FRC(Flat Ribbon Cable)

Introduction of Flat Ribbon cable:

Classification of Flat Ribbon cable:
The multi colour frc reduces the faulty connections at the end terminals, example making connections in wired robot. Whereas mono coloured frc is used as bus connection, example: connection between hard disk and motherboard.
Round to Flat Cable
Round to flat cable is cabling made with a flat cable core which is twisted or folded into a round shape before it is taped. It is available in double-shielded braided versions and in shielded or unshielded constructions. It is called round to flat cable because the majority of the cable appears in a round formation, but the ends show the flat cable core, enabling use with IDC connectors.



Configuration of Flat Ribbon cable:

Frequency response of Flat Ribbon cable

1. Propagation velocity
2. Attenuation
3. Rise Time


L= length in ft.
4. Crosstalk
Advantages of Flat Ribbon cable
1. Mass Termination
Terminating flat cable is done with the complete group of conductors as a unit, which is more efficient than working with individual conductors at one time.
2. Reliability
The simplicity of flat cable with its parallel conductor geometry eliminates many of the common sources of wiring error and malfunction. Registration of the conductors is one-to-one with the terminating connector or board making proper contact assignment automatically.
3. Space and Weight reduction
The use of flat cable often eliminates much of the conventional wire's weight and bulk. Such things as redundant insulating materials, fillers and tapes are not required. The flat cable construction is so mechanically strong that it does not necessitate to have large conductors for strength. The copper cross-section can thus be reduced to what is required to carry the current load or to satisfy voltage drop requirements.
4. Flexibility
Flat cable is extremely flexible when bent in the plane of its thin cross-section(vertical plane). This flexibility has been utilized in applications where continuous or high flexing is necessary, e.g. drawers, doors, rotating arms, etc. But it does not allow for sideways flexing, so it may only be used in straight-run applications.
5. Greater Strength
Strength is enhanced by the fact that all conductors and insulation equally share tensile loads.
6. Consistent Electrical characteristics
Since the conductor spacing is fixed and the geometry of the cable is constant, the electrical characteristics, such as impedance, capacitance, inductance, time delay, crosstalk and attenuation, are consistent.
7. Greater Current carrying capacity
Flat cables have greater surface-to-volume ratio than their round cable counterparts, consequently having higher efficiency in dissipating heat. This allows a higher current level for a given temperature rise and cross-section of conductor.
8. Skewing effects
When the individual colours do not line up correctly due to timing differences in the CATx cable they are termed as being skewed. Due to the conductors having the exact physical and electrical length, along with a continuous and consistent dielectric, time delays between signals within a given flat cable are minimized.
9. High Density Interconnection
The cabling density achievable using flat cable is superior to that using conventional cable because of the high wire-to-cable cross-sectional density. Layers of flat cable are more effectively packed for higher conductor density than round cable.
10. Ease of Handling
Flat cable folds and bends readily, conforms to the mounting area, fastens easily with clamps, adhesive, or double-faced tape, and eliminates the installation and lacing difficulties associated with round wire cabling. Visible conductors in a fixed position within the dielectric simplify coding, inspection and circuit tracing.
Connectors used by Flat Ribbon cable
1. IDC Connector

2. DB-9/DB-25 Connector


3. Berg strip Connector

4. Terminal Block Connector

5. PCB Screw Connector

Applications of FRC

CACKLE comment system