Male or female header on PCB? [closed]












7












$begingroup$


I'm designing PCB which has pin header connectors(0.1" pitch). So my question is - Is it the standard to put female headers onto PCB and solder male headers to wires or vice versa?



My idea is next:
Female pin headers is better to put on PCB. Why? They are protected with plastic around them, so you can't accidentally short connections and damage PCB(assuming that PCB is more expensive than female headers).



PCB has 34 pins for Arduino and DS3231 module(those pins will be female pins), six pins are signal pins, one is VCC, one GND pin.










share|improve this question











$endgroup$



closed as primarily opinion-based by Chris Stratton, pipe, Edgar Brown, Elliot Alderson, Sparky256 Feb 6 at 4:31


Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.














  • 1




    $begingroup$
    "solder male headers to wires " Crimping pins to wires is more common, be they female or male. Take a look at the board-mount headers and ribbon-cable crimp on connectors here. peconnectors.com
    $endgroup$
    – CrossRoads
    Feb 3 at 23:43






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    What's the purpose of the connections? What's the purpose of the PCB? Will the PCB be used as a naked board? Or, will it sit in an enclosure? By the way, here's a somewhat related answer in an old thread.
    $endgroup$
    – Nick Alexeev
    Feb 4 at 7:31










  • $begingroup$
    It is easier to solder male header(and protect with heatshrink tube) for me. I don't have tool for crimping.
    $endgroup$
    – SilvioCro
    Feb 4 at 8:01










  • $begingroup$
    6 headers are in use for signal, one vcc and one gnd. This is small pcb(project isn't complex)
    $endgroup$
    – SilvioCro
    Feb 4 at 8:02










  • $begingroup$
    @SilvioCro please edit your question to provide those additional informations. Comments can get lost and a question should contain everything needed for an answer.
    $endgroup$
    – guntbert
    Feb 4 at 12:11
















7












$begingroup$


I'm designing PCB which has pin header connectors(0.1" pitch). So my question is - Is it the standard to put female headers onto PCB and solder male headers to wires or vice versa?



My idea is next:
Female pin headers is better to put on PCB. Why? They are protected with plastic around them, so you can't accidentally short connections and damage PCB(assuming that PCB is more expensive than female headers).



PCB has 34 pins for Arduino and DS3231 module(those pins will be female pins), six pins are signal pins, one is VCC, one GND pin.










share|improve this question











$endgroup$



closed as primarily opinion-based by Chris Stratton, pipe, Edgar Brown, Elliot Alderson, Sparky256 Feb 6 at 4:31


Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.














  • 1




    $begingroup$
    "solder male headers to wires " Crimping pins to wires is more common, be they female or male. Take a look at the board-mount headers and ribbon-cable crimp on connectors here. peconnectors.com
    $endgroup$
    – CrossRoads
    Feb 3 at 23:43






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    What's the purpose of the connections? What's the purpose of the PCB? Will the PCB be used as a naked board? Or, will it sit in an enclosure? By the way, here's a somewhat related answer in an old thread.
    $endgroup$
    – Nick Alexeev
    Feb 4 at 7:31










  • $begingroup$
    It is easier to solder male header(and protect with heatshrink tube) for me. I don't have tool for crimping.
    $endgroup$
    – SilvioCro
    Feb 4 at 8:01










  • $begingroup$
    6 headers are in use for signal, one vcc and one gnd. This is small pcb(project isn't complex)
    $endgroup$
    – SilvioCro
    Feb 4 at 8:02










  • $begingroup$
    @SilvioCro please edit your question to provide those additional informations. Comments can get lost and a question should contain everything needed for an answer.
    $endgroup$
    – guntbert
    Feb 4 at 12:11














7












7








7





$begingroup$


I'm designing PCB which has pin header connectors(0.1" pitch). So my question is - Is it the standard to put female headers onto PCB and solder male headers to wires or vice versa?



My idea is next:
Female pin headers is better to put on PCB. Why? They are protected with plastic around them, so you can't accidentally short connections and damage PCB(assuming that PCB is more expensive than female headers).



PCB has 34 pins for Arduino and DS3231 module(those pins will be female pins), six pins are signal pins, one is VCC, one GND pin.










share|improve this question











$endgroup$




I'm designing PCB which has pin header connectors(0.1" pitch). So my question is - Is it the standard to put female headers onto PCB and solder male headers to wires or vice versa?



My idea is next:
Female pin headers is better to put on PCB. Why? They are protected with plastic around them, so you can't accidentally short connections and damage PCB(assuming that PCB is more expensive than female headers).



