (for applications with higher operating temperatures)
- all kinds of wiring options to give designers all of the flexibility they need
Popular mating connectors include the shrouded, polarized, rugged TFM and TFML Series.
Like most discrete wire connectors, these .050” pitch micro products are available for purchase as completed assemblies or as individual components. The complete cable assemblies are much more popular than the loose-piece components. Having said that, the loose-piece components available from Samtec are plastic bodies or insulators, as well as contacts on a reel.
About 27% of Samtec sales are custom and modified products, and about 36% of Samtec discrete wire systems are either modified or custom. Popular modified and custom discrete wire designs include:
Breakout To Smaller Positions: Many discrete wire assemblies breakout from a higher pin count connector to several smaller position connectors. Breakout assemblies provide greater PCB design and routing flexibility.
Color-Coded: Color-coded cable is frequently requested; it is almost always used to identify the wire to a position on the connector and PCB.
Twisted Pairs: Of course these are used for isolation, to minimize electrical interference. Multiple twist ratios in an assembly are common because each pair performs at a different frequency.
Mixing Cable AWGs: Using two or more wire sizes in one cable assembly allows designers to route signals and power through the same connector. This design can save board space, and it can allow the designer to use fewer connectors.
Jackets, Tubing: Jackets and tubing around the wires are used for a variety of reasons. Jackets and tubing protect the wires, usually from heat, or from making contact with a component that needs to be isolated. Jackets and tubing also aide in cable management and organization; cables may need to be positioned to not interfere with other PCBs, or allow room for a technician to access the system
Change Connector Pitch: A common example is switching from 2.54 pitch to 2.00 mm pitch. Perhaps the most common application is a designer needs to connect their PCB to a PCB or device from another supplier.
I could go on and on about Samtec discrete wire cable products, but that would take hours. Literally. So instead, here’s a link where you’ll find a complete listing of products and capabilities on this page.
(1) If you are interested in this and other information about the world cable assembly market, you can learn more about it from our friends and Bishop and Associates.
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