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What is a Header and IDC Connector?

Header and IDC Connector

IDC stands for Insulation Displacement Connector. Above is a photo of a 2×7 pin header. This is called a 2×7 because there are 2 rows of 7 pins.

Headers can come in many other combinations such as 1×3, 2×10 etc. The job of the pin header is to connect the LCD module to the customer’s PCB (Printed Circuit Board). This can be done in one of two ways.

  1. Solder the header directly to the customer’s PCB
  2. Connect the LCD module to the customer’s PCB with an IDC cable. Below is a photo of the IDC connector.

Spacing:

The standard spacing on a header is .1 inch or 2.54mm. This is called pitch. Pitch is the distance between each pin.

Other IDC connector notes:

The most common method to supply power to the LED backlight is through pins 15 and 16 of the header. This is the preferred method since all power and signal connections can be made through one header/ IDC connector cable reducing assembly cost.

Different boards have different display capabilities. When deciding which system and which choices are best for you, bear in mind what you might want to accomplish with your system in the future, not just now.

If you have questions about LCD connector types, contact FocusLCDs today!