PCB has 34 pins for Arduino and DS3231 module(those pins will be female pins), six pins are signal pins, one is VCC, one GND pin.







pcb-design pin-headers






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Feb 4 at 12:26







SilvioCro

















asked Feb 3 at 21:56









SilvioCroSilvioCro

105110




105110




closed as primarily opinion-based by Chris Stratton, pipe, Edgar Brown, Elliot Alderson, Sparky256 Feb 6 at 4:31


Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.









closed as primarily opinion-based by Chris Stratton, pipe, Edgar Brown, Elliot Alderson, Sparky256 Feb 6 at 4:31


Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.










  • 1




    $begingroup$
    "solder male headers to wires " Crimping pins to wires is more common, be they female or male. Take a look at the board-mount headers and ribbon-cable crimp on connectors here. peconnectors.com
    $endgroup$
    – CrossRoads
    Feb 3 at 23:43






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    What's the purpose of the connections? What's the purpose of the PCB? Will the PCB be used as a naked board? Or, will it sit in an enclosure? By the way, here's a somewhat related answer in an old thread.
    $endgroup$
    – Nick Alexeev
    Feb 4 at 7:31










  • $begingroup$
    It is easier to solder male header(and protect with heatshrink tube) for me. I don't have tool for crimping.
    $endgroup$
    – SilvioCro
    Feb 4 at 8:01










  • $begingroup$
    6 headers are in use for signal, one vcc and one gnd. This is small pcb(project isn't complex)
    $endgroup$
    – SilvioCro
    Feb 4 at 8:02










  • $begingroup$
    @SilvioCro please edit your question to provide those additional informations. Comments can get lost and a question should contain everything needed for an answer.
    $endgroup$
    – guntbert
    Feb 4 at 12:11














  • 1




    $begingroup$
    "solder male headers to wires " Crimping pins to wires is more common, be they female or male. Take a look at the board-mount headers and ribbon-cable crimp on connectors here. peconnectors.com
    $endgroup$
    – CrossRoads
    Feb 3 at 23:43






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    What's the purpose of the connections? What's the purpose of the PCB? Will the PCB be used as a naked board? Or, will it sit in an enclosure? By the way, here's a somewhat related answer in an old thread.
    $endgroup$
    – Nick Alexeev
    Feb 4 at 7:31










  • $begingroup$
    It is easier to solder male header(and protect with heatshrink tube) for me. I don't have tool for crimping.
    $endgroup$
    – SilvioCro
    Feb 4 at 8:01










  • $begingroup$
    6 headers are in use for signal, one vcc and one gnd. This is small pcb(project isn't complex)
    $endgroup$
    – SilvioCro
    Feb 4 at 8:02










  • $begingroup$
    @SilvioCro please edit your question to provide those additional informations. Comments can get lost and a question should contain everything needed for an answer.
    $endgroup$
    – guntbert
    Feb 4 at 12:11








1




1




$begingroup$
"solder male headers to wires " Crimping pins to wires is more common, be they female or male. Take a look at the board-mount headers and ribbon-cable crimp on connectors here. peconnectors.com
$endgroup$
– CrossRoads
Feb 3 at 23:43




$begingroup$
"solder male headers to wires " Crimping pins to wires is more common, be they female or male. Take a look at the board-mount headers and ribbon-cable crimp on connectors here. peconnectors.com
$endgroup$
– CrossRoads
Feb 3 at 23:43




2




2




$begingroup$
What's the purpose of the connections? What's the purpose of the PCB? Will the PCB be used as a naked board? Or, will it sit in an enclosure? By the way, here's a somewhat related answer in an old thread.
$endgroup$
– Nick Alexeev
Feb 4 at 7:31




$begingroup$
What's the purpose of the connections? What's the purpose of the PCB? Will the PCB be used as a naked board? Or, will it sit in an enclosure? By the way, here's a somewhat related answer in an old thread.
$endgroup$
– Nick Alexeev
Feb 4 at 7:31












$begingroup$
It is easier to solder male header(and protect with heatshrink tube) for me. I don't have tool for crimping.
$endgroup$
– SilvioCro
Feb 4 at 8:01




$begingroup$
It is easier to solder male header(and protect with heatshrink tube) for me. I don't have tool for crimping.
$endgroup$
– SilvioCro
Feb 4 at 8:01












$begingroup$
6 headers are in use for signal, one vcc and one gnd. This is small pcb(project isn't complex)
$endgroup$
– SilvioCro
Feb 4 at 8:02




