MTA-100 IDC Receptacle for Discrete or Ribbon Cable Harnesses
The TE Connectivity MTA-100 3-644540-7 is a 7-position IDC receptacle designed for mass-termination of discrete or ribbon cable. It sits in the MTA-100 series at the standard 0.100" (2.54mm) pitch, a footprint that matches legacy 0.100" header rows common in control and I/O panels. The single-row, red housing accepts 22 AWG wire and terminates via IDC — no stripping or crimping per wire, which speeds harness build for moderate-volume production or field repair.
What the Tin Plating and Locking Ramp Mean for the Fit
The tin contact finish at 80.0µin (2.03µm) is a workhorse plating for moderate mating cycles — think 10 to 25 cycles in a panel or appliance where the connector is mated once and left. It is not the right choice for high-cycle field-service or corrosive environments; that duty calls for gold. The feed-through feature allows daisy-chaining the signal through the receptacle, useful for common-bus wiring in control cabinets.
Mounting and Termination: Free-Hanging Right-Angle IDC
This receptacle is free-hanging (in-line) with a right-angle cable exit, meaning the wire exits parallel to the board or panel surface — a space-saver in shallow enclosures where straight-out cable clearance is tight. The IDC termination requires a simple hand or pneumatic press tool (the MTA-100 applicator) to push the wire into the slot; no solder, no crimp die changeover. For ribbon cable, the IDC slots pierce the insulation in one stroke across all 7 positions.
How 3-644540-7 Compares to 3-644540-6
The 3-644540-7 and 3-644540-6 are identical in pitch (0.100"), termination (IDC), wire gauge (22 AWG), and contact finish (tin). The difference is position count: 7 positions on the -7 versus 6 positions on the -6. Both use the same MTA-100 housing profile and mate with the same 0.100" header family. The choice is purely circuit-count driven — match the BOM line count exactly.