What is ribbon cable?

What is ribbon cable?

• 2025-03-20 11:12:24
• by Admin

Usually, ribbon cables can be found on the inside of computers, such as hard disc drives, CD drives, and so on.

In some older computer systems, they are also used for external connections.

Ribbon cables were invented in 1956 by Cicoil Corporation, a company based in California.

Several companies, including 3M, then began manufacturing ribbon cables, which were gradually standardised.

Standardised ribbon cables reduce costs and are also easier to use in industries such as computers.

Ribbon cables usually have two important parameters: the spacing between the wires and the number of wires, with 1.27mm spacing being the most common type.

Depending on the availability of standard connectors, the number of wires is usually limited to a few values, including 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 24, 25, 26, 34, 37, 40, 50, 60, 64 and 80.

Conductors are made from a variety of metals including copper, aluminium, steel, nickel and other alloys, with copper and aluminium being the most commonly used. The conductors of round conductor ribbon cables may consist of single or seven stranded wires, and flat conductors may be made by cutting copper foil or flattening round wires of the corresponding cross-section.

The most common insulating material for ribbon cables is polyvinyl chloride, which is rated for operating temperatures up to 150°C. The advantages of ribbon cables are that they are light in weight and can be used in a variety of applications.

The advantages of ribbon cable include lightweight, small size, low cost, high reliability, etc. The disadvantages are mainly low flexibility at the port.

Application Scenarios of Ribbon Cable:

1. Internal computer connections: Ribbon cables have a wide range of applications within computers, such as connecting devices such as hard disc drives and CD drives. They are not only used for internal connections, but also for external connections in some older computer systems.
2. Data centre construction: Ribbon cables can be used in data centre construction, especially in big data storage, cloud data storage and server data transfer.
3. Communication equipment: In communication equipment, ribbon cables are used to connect various components and devices and provide stable signal transmission. Its multi-wire plane design makes the signal transmission more stable and reliable
4. Industrial control: In industrial control systems, ribbon cables are often used to connect various sensors, actuators and controllers to ensure stable system operation and accurate data transmission.
5. Automotive electronics: In automotive electronics systems, ribbon cables are used to connect in-vehicle electronics such as sensors, displays and control units, providing stable power and signal transmission.