$begingroup$
6 headers are in use for signal, one vcc and one gnd. This is small pcb(project isn't complex)
$endgroup$
– SilvioCro
Feb 4 at 8:02












$begingroup$
@SilvioCro please edit your question to provide those additional informations. Comments can get lost and a question should contain everything needed for an answer.
$endgroup$
– guntbert
Feb 4 at 12:11




$begingroup$
@SilvioCro please edit your question to provide those additional informations. Comments can get lost and a question should contain everything needed for an answer.
$endgroup$
– guntbert
Feb 4 at 12:11










6 Answers
6






active

oldest

votes


















15












$begingroup$

My theory is that male headers are less likely to suffer damage by contamination since everything is "out there" and visible. Use the shrouded kind for more protection.



The females, when part of an IDC cable, are more easily replaced if they fail, rather than trying to replace a part on an expensive multilayer PCB.



You will find most products where there was a choice such as IDE disk drives and PCB motherboards will agree with this choice.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$









  • 2




    $begingroup$
    Female crimp and IDC connectors are definitely more common, and often cheaper as a result.
    $endgroup$
    – Chris Stratton
    Feb 4 at 0:25






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Counterexample: VGA/Serial connectors usually have male pins on the cable side, and female sockets on the host side. Replacing a cable with a damaged male pin is trivial, but trying to replace a bent or broken male pin on a laptop is an extensive rework. +1 for 'use the shrouded kind for more protection'. I think it's good practice to make the more fragile side of the connection the easier one to repair/replace.
    $endgroup$
    – Chris Fernandez
    Feb 4 at 15:28



















7












$begingroup$

There is no standard. Male pin headers on PCBs got their start in the electronics world back when ribbon cables became popular. These cables were equipped with 0.1" pitch female socket connectors which mated with male pin box headers. Over time many applications eliminated the shrouded box header in favor of the open male pin header due to cost and space savings reasons.



These days there are so many choices it really becomes a case of finding the connection technology that best fits the packaging concept for your electronics gadget.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    How to protect reverse connection with shrouded male headers?
    $endgroup$
    – SilvioCro
    Feb 3 at 22:31






  • 3




    $begingroup$
    With a shroud you can add a plastic "key" to the cable, just like on IDE connectors. The shroud + key only allows it to be plugged in one way. See: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/…
    $endgroup$
    – DeadChex
    Feb 3 at 23:11






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    The shroud also helps prevent other common errors, such as off-by-one. (Of course those are only harmful if not noticed before applying power, and none of these are suitable for hotplugging)
    $endgroup$
    – Ben Voigt
    Feb 4 at 0:33






  • 3




    $begingroup$
    @SilvioCro I can't believe you've never seen an IDC connector. Do a google image search for "idc connector". The answer to your question is obvious
    $endgroup$
    – slebetman
    Feb 4 at 0:43












  • $begingroup$
    @slebetman - There are many, many, IDC connectors which are not keyed to prevent reverse-insertion.
    $endgroup$
    – SiHa
    Feb 4 at 12:27



















6












$begingroup$

There's not a standard, but a good rule of thumb is to think about would happen if someone untrained took hold of the board. For example, mains wiring is always a socket in the wall so it is impossible or difficult to touch a live wire accidentally. If there is power being supplied by one side, I would generally make that a socket (female). Cost wise, male tends to be cheaper than female, so if you're doing big numbers that may also be a consideration for you.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$





















    3












    $begingroup$

    Contrary to your statement, male headers also come with shrouds.



    If you are plugging in cables, then use male headers that include retaining clips.



    I do not know if you can even get a female connector with retaining clips.



    enter image description here






    share|improve this answer









    $endgroup$









    • 2




      $begingroup$
      Female connectors for flat (ribbon) cables often have locking clips: i.ebayimg.com/images/i/182350451902-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
      $endgroup$
      – sleblanc
      Feb 4 at 3:47












    • $begingroup$
      In this case, a screw that falls into the enclosure on an unpopulated header can still short the pins
      $endgroup$
      – crasic
      Feb 4 at 4:33



















    3












    $begingroup$

    The standard, if there is one, may be based on the old rule of thumb that says




    Ma Bell has the female parts




    It applies to phone, electric, USB, and all manner of other signal circuits. For safety, the electrically active parts of the circuit are protected; barring tampering, the matching plug is required to access the power or signal. For usability, in general, the plug is more likely to be damaged by repeated or incorrect usage. And a cable end is usually easier to replace than a mounted connector.



