The D-Subminiature (D-Sub) interconnect system made its debut over 70-years ago in 1952 and while many technologies of the era have long since been retired, the d-sub continues to show its relevance today as one of the world’s most adaptable and reliable I/O platforms. Whether utilized as an interim interconnect solution for the purpose of prototyping or selected for production, the d-subminiature connector offers Engineers and System Designers numerous advantages; the most notable being its native support for connections requiring anywhere from as little as nine (DB9) to as many as 78 (HD78) conductors.
The “d-shaped” profile of the connector shell itself offers mechanical strength and superb electrical coupling when adapted as a circuit pathway to ground. It serves to protect the inner electrical contacts from EMI/RFI interference when paired with shielded multi-conductor wire featuring a concentric foil and/or wire braid. Additional mechanical stability is offered via the d-sub’s integrated jackscrews/posts. This makes the D-Subminiature connector system ideally suited for chassis (panel) mounting, in addition to inline connector-to-connector installations – the perfect option for pre-wired pigtails or an impromptu extension of a d-subminiature cable connection.
The nimble D-Sub is adept at handling just about anything, whether tasked in a standard pin-out arrangement for RS-232 serial data transfer, or, in more recent cases, that same D-Sub can be customized for mixed-mode signal distribution. Premium portable subwoofer satellite speaker systems, for instance, will often link a central control unit with a remote subwoofer using a D-Sub Cable; where its conductors will handle distinct duties, such as routing remote control inputs (RS-232), distribution of power (AC or DC) to remote amplifiers and analog/digital audio signals to be amplified.
The ultimate decision of a manufacturer to utilize a d-sub solution on their next platform is further aided by their market acceptance on a global scale. This near-universal worldwide acclaim is critical in today’s extremely unstable supply-chain environment, ensuring a steady multi-source supply of critical D-Subminiature components. Best yet, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s) can now easily source fully-assembled and ready-to-use commercial of-the-shelf (COTS) D-Subminiature (D-Sub) Cable Assemblies for their products; the outsourcing of which can substantially reduce development costs and time-to-market.
Amphenol Cables on Demand specializes in these very cables, which are available factory-direct – no minimum buy required and eligible to ship same-day when ordered by 3PM Eastern, via their website (https://CablesOnDemand.com).
Amphenol Cables on Demand offers one of the largest selections of in-stock D-Sub Cable Assemblies in the world, with numerous options to choose from to meet the demands of nearly any prospective installation scenario. Customers can choose from numerous cable lengths, from 2.5-feet to 50-feet, in both male-to-male (pin-to-pin) and male-to-female (pin-to-socket) configurations.
Amphenol Cables on Demand stocks both Standard-Density D-Sub Cables (DB9, DB15, DB25, DB37, DB50) as well as High-Density D-Sub Cables (HD15, HD26, HD44, HD62, HD78). The standard-density variety utilizes insulated stranded wire conductors wired in a straight-thru arrangement (i.e. pin #1 on one connector is wired straight thru to pin #1 on the opposing connector).
For the High-Density D-Sub Cable line-up, the narrow connector pitch necessitates use of unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cabling, also wired in a straight-thru arrangement. The use of UTP wire provides unique design advantages in that higher-data rate (up to 10-Megabits/s) balanced-conductor differential signal data I/O can be supported, whether it is via RS-422 or even Ethernet, in addition to analog or digital audio signal routing that necessitates the type of low noise floor native to balanced differential pair wiring.
The intended installation environment has a huge impact on the ultimate choice of d-sub cable design and Cables on Demand has a cable solution for nearly every install scenario. For the most basic installations, such as a home or small office environment, where cables are less prone to frequent disconnects and less likely to face heavy sources of EMI/RFI interference, the Standard Series D-Sub Cable is ideal. This version features a single-layer of aluminum mylar foil shielding that covers both the wire and the connector body.
The most popular version, the Deluxe Series D-Sub Cable, utilizes a superior overlapping copper-tape shield around the connector body which benefits from enhanced continuity and overall integrity; ideal for interference-dense high-traffic commercial and industrial environments. It truly offers the best blend of performance and value; making it the flagship of the Cables on Demand D-Sub Cable line-up with over 100 different length/connector combinations to choose from.
For the ultimate D-Sub Cable solution in terms of environmental durability, mechanical stability and EMI/RFI rejection capacity, Cables on Demand offers its Premium Series D-Sub Cable. This double-shielded design incorporates aluminum mylar foil + aluminum wire braid shielding with the added strength of a metal-can connector shell. These are popular for use in machine shops and factory floors where cables are often subjected to frequent flex and strain on mechanized / automated equipment and exposed to high-density electromagnetic fields from adjacent power transformers and electric motors.
To provide even greater flexibility for customers who want to prototype their own d-sub cables or to break out cable connections to multiple devices, Amphenol Cables on Demand offers the very same D-Subminiature Connectors utilized in all of their D-Sub Cable Assembly designs available for sale!
All versions are available, from 9-positions to 78-positions, in both the male (pin) and female (socket) connector gender configurations. The d-sub connector series all feature straight-exit solder cup terminations, which will permit a wide range of wire types and sizes for either inline use (cables) or chassis installations where wiring can be routed internally to a board or connector.
