TE Connectivity
Fine Pitch FPC (0.25mm & 0.3mm Pitch)
Basic Information
Figure A
staggered
Tail Orientation
All of our fine pitch FPC products feature a staggered tail orientation. This means that the layout
of the front and rear contacts are staggered as shown in Figure A.
Figure B
When the tail orientation is staggered it is important to remember that you can measure the
centerline by measuring the distance between the center of the front contact and the center of
the rear contact as shown in Figure B.
Centerline Spacing
Centerline can be measured many different ways, however, in general, it is
Figure C
simply the spacing between the center of one contact and the center of its
neighboring contact.
You can note the centerline of our fine pitch FPC product by looking at the
contacts of the connector itself shown in Figure C or by the method already
described in Figure B.
Flip Lock Actuator
All of our Fine Pitch FPC connectors incorporate a flip lock actuator for greater printed circuit retention. This termination method
also allows for Zero Insertion Force which is why this product is commonly referred to as a ZIF connector. The operation of a flip
lock actuator can be seen in the images below.
Front Flip Lock Actuator
Step One:
Step Two:
Step Three:
Step Four:
Open Flip-Lock Actuator. The
actuator hinges open towards the
back side of the connector
(away from the FPC).
Insert the FPC into the connector.
With the FPC inserted, close the
Flip-Lock Actuator. The actuator
hinges close towards the front side of
the connector (towards the FPC).
Your FPC is now securely mated
with the connector.
Back Flip Lock Actuator
Step One:
Step Two:
Step Three:
Step Four:
Open Flip-Lock Actuator. The
actuator hinges open towards the
front side of the connector
(towards the FPC).
Insert the FPC into the connector.
With the FPC inserted, close the
Flip-Lock Actuator. The actuator
hinges closed towards the back side
of the connector (away from the FPC)
and closes with a tactile click.
Your FPC is now securely mated
with the connector.
Upper (Top) Contact vs Lower (Bottom) Contact
Many of our fine pitch FPC products are available in both Upper (top) or Lower (bottom) contact versions. This attribute simply
represents which portion of the contact the flexible printed circuit interacts with. As you can see from the image below, the FPC
contacts are formed in a “U” shape. Only one prong of that “U” shaped contact interfaces with the flexible printed circuit contacts.
Choosing the correct contact design is generally based on the orientation of the flexible printed circuit as described below.
Upper(Top) Contact
Lower(Bottom) Contact
If the contacts of the flexible
printed circuit are facing
down (towards the board)
then the lower contact
version is required.
If the contacts of the
flexible printed circuit are
facing up (away from the
board) then the upper
contact version is required.
FPC
FPC
Contact Point
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