Archive 5945C

Insulationm Displacement Connector (or something very like it). It refers to the way that the ribbon cable (flatcable) is connected to the connector, without having to strip off the insulation first. IDC connectors are available in many forms. The ones you're thinking of are presumably the 2 row header sockets (as are used on, say, IDE hard drives). But IDC connecotrs are also made as edge connectors (to fit over a PCB card edge), D connectors (all sizes from DE9 to DD50 -- the last is darn expensive due to the fun of getting 3 rows of pins to connect to the cable correctly), DIL header plugs (that would fit into IC sockets), DIL sockets (not common), 2 row header plugs, Blue ribbon connectors, transition connectors (these are designed to be (permanently) soldered to a PCB after the cable had been crimped in, and avoid having to strip, tin, get into the right hole, and solder 50 wires!, and doubtless more that I've never come across. -tony