Why this 9-position right-angle D-sub with a ground strap exists
The TE Connectivity AMPLIMITE HD-20 5745781-4 is a 9-position D-sub receptacle with female sockets, arranged in two rows, terminated by through-hole solder tails at a right angle. The shell size is DE (E), the standard layout for 9-position D-subs, so it mates with any DE-size male plug. The integrated ground strap — a stamped metal tab bonded to the steel shell — gives the board a dedicated low-impedance path to chassis ground, which a standard HD-20 receptacle without the strap does not have.
The ground strap is the differentiator
Most AMPLIMITE HD-20 receptacles in this shell size ship without a ground strap. The 5745781-4 carries one, which means it is the variant to specify when the PCB layout needs a direct ground return from the connector shell to the board ground plane — saving a separate wire or braid. The strap is part of the stamped shell assembly, not a field-added clip, so the ground path is repeatable across builds. For a standard 9-position D-sub without the strap, the TE 5745781-6 (same positions, right-angle, no strap) is the direct alternative; the strap is the only functional difference between the two.