Insulation-displacement contacts, generally known as IDCs, are cables that connect to the conductors or wires of insulated cables quickly and easily, making them a fairly popular choice among many individuals. They are connectable through a small, sharp blade that’s made to force its way through the insulation of a wire. By doing so, there’s no need to strip conductors before connecting.
While usually a simple and rather cost-effective method when compared to soldering or crimping, you might be wondering if these types of connections are worth your time and effort. Here’s a closer look into how they work and whether or not you should use them.
How reliable are IDC connectors?
While reliability is something that can vary between one brand and another, good-quality IDCs will often be able to create secure connections with ease. The process of connecting them to wires is easy and, in most cases, creates an air-tight connection thanks to the way that they’re designed. They can even be reparable, which is a factor that might be worth keeping in mind.
Most of them are double row (there are also single row ones available too, if they’ll better suit your needs). You should find no trouble with finding a good insulation-displacement contact connector.
As mentioned earlier, they’re also incredibly easy to use, taking away the need to strip the wire thanks to their small blades. Being secure, simple, reliable, and generally quite affordable, it’s not hard to see why these connectors can be a great choice for a variety of situations.
Are there different types of IDC connectors?
For the most part, there are only three different types of Insulation-displacement contact cable; ribbon cable, telecommunication connector, and punch-down blocks. Ribbon cable ones are made to connect wires all at once, where punch-down blocks connect individual conductors with a specialized tool (although you can often use crimping tools if that’s what you have). As you may guess from the name, telecommunication IDCs are made specifically for use in this field.
If you’re not sure which one will work best for you, it could be worth doing a little more research. Fortunately, it’s not too complicated, so you often won’t have to worry too much about making the wrong decision.
Where can you get an IDC connector?
At an online store like tme.com, you’ll find a range of IDC connectors and other electrical components, so you’ll be able to get the right products for your project with little fuss.