SparkFun Forums

[Yes0]

I'd really love an easy way to connect an IDC ribbon cable to my breadboard. The reason I can't use something like this is because while it fits the cable's .1" spacing, it won't bridge the .3" gap down the center of my breadboard. I've tried finding a connector like this, but with no luck.

Would such a connector ever be possible?

Thanks!

e: Actually, I found one - http://www.robotshop.com/ca/technologic ... pin-2.html . Does anyone know where else I could get one? They want to charge $11 for shipping a $2 part

It would be really great if I could buy one of these from Sparkfun...

[trialex]

They kind of already do: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8508. OK it is designed to use an ISP programmer with a breadboard, but if you ignore the silkscreen names you can of course use it for any 2x3 IDC cable, or 2x5 if you are only using 6 of the pins.

It would also be very easy to make using stripboard, I'm guessing most people do it that way. Just break the strips down the middle, solder the shrouded header (or plain pins) pointing up over the break, and then pins pointing down further out to match your breadboard.

Alternatively you can get tricky and solder right angle pin headers directly to a 2x3 pin header block. Not as strong but takes up no extra room.

[Yes0]

Ah cool, I hadn't seen that. So could just solder this header onto the board, and then solder wires from the board to my breadboard and use that to program my AVR? I would be connecting that board to this board, since my laptop doesn't have a serial port.

[trialex]

You don't need to solder "wires" from the adapter board to your breadboard, just use a strip of 6x1 male pins pointing down (and then of course breadboard "jumper wires" going from the header board to the pins on your AVR).

Make sure you get the orientation of the shrouded header correct.

[Yes0]

Alright, sounds good. Thanks!

[skimask]

Is something like this what you're looking for?
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSea ... =CDP14S-ND
Do a search for "idc ribbon dip"
Then select the "Connectors, Interconnects Rectangular - Board In, Direct Wire to Board" box, and drill it down from there.
I use these things a lot, and if you treat them right, you can reuse them a bunch.