    But there are exceptions, especially if the duty cycle for the connection is very low.






    share|improve this answer









    $endgroup$





















      3












      $begingroup$

      You do not provide many details, so I will be generic.



      You should consider safety. Safety for the device, safety for the cables, safety for the users (people).



      Applied to electricity networks, inputs are male and outputs female. In this way you make sure you cannot have a direct link to the electricity supply - which can be accidentally touched by people. You cannot easily create a short-circut.



      On the other hand, we (sometimes) use fuses not to protect the devices, but the cables - replacing cables can be a lot more expensive, because of dismantling, re-assembling...



      So analyze your setup from these points of view. Protect as much as possible. Prioritize.






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$




















        6 Answers
        6






        active

        oldest

        votes








        6 Answers
        6






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        15












        $begingroup$

        My theory is that male headers are less likely to suffer damage by contamination since everything is "out there" and visible. Use the shrouded kind for more protection.



        The females, when part of an IDC cable, are more easily replaced if they fail, rather than trying to replace a part on an expensive multilayer PCB.



        You will find most products where there was a choice such as IDE disk drives and PCB motherboards will agree with this choice.






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$









        • 2




          $begingroup$
          Female crimp and IDC connectors are definitely more common, and often cheaper as a result.
          $endgroup$
          – Chris Stratton
          Feb 4 at 0:25






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Counterexample: VGA/Serial connectors usually have male pins on the cable side, and female sockets on the host side. Replacing a cable with a damaged male pin is trivial, but trying to replace a bent or broken male pin on a laptop is an extensive rework. +1 for 'use the shrouded kind for more protection'. I think it's good practice to make the more fragile side of the connection the easier one to repair/replace.
          $endgroup$
          – Chris Fernandez
          Feb 4 at 15:28
















        15












        $begingroup$

        My theory is that male headers are less likely to suffer damage by contamination since everything is "out there" and visible. Use the shrouded kind for more protection.



        The females, when part of an IDC cable, are more easily replaced if they fail, rather than trying to replace a part on an expensive multilayer PCB.



        You will find most products where there was a choice such as IDE disk drives and PCB motherboards will agree with this choice.






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$









        • 2




          $begingroup$
          Female crimp and IDC connectors are definitely more common, and often cheaper as a result.
          $endgroup$
          – Chris Stratton
          Feb 4 at 0:25






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Counterexample: VGA/Serial connectors usually have male pins on the cable side, and female sockets on the host side. Replacing a cable with a damaged male pin is trivial, but trying to replace a bent or broken male pin on a laptop is an extensive rework. +1 for 'use the shrouded kind for more protection'. I think it's good practice to make the more fragile side of the connection the easier one to repair/replace.
          $endgroup$
          – Chris Fernandez
          Feb 4 at 15:28














        15












        15








        15





        $begingroup$

        My theory is that male headers are less likely to suffer damage by contamination since everything is "out there" and visible. Use the shrouded kind for more protection.



        The females, when part of an IDC cable, are more easily replaced if they fail, rather than trying to replace a part on an expensive multilayer PCB.



        You will find most products where there was a choice such as IDE disk drives and PCB motherboards will agree with this choice.






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$



        My theory is that male headers are less likely to suffer damage by contamination since everything is "out there" and visible. Use the shrouded kind for more protection.



        The females, when part of an IDC cable, are more easily replaced if they fail, rather than trying to replace a part on an expensive multilayer PCB.



        You will find most products where there was a choice such as IDE disk drives and PCB motherboards will agree with this choice.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered Feb 3 at 22:11









        Spehro PefhanySpehro Pefhany

        209k5159421




        209k5159421








        • 2




          $begingroup$
          Female crimp and IDC connectors are definitely more common, and often cheaper as a result.
          $endgroup$
          – Chris Stratton
          Feb 4 at 0:25






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Counterexample: VGA/Serial connectors usually have male pins on the cable side, and female sockets on the host side. Replacing a cable with a damaged male pin is trivial, but trying to replace a bent or broken male pin on a laptop is an extensive rework. +1 for 'use the shrouded kind for more protection'. I think it's good practice to make the more fragile side of the connection the easier one to repair/replace.
          $endgroup$
          – Chris Fernandez
          Feb 4 at 15:28














        • 2




          $begingroup$
          Female crimp and IDC connectors are definitely more common, and often cheaper as a result.
          $endgroup$
          – Chris Stratton
          Feb 4 at 0:25