To accompany this D-Sub Technical Featurette, Amphenol Cables on Demand is excited to offer a special and rarely-offered 20% discount off of regular list pricing, available on its entire selection of D-Sub Cable and Connector products for a limited time only!
Between 06/16/2023 thru 06/30/2023, customers visiting the Cables on Demand website can redeem this discount at checkout by entering Coupon Code: DSUBDEAL. In addition, all orders subtotaling $75.00 or more (post-discount) are eligible to receive FREE UPS Ground Shipping within the continental USA!
Enjoy a wide suite of payment options, including all major credit cards and PayPal, plus hassle-free returns within 30-days. Questions? A NY-based team of Customer Service Professionals is ready to help, Monday-Friday, 8AM-6PM ET, toll-free, at 1-866-223-2860, or via e-mail at customerservice@cablesondemand.com.
Cables on Demand offers far more than just D-Sub Cables. Access over 1,000 in-stock pre-built cable assembly products designed to support the market’s leading computer I/O, data communications, network infrastructure, Radio Frequency (RF), audio/video, test and instrumentation applications. Some of the cable products frequently co-sourced alongside d-subs include their closely-related technical counterparts, the IEEE-488 GPIB Cable family and the VHDCI SCSI (SCSI-5) Cable family of products.
The IEEE-488 GPIB Cable, which is sometimes referred to as a HPIB Cable when utilized with HP-branded test equipment, shares some core functional similarities to its distant cousin, the D-Sub Cable. Both connector designs utilize the familiar d-shaped connector shell for the dual-purpose of mechanical stability and electrical continuity/grounding. The GPIB connector is unique in that it is a double-sided pass-thru connector system. This permits multiple GPIB devices to be daisy-chained together into an ad-hoc “GPIB Network” of sorts.
The GPIB is a High-Density 24-Position connector design, but rather than using the d-sub’s native pin/socket contact, it features a double-sided PC-board contact system known as a Centronics (CN24) or micro ribbon connector. Guess who invented this connector? None other than Amphenol! These are wired up utilizing 12-pairs of UTP unshielded twisted-pair wiring. Cables on Demand offers two GPIB Cable variants: a Shielded GPIB Cable, featuring a single aluminum mylar foil shield, followed by a Double-Shielded GPIB Cable, featuring combined aluminum foil + aluminum wire braid shielding.
The VHDCI, or Very High Density Cable Interconnect, is an enhanced version of the HD68 or 68-pin High-Density SCSI-3 interface, which utilizes the same pin-out arrangement, but is successfully miniaturized to allow four VHDCI connections to co-exist on a single PCI card slot. At the time of its introduction, this was a major evolutionary leap in I/O density and served as the standard of choice for some time in early RAID storage array deployments. The VHDCI, like the GPIB, uses the Centronics-style micro-ribbon connector in a D-shaped shell. Amphenol Cables on Demand offers pre-assembled VHDCI (SCSI-5) Cables in lengths ranging from 0.5m (1.6ft) to 8m (26.4ft) in length to adapt to any installation scenario.
It is of interest to note that as of today, the majority of VHDCI Cable sales are not even directed towards their original purpose-built application – the connection of SCSI-based peripheral devices and associated controller cards. This is because the market has since evolved towards the use of alternative I/O interconnect systems, such as Serial-Attached-SCSI Cables (SAS Cables) as well as USB Cables, both of which are stocked in numerous varieties by Cables on Demand. VHDCI Cables are instead currently utilized for any one of dozens of proprietary applications, including for use with graphics cards as well as bitcoin mining platforms.
All cable assemblies from Amphenol Cables on Demand are expertly built to meet and exceed all relevant industry standards alongside rigorously enforced testing and quality control protocols. This lifelong commitment to quality and reliability has come to define not only Amphenol Cables on Demand, but the entire family of over 200 Amphenol-affiliated interconnect companies the world over.
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Nick "The Cable Guy" Blas has enjoyed a fulfilling career as Amphenol Cables on Demand's exclusive Product Manager and resident tech expert, having worked for the company just months after its debut launch in December of 2006. Prior to Amphenol, Mr. Blas worked for another interconnect giant, Deutsch Connectors (Now Tyco), in their Defense and Aerospace division as their youngest Program Manager at just 25. While in college for Electrical Engineering and Business Administration/Information Management at UC Riverside and Cal State San Bernardino, Mr. Blas excelled in retail marketing management and sales for Canon USA and Hewlett Packard, both in their printer and imaging business units. Mr. Blas has been a self-professed "tech nerd" since age 10, with a particular fascination with radio and broadcast communications and antenna systems, which led to his grant work for TRW, where he created an entire lab course on antenna engineering concepts at age 19 as a Sophomore (the class was subsequently instructed to Junior class Engineering students in multiple University of California Schools). Mr. Blas earned his Executive MBA at California State University, Monterey in 2012, graduating with honors. He and his wife, Shelly and son, Ethan, currently reside in the stunning Ozark mountains, just outside of Bentonville, Arkansas (home of the world's largest company, Wal-Mart).