Mini-Centronics 36 pin with Micro-Centronics 36 pin

Micro-Centronics 36 pin with Mini-Centronics 36 pin

The micro ribbon or miniature ribbon connector is a common type of

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 ...

for a variety of applications, such as in

computer A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...

and

telecommunications Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...

equipment having many contacts. The connector contains two parallel rows of

contacts Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eyes. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct vision or for cosmetic ...

within a shielded case having a characteristic D-shape similar to that used in

D-subminiature 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 ...

connectors. The contacts are not pins, but small flat bands of metal, called ribbon contacts. The connectors are manufactured in many capacities, including 14-, 24-, 36-, 50-, 64-, and 100-pin varieties. They may be mounted on

board Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ...

s, panels, or may terminate

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

s. Wires are attached by means of

solder Solder (; North American English, NA: ) is a fusible alloy, fusible metal alloy used to create a permanent bond between metal workpieces. Solder is melted in order to wet the parts of the joint, where it adheres to and connects the pieces aft ...

, crimping or insulation displacement. Female connectors have bail locks for a sturdy connection to the

male Male (Planet symbols, symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or Egg cell, ovum, in the process of fertilisation. A male organism cannot sexual repro ...

connector. Screws may also be employed to secure connections. This connector type is also known as ''telco'', ''25-pair'', ''miniature delta ribbon'', ''mini D ribbon'', ''delta ribbon'', ''MDR'', ''Amphenol'', or ''CHAMP'' miniature ribbon connector. Although it was invented by

Amphenol Amphenol Corporation is an American producer of electronic and fiber optic connectors, cable and interconnect systems such as coaxial cables. Amphenol is a portmanteau from the corporation's original name, American Phenolic Corp. History Amph ...

, many companies now produce it, such as 3M,

TE Connectivity TE Connectivity plc is an American-Irish domiciled technology company that designs and manufactures electrical and electronic components. It serves several industries, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, and energy. TE Connecti ...

, and

Hirose Electric Group is a Japanese company specializing in the manufacturing of electric connectors. The company was founded in 1937 as Hirose Manufacturing, changed its name to Hirose Electric in August 1963 and started selling internationally in 1968. Hirose al ...

. Two major sizes are available. The larger size has 0.085 inch (2.16 mm) contact pitch. This size, with 36 pins and bail locks, is also known as a ''Centronics'' connector because of its introduction by

Centronics Centronics Data Computer Corporation was an American manufacturer of computer printers, now remembered primarily for the parallel interface that bears its name, the Centronics connector. History Foundations Centronics began as a divisio ...

for use with the

parallel port In computing, a parallel port is a type of interface found on early computers ( personal and otherwise) for connecting peripherals. The name refers to the way the data is sent; parallel ports send multiple bits of data at once (paralle ...

of printers, and is standardized as ''

IEEE 1284 IEEE 1284, also known as the Centronics port, is a standard that defines bi-directional parallel communications between computers and other devices. It was originally developed in the 1970s by Centronics before its IEEE standardization. Hi ...

type B''. Other connectors of this size are also called Centronics connectors. The smaller size has 0.050 inch (1.27 mm) pitch. This size, with 36 pins, is also known as a ''mini-Centronics'' connector, and is standardized as ''IEEE 1284 type C''.

Applications

*14-pin connector:

printer Printer may refer to: Technology * Printer (publishing), a person * Printer (computing), a hardware device * Optical printer for motion picture films People * Nariman Printer (fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist * James Printer (1640 ...

port used on

MSX MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, the director at ASCII Corpo ...

home computers and on various other Japanese computers such as the

NEC is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered at the NEC Supertower in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It provides IT and network solutions, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Inte ...

PC-6000,

PC-8800 The , commonly shortened to PC-88, are a brand of Zilog Z80-based 8-bit home computers released by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in 1981 and primarily sold in Japan. The PC-8800 series sold extremely well and became one of the four major Japanes ...

and

PC-9800 The , commonly shortened to PC-98 or simply , is a lineup of Japanese 16-bit and 32-bit Personal computer, personal computers manufactured by NEC from 1982 to 2003. While based on Intel processors, it uses an in-house architecture making it inc ...

series *20-pin connector:

VESA Digital Flat Panel The VESA Digital Flat Panel (DFP) interface standard specifies a video connector and digital TMDS signaling for flat-panel displays. It features 20 pins and uses the PanelLink protocol; the standard is based on the preceding VESA Plug and Displ ...

digital video interface *24-pin connector:

IEEE 488 Glycoprotein Ib (GPIb), also known as CD42, is a component of the Glycoprotein Ib-IX-V Receptor Complex, GPIb-V-IX complex on platelets. The GPIb-V-IX complex binds von Willebrand factor, allowing platelet adhesion and platelet plug formation at ...

(GPIB, HP-IB) interface *36-pin connector:

parallel interface *50-pin connector: SCSI-1 interface (

SCSI connector A SCSI connector ( ) is used to connect computer parts that communicate with each other via the SCSI standard. Generally, two connectors, designated male and female, plug together to form a connection which allows two components, such as a comput ...

) *50-pin connector:

RJ21X A registered jack (RJ) is a standardized telecommunication network interface for connecting voice and data equipment to a computer service provided by a local exchange carrier or long distance carrier. Registered interfaces were first defined ...

" telco connector" (telephone systems)

References

Electrical signal connectors Signal cables {{Computer-hardware-stub

Applications

See also

References