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          Counterexample: VGA/Serial connectors usually have male pins on the cable side, and female sockets on the host side. Replacing a cable with a damaged male pin is trivial, but trying to replace a bent or broken male pin on a laptop is an extensive rework. +1 for 'use the shrouded kind for more protection'. I think it's good practice to make the more fragile side of the connection the easier one to repair/replace.
          $endgroup$
          – Chris Fernandez
          Feb 4 at 15:28








        2




        2




        $begingroup$
        Female crimp and IDC connectors are definitely more common, and often cheaper as a result.
        $endgroup$
        – Chris Stratton
        Feb 4 at 0:25




        $begingroup$
        Female crimp and IDC connectors are definitely more common, and often cheaper as a result.
        $endgroup$
        – Chris Stratton
        Feb 4 at 0:25




        1




        1




        $begingroup$
        Counterexample: VGA/Serial connectors usually have male pins on the cable side, and female sockets on the host side. Replacing a cable with a damaged male pin is trivial, but trying to replace a bent or broken male pin on a laptop is an extensive rework. +1 for 'use the shrouded kind for more protection'. I think it's good practice to make the more fragile side of the connection the easier one to repair/replace.
        $endgroup$
        – Chris Fernandez
        Feb 4 at 15:28




        $begingroup$
        Counterexample: VGA/Serial connectors usually have male pins on the cable side, and female sockets on the host side. Replacing a cable with a damaged male pin is trivial, but trying to replace a bent or broken male pin on a laptop is an extensive rework. +1 for 'use the shrouded kind for more protection'. I think it's good practice to make the more fragile side of the connection the easier one to repair/replace.
        $endgroup$
        – Chris Fernandez
        Feb 4 at 15:28













        7












        $begingroup$

        There is no standard. Male pin headers on PCBs got their start in the electronics world back when ribbon cables became popular. These cables were equipped with 0.1" pitch female socket connectors which mated with male pin box headers. Over time many applications eliminated the shrouded box header in favor of the open male pin header due to cost and space savings reasons.



        These days there are so many choices it really becomes a case of finding the connection technology that best fits the packaging concept for your electronics gadget.






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$













        • $begingroup$
          How to protect reverse connection with shrouded male headers?
          $endgroup$
          – SilvioCro
          Feb 3 at 22:31






        • 3




          $begingroup$
          With a shroud you can add a plastic "key" to the cable, just like on IDE connectors. The shroud + key only allows it to be plugged in one way. See: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/…
          $endgroup$
          – DeadChex
          Feb 3 at 23:11






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          The shroud also helps prevent other common errors, such as off-by-one. (Of course those are only harmful if not noticed before applying power, and none of these are suitable for hotplugging)
          $endgroup$
          – Ben Voigt
          Feb 4 at 0:33






        • 3




          $begingroup$
          @SilvioCro I can't believe you've never seen an IDC connector. Do a google image search for "idc connector". The answer to your question is obvious
          $endgroup$
          – slebetman
          Feb 4 at 0:43












        • $begingroup$
          @slebetman - There are many, many, IDC connectors which are not keyed to prevent reverse-insertion.
          $endgroup$
          – SiHa
          Feb 4 at 12:27
















        7












        $begingroup$

        There is no standard. Male pin headers on PCBs got their start in the electronics world back when ribbon cables became popular. These cables were equipped with 0.1" pitch female socket connectors which mated with male pin box headers. Over time many applications eliminated the shrouded box header in favor of the open male pin header due to cost and space savings reasons.



        These days there are so many choices it really becomes a case of finding the connection technology that best fits the packaging concept for your electronics gadget.






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$













        • $begingroup$
          How to protect reverse connection with shrouded male headers?
          $endgroup$
          – SilvioCro
          Feb 3 at 22:31






        • 3




          $begingroup$
          With a shroud you can add a plastic "key" to the cable, just like on IDE connectors. The shroud + key only allows it to be plugged in one way. See: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/…
          $endgroup$
          – DeadChex
          Feb 3 at 23:11






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          The shroud also helps prevent other common errors, such as off-by-one. (Of course those are only harmful if not noticed before applying power, and none of these are suitable for hotplugging)
          $endgroup$
          – Ben Voigt
          Feb 4 at 0:33






        • 3




          $begingroup$
          @SilvioCro I can't believe you've never seen an IDC connector. Do a google image search for "idc connector". The answer to your question is obvious
          $endgroup$
          – slebetman
          Feb 4 at 0:43












        • $begingroup$
          @slebetman - There are many, many, IDC connectors which are not keyed to prevent reverse-insertion.
          $endgroup$
          – SiHa
          Feb 4 at 12:27














        7












        7








        7





        $begingroup$

        There is no standard. Male pin headers on PCBs got their start in the electronics world back when ribbon cables became popular. These cables were equipped with 0.1" pitch female socket connectors which mated with male pin box headers. Over time many applications eliminated the shrouded box header in favor of the open male pin header due to cost and space savings reasons.



