What is a ribbon cable?
Another name for ribbon cables is multi-wire flat cables or hippie cables. It is a type of cable with many wires that are parallel to each other on the same plane.
The ribbon cable is a flat rectangle. The flexibility of the ribbon cable makes it easy to accommodate many connectors at the same time, and also to transmit large amounts of data through signals. In addition, even in the case of limited space, the ribbon cable helps to effectively manage the conductor.
A typical example proves the usefulness of the ribbon cable is its function in computer hardware. The ribbon cable plays an important role in the connection between the disk drive and the disk drive controller.
These cable types are specialised cables that are important in connecting IDE surfaces for IDE connectors.
Ribbon cable colour coding
The essence of the color coding of the ribbon cable is to prevent the occurrence of reverse connection. One rule for color coding of ribbon cables is that the edge of the cable with red stripes is connected to pin 1 of the connector. The color coding of the cable makes it easy to identify different connectors.
More importantly, it helps to simplify installation, because it is easy to identify the different conductors that are important for the connection.
Ribbon cable size
A related issue that devours the mind of individuals is the exact size of ribbon cables to meet their needs. There are two methods to determine the size of the ribbon cable. The two factors considered are:
• The pitch or spacing of conductors
• The number of conductors or ways.
For the pitch or spacing of the conductors is a spacing of 0.05 inch (1.27 mm) is the most common form of ribbon cable spacing. This spacing type allows for a two- row connector with a pin spacing of 0.1 inches (2.54mm). Most personal computers favour this exact spacing ribbon cable size. It is a common type of ribbon cable size in floppy disk drive cable and custom parallel ATA cables.
Other types of ribbon cable connectors’ size are 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 24, 25, 26, 34, 37, 40, 50, 60, 64 and 80.
Ribbon cables are unarguably very useful and play significant functions in printers and computers.
