Tiger Eye IDC Receptacle for 30 AWG Ribbon Cable
The Samtec FFSD-13-01-N is a 26-position IDC receptacle from the Tiger Eye™ FFSD series, designed to terminate 30 AWG ribbon cable in a free-hanging (in-line) configuration. It uses a 2-row layout on a 0.050" (1.27mm) pitch with matching 0.050" row spacing — the standard geometry for a 13-pair ribbon cable. The female socket contacts are plated with 10.0µin (0.25µm) gold, and the black housing includes a feed-through design with a polarizing key to prevent mis-mating. This connector is typically used for internal board-to-cable signal interconnects in data, telecom, and instrumentation equipment where a dense, reliable IDC termination is required.
Position Count and Pitch Match the BOM
The 26 positions on a 0.050" pitch are the primary fit check: this receptacle terminates a standard 26-conductor (13-pair) ribbon cable. Within the FFSD series, the same 0.050" pitch and 2-row layout carry across all position counts — the FFSD-10-01-N (20 positions), FFSD-11-01-N (22 positions), and FFSD-15-01-N (30 positions) are identical in every other spec.
IDC Termination and Wire Gauge
Termination is by insulation displacement (IDC) — the 30 AWG ribbon cable is pressed onto the gold-plated socket contacts without stripping or crimping. The IDC slot is sized specifically for 30 AWG; the connector does not accept other wire gauges. A standard IDC hand press or automated tooling seats the cable, and the feed-through housing lets the cable exit straight through the back of the connector, keeping the assembly profile low.
Polarizing Key Prevents Reversed Mating
The polarizing key in the housing ensures the receptacle can only be mated with the corresponding header in one orientation. In a harness with multiple ribbon cables, this eliminates the risk of a reversed connection that would short the signal bus. The feed-through feature also allows the cable to pass through the connector body, which simplifies routing in daisy-chain or pass-through applications.