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After much experimentation and some helpful answers here I've decided that FCI "Clincher" (.pdf link) parts are the right answer for adding connectors to the ends of flexible ZJ168 RGB LED strip.

The parts themselves are cheap enough (< $2 each) but the crimping tool appears to cost almost USD$2500! I certainly can't afford that and in any case Element 14 here in Singapore (from whom I got the connectors) don't have any crimpers in stock and can't hire/lend me one.

I've had a modicum of success crushing the crimps down with the tip of my pliers but can someone suggest something more elegant and/or foolproof? Are there any un-obvious flaws with attempting to crimp these without the proper tool?

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Robert Atkins
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Manufacturers' crimp tools are precision-engineered for their connectors, and actually create a cold weld between the terminal and the wire. It's impossible to make a reliable connection without the correct tool. Distributors will usually make up cables for customers, using the correct tooling, even in prototype quantities.

Leon Heller
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  • That's what I feared. There's a... communication barrier involved here which makes this extra difficult. It's not "a cable" I want either, it's much more complex. And they've already told me they don't have the tool in stock. – Robert Atkins Mar 22 '11 at 16:14
  • Try an official FCI distributor. They should be able to advise you. – Leon Heller Mar 22 '11 at 16:19
  • I've mailed FCI (had to put "Human Being" in the compulsory "Company" field in the contact form), I'll see how we go. – Robert Atkins Mar 22 '11 at 16:54
  • It's funny how often my current troubles are reflected on this site. I was searching for about 45 minutes for a crimp tool for pins into a simple 0.1" header before giving up. I ended up actually soldering the wire inside the pin, after only slightly closing it to fit in the header. Obviously that won't work here, but I'm sure it's more reliable than the "correct tool". I'll probably start doing that instead of the crimp tool from now on. – darron Mar 22 '11 at 17:14
  • ... now if only I could get the pins to stay locked in place inside the header... it's amazing how poorly made these headers are. The pins are the matching part numbers for these headers, and they're too loose. I guess I'll use silicone... How can we have X Ghz multicore processors but we can't get a wire to stay attached to a header? – darron Mar 22 '11 at 17:19
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    Actually Darron, crimping 0.1" header pins is actually quite tricky to do properly. You do need the tool (any electronics shop should have one for < $20), but it took me a while to get the knack. The crimp tool produces two "folds" of metal, one around the insulation only and one over and into the stripped wires themselves in a kind of heart shape cross-section. I read evidence that a properly done crimp can be better than soldering (google "crimp gas tight cold weld") – Robert Atkins Mar 22 '11 at 17:36
  • Also, the crimp pins I've used quite cleverly lock into the headers if you've crimped them correctly and put them in the right way around. You can also buy pre-crimped jumper wires if you need them in quantity. – Robert Atkins Mar 22 '11 at 17:43
  • The problem with soldering the wire in the terminal is that it makes the wire liable to break if any flexing takes place. – Leon Heller Mar 22 '11 at 20:14
  • @darron, getting a wire to stay attached to a header has always been the hard part. – Kortuk Mar 22 '11 at 20:22