        These days there are so many choices it really becomes a case of finding the connection technology that best fits the packaging concept for your electronics gadget.






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$



        There is no standard. Male pin headers on PCBs got their start in the electronics world back when ribbon cables became popular. These cables were equipped with 0.1" pitch female socket connectors which mated with male pin box headers. Over time many applications eliminated the shrouded box header in favor of the open male pin header due to cost and space savings reasons.



        These days there are so many choices it really becomes a case of finding the connection technology that best fits the packaging concept for your electronics gadget.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered Feb 3 at 22:06









        Michael KarasMichael Karas

        44.3k348103




        44.3k348103












        • $begingroup$
          How to protect reverse connection with shrouded male headers?
          $endgroup$
          – SilvioCro
          Feb 3 at 22:31






        • 3




          $begingroup$
          With a shroud you can add a plastic "key" to the cable, just like on IDE connectors. The shroud + key only allows it to be plugged in one way. See: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/…
          $endgroup$
          – DeadChex
          Feb 3 at 23:11






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          The shroud also helps prevent other common errors, such as off-by-one. (Of course those are only harmful if not noticed before applying power, and none of these are suitable for hotplugging)
          $endgroup$
          – Ben Voigt
          Feb 4 at 0:33






        • 3




          $begingroup$
          @SilvioCro I can't believe you've never seen an IDC connector. Do a google image search for "idc connector". The answer to your question is obvious
          $endgroup$
          – slebetman
          Feb 4 at 0:43












        • $begingroup$
          @slebetman - There are many, many, IDC connectors which are not keyed to prevent reverse-insertion.
          $endgroup$
          – SiHa
          Feb 4 at 12:27


















        • $begingroup$
          How to protect reverse connection with shrouded male headers?
          $endgroup$
          – SilvioCro
          Feb 3 at 22:31






        • 3




          $begingroup$
          With a shroud you can add a plastic "key" to the cable, just like on IDE connectors. The shroud + key only allows it to be plugged in one way. See: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/…
          $endgroup$
          – DeadChex
          Feb 3 at 23:11






        • 1




          $begingroup$
          The shroud also helps prevent other common errors, such as off-by-one. (Of course those are only harmful if not noticed before applying power, and none of these are suitable for hotplugging)
          $endgroup$
          – Ben Voigt
          Feb 4 at 0:33






        • 3




          $begingroup$
          @SilvioCro I can't believe you've never seen an IDC connector. Do a google image search for "idc connector". The answer to your question is obvious
          $endgroup$
          – slebetman
          Feb 4 at 0:43












        • $begingroup$
          @slebetman - There are many, many, IDC connectors which are not keyed to prevent reverse-insertion.
          $endgroup$
          – SiHa
          Feb 4 at 12:27
















        $begingroup$
        How to protect reverse connection with shrouded male headers?
        $endgroup$
        – SilvioCro
        Feb 3 at 22:31




        $begingroup$
        How to protect reverse connection with shrouded male headers?
        $endgroup$
        – SilvioCro
        Feb 3 at 22:31




        3




        3




        $begingroup$
        With a shroud you can add a plastic "key" to the cable, just like on IDE connectors. The shroud + key only allows it to be plugged in one way. See: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/…
        $endgroup$
        – DeadChex
        Feb 3 at 23:11




        $begingroup$
        With a shroud you can add a plastic "key" to the cable, just like on IDE connectors. The shroud + key only allows it to be plugged in one way. See: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/…
        $endgroup$
        – DeadChex
        Feb 3 at 23:11




        1




        1




        $begingroup$
        The shroud also helps prevent other common errors, such as off-by-one. (Of course those are only harmful if not noticed before applying power, and none of these are suitable for hotplugging)
        $endgroup$
        – Ben Voigt
        Feb 4 at 0:33




        $begingroup$
        The shroud also helps prevent other common errors, such as off-by-one. (Of course those are only harmful if not noticed before applying power, and none of these are suitable for hotplugging)
        $endgroup$
        – Ben Voigt
        Feb 4 at 0:33




        3




        3




        $begingroup$
        @SilvioCro I can't believe you've never seen an IDC connector. Do a google image search for "idc connector". The answer to your question is obvious
        $endgroup$
        – slebetman
        Feb 4 at 0:43






        $begingroup$
        @SilvioCro I can't believe you've never seen an IDC connector. Do a google image search for "idc connector". The answer to your question is obvious
        $endgroup$
        – slebetman
        Feb 4 at 0:43














        $begingroup$
        @slebetman - There are many, many, IDC connectors which are not keyed to prevent reverse-insertion.
        $endgroup$
        – SiHa
        Feb 4 at 12:27




        $begingroup$
        @slebetman - There are many, many, IDC connectors which are not keyed to prevent reverse-insertion.
        $endgroup$
        – SiHa
        Feb 4 at 12:27











        6












        $begingroup$

        There's not a standard, but a good rule of thumb is to think about would happen if someone untrained took hold of the board. For example, mains wiring is always a socket in the wall so it is impossible or difficult to touch a live wire accidentally. If there is power being supplied by one side, I would generally make that a socket (female). Cost wise, male tends to be cheaper than female, so if you're doing big numbers that may also be a consideration for you.






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$


















          6












          $begingroup$

          There's not a standard, but a good rule of thumb is to think about would happen if someone untrained took hold of the board. For example, mains wiring is always a socket in the wall so it is impossible or difficult to touch a live wire accidentally. If there is power being supplied by one side, I would generally make that a socket (female). Cost wise, male tends to be cheaper than female, so if you're doing big numbers that may also be a consideration for you.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$
















            6












            6








            6





            $begingroup$

            There's not a standard, but a good rule of thumb is to think about would happen if someone untrained took hold of the board. For example, mains wiring is always a socket in the wall so it is impossible or difficult to touch a live wire accidentally. If there is power being supplied by one side, I would generally make that a socket (female). Cost wise, male tends to be cheaper than female, so if you're doing big numbers that may also be a consideration for you.






            share|improve this answer









            $endgroup$



            There's not a standard, but a good rule of thumb is to think about would happen if someone untrained took hold of the board. For example, mains wiring is always a socket in the wall so it is impossible or difficult to touch a live wire accidentally. If there is power being supplied by one side, I would generally make that a socket (female). Cost wise, male tends to be cheaper than female, so if you're doing big numbers that may also be a consideration for you.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered Feb 3 at 22:03









            awjloganawjlogan

            3,72411328




            3,72411328























                3












                $begingroup$

                Contrary to your statement, male headers also come with shrouds.



                If you are plugging in cables, then use male headers that include retaining clips.



                I do not know if you can even get a female connector with retaining clips.



                enter image description here






                share|improve this answer









                $endgroup$









                • 2




                  $begingroup$
                  Female connectors for flat (ribbon) cables often have locking clips: i.ebayimg.com/images/i/182350451902-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
                  $endgroup$
                  – sleblanc
                  Feb 4 at 3:47












                • $begingroup$
                  In this case, a screw that falls into the enclosure on an unpopulated header can still short the pins
                  $endgroup$
                  – crasic
                  Feb 4 at 4:33
















                3












                $begingroup$

                Contrary to your statement, male headers also come with shrouds.



                If you are plugging in cables, then use male headers that include retaining clips.



                I do not know if you can even get a female connector with retaining clips.



                enter image description here






                share|improve this answer









                $endgroup$









                • 2




                  $begingroup$
                  Female connectors for flat (ribbon) cables often have locking clips: i.ebayimg.com/images/i/182350451902-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
                  $endgroup$
                  – sleblanc
                  Feb 4 at 3:47












                • $begingroup$
                  In this case, a screw that falls into the enclosure on an unpopulated header can still short the pins
                  $endgroup$
                  – crasic
                  Feb 4 at 4:33














                3












                3








                3





                $begingroup$

                Contrary to your statement, male headers also come with shrouds.



                If you are plugging in cables, then use male headers that include retaining clips.



                I do not know if you can even get a female connector with retaining clips.



                enter image description here






                share|improve this answer









                $endgroup$



                Contrary to your statement, male headers also come with shrouds.



                If you are plugging in cables, then use male headers that include retaining clips.



