ICD Conector

[2camjohn]

Hi Guys,

I am trying to find the part number for the ICD connetor that goes from my ICD2 to the target hardware.

Its the one that looks alot like a network/telephone cable. Its 6 pins but only 5 are used (i think).

I am looking to buy some of the headers, so that I can connect my ICD2 directly to my hardware.


I have tried all the places I usually buy parts from (RS, farnell etc) as well as google, but I cant find it anywhere.

Either it is so obvious what the connector is that no one feels the need to make the information public. Or Micrichip dont want us to know what the connector is.


Cheers
John


EDIT Just had a thought that this should probably be in the parts/requests forum, so I wont be suprised if it gets moved there. Sorry mods...

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Hi Guys,

I am trying to find the part number for the ICD connetor that goes from my ICD2 to the target hardware.

Its the one that looks alot like a network/telephone cable. Its 6 pins but only 5 are used (i think).

I am looking to buy some of the headers, so that I can connect my ICD2 directly to my hardware.


I have tried all the places I usually buy parts from (RS, farnell etc) as well as google, but I cant find it anywhere.

Either it is so obvious what the connector is that no one feels the need to make the information public. Or Micrichip dont want us to know what the connector is.


Cheers
John


EDIT Just had a thought that this should probably be in the parts/requests forum, so I wont be suprised if it gets moved there. Sorry mods...

No problem with it being here!, seems the best place for it!. I've never used one, but as far as I know it's the standard USA phone connector (RJ11?), it's also the standard Ethernet connector - it's so common you don't need to ask!.

 

[Jay.slovak]

Do you mean this standard ICD2 cable?

 

[grim]

It's an RJ12, from what I have found

and getting rid of it seems to be the first mod to do

 

[evandude]

yes, it's RJ12, which is not the same as either phone connectors (RJ11) or ethernet (RJ45), though it's the same series and basic shape. Unfortunately, RJ12 is not very common in the home (I believe it's used for telecom wiring in businesses and such, but it's not something common enough to be readily available in stores). My solution was to buy a bunch of premade cables from https://www.cablewholesale.com, where they are currently 84 cents for a 7-foot cable. I am going to take most of them and cut them in half to make varying-length cables, and put whatever connectors I want on the other end (such as 0.1" pin headers or socket so I can plug one in to a breadboard, etc)
so although RJ12 isn't common, it's inexpensive enough for me to stock up on enough cables for anything I need.

The "standard" ICD2 cables appear to be the reverse kind, where the pin order is swapped on each end. I chose to get 1:1 cables (same price) since I'll only ever be using them with my own homebrew boards and circuits, and it makes more sense for me because it keeps the socket pinout the same on either end, and keeps the wire color order the same no matter which way you plug the cable in. In either case, it's somewhat arbitrary, but you just have to make sure you do your target board pinout for the type of cable you decide to use, if you are using an RJ12 socket on it instead of a custom cable and socket on that end.

 

[William At MyBlueRoom]

I avoided the rj12 for the same reason most clone icd2s do. You need a special crimp tool if you want to make your own cables, or if you cut most telco cable its very strange wire; unsolderable; thin, cheap stuff & rj45 cable tends to be solid and not so flexable. I guess microchip expects you to use an rj12 jack on the target... And they don't mount easy on a protoboard...

 

[grim]

And they don't mount easy on a protoboard...

which is the biggest drawback I can see