What This Connector Is
The Amphenol FCI 86503-138HLF is a dual-row BERGSTIK II board-to-board header — unshrouded, male-pin, through-hole mounted, loaded with all 38 positions. At 0.100" (2.54mm) pitch with two rows, it is a standard-density footprint that fits the widest range of matching receptacles and IDC connectors in the same pitch family. Gold or Gold GXT contact plating at 30.0µin (0.76µm) thickness on the mating side puts this at the premium end of the BERGSTIK II plating spectrum — above tin, into cycle-life territory.
Ratings That Drive the Fit Decision
5A per contact at the listed voltage of 110V — the current rating is per circuit, not a derated stack total, so a 38-position header can carry significant aggregate current in power-bus applications. The 30.0µin (0.76µm) gold plating thickness on the mating interface is the spec to watch: it governs mating cycle life, not first-mate contact resistance, so for a high-cycle test-fixture or field-service application this plating grade is the deciding factor over a tin-plated sibling. The push-pull fastening type means the mating receptacle uses a friction-latch interlock rather than a screw lock — fine for stable board-to-board stacks, not suited for high-vibration environments without a secondary strain-relief mate.
Sourcing and Lifecycle
Listed Active in the manufacturer lifecycle — quoted to order against the BOM quantity with no official last-time-buy or successor. The 86503 base number is shared across the BERGSTIK II series; confirm the position count and plating grade match your BOM line exactly, since siblings at the same pitch with different circuit counts will not be pin-compatible drop-ins. Mating half is the matching BERGSTIK II dual-row receptacle or IDC housing in the corresponding 38-position configuration.