                I do not know if you can even get a female connector with retaining clips.



                enter image description here







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered Feb 4 at 0:16









                jsotolajsotola

                1,315711




                1,315711








                • 2




                  $begingroup$
                  Female connectors for flat (ribbon) cables often have locking clips: i.ebayimg.com/images/i/182350451902-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
                  $endgroup$
                  – sleblanc
                  Feb 4 at 3:47












                • $begingroup$
                  In this case, a screw that falls into the enclosure on an unpopulated header can still short the pins
                  $endgroup$
                  – crasic
                  Feb 4 at 4:33














                • 2




                  $begingroup$
                  Female connectors for flat (ribbon) cables often have locking clips: i.ebayimg.com/images/i/182350451902-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
                  $endgroup$
                  – sleblanc
                  Feb 4 at 3:47












                • $begingroup$
                  In this case, a screw that falls into the enclosure on an unpopulated header can still short the pins
                  $endgroup$
                  – crasic
                  Feb 4 at 4:33








                2




                2




                $begingroup$
                Female connectors for flat (ribbon) cables often have locking clips: i.ebayimg.com/images/i/182350451902-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
                $endgroup$
                – sleblanc
                Feb 4 at 3:47






                $begingroup$
                Female connectors for flat (ribbon) cables often have locking clips: i.ebayimg.com/images/i/182350451902-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
                $endgroup$
                – sleblanc
                Feb 4 at 3:47














                $begingroup$
                In this case, a screw that falls into the enclosure on an unpopulated header can still short the pins
                $endgroup$
                – crasic
                Feb 4 at 4:33




                $begingroup$
                In this case, a screw that falls into the enclosure on an unpopulated header can still short the pins
                $endgroup$
                – crasic
                Feb 4 at 4:33











                3












                $begingroup$

                The standard, if there is one, may be based on the old rule of thumb that says




                Ma Bell has the female parts




                It applies to phone, electric, USB, and all manner of other signal circuits. For safety, the electrically active parts of the circuit are protected; barring tampering, the matching plug is required to access the power or signal. For usability, in general, the plug is more likely to be damaged by repeated or incorrect usage. And a cable end is usually easier to replace than a mounted connector.



                But there are exceptions, especially if the duty cycle for the connection is very low.






                share|improve this answer









                $endgroup$


















                  3












                  $begingroup$

                  The standard, if there is one, may be based on the old rule of thumb that says




                  Ma Bell has the female parts




                  It applies to phone, electric, USB, and all manner of other signal circuits. For safety, the electrically active parts of the circuit are protected; barring tampering, the matching plug is required to access the power or signal. For usability, in general, the plug is more likely to be damaged by repeated or incorrect usage. And a cable end is usually easier to replace than a mounted connector.



                  But there are exceptions, especially if the duty cycle for the connection is very low.






                  share|improve this answer









                  $endgroup$
















                    3












                    3








                    3





                    $begingroup$

                    The standard, if there is one, may be based on the old rule of thumb that says




                    Ma Bell has the female parts




                    It applies to phone, electric, USB, and all manner of other signal circuits. For safety, the electrically active parts of the circuit are protected; barring tampering, the matching plug is required to access the power or signal. For usability, in general, the plug is more likely to be damaged by repeated or incorrect usage. And a cable end is usually easier to replace than a mounted connector.



                    But there are exceptions, especially if the duty cycle for the connection is very low.






                    share|improve this answer









                    $endgroup$



                    The standard, if there is one, may be based on the old rule of thumb that says




                    Ma Bell has the female parts




                    It applies to phone, electric, USB, and all manner of other signal circuits. For safety, the electrically active parts of the circuit are protected; barring tampering, the matching plug is required to access the power or signal. For usability, in general, the plug is more likely to be damaged by repeated or incorrect usage. And a cable end is usually easier to replace than a mounted connector.



                    But there are exceptions, especially if the duty cycle for the connection is very low.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered Feb 4 at 5:56









                    Doug HendersonDoug Henderson

                    1312




                    1312























                        3












                        $begingroup$

                        You do not provide many details, so I will be generic.



                        You should consider safety. Safety for the device, safety for the cables, safety for the users (people).



                        Applied to electricity networks, inputs are male and outputs female. In this way you make sure you cannot have a direct link to the electricity supply - which can be accidentally touched by people. You cannot easily create a short-circut.



                        On the other hand, we (sometimes) use fuses not to protect the devices, but the cables - replacing cables can be a lot more expensive, because of dismantling, re-assembling...



                        So analyze your setup from these points of view. Protect as much as possible. Prioritize.






                        share|improve this answer









                        $endgroup$


















                          3












                          $begingroup$

                          You do not provide many details, so I will be generic.



                          You should consider safety. Safety for the device, safety for the cables, safety for the users (people).



                          Applied to electricity networks, inputs are male and outputs female. In this way you make sure you cannot have a direct link to the electricity supply - which can be accidentally touched by people. You cannot easily create a short-circut.



                          On the other hand, we (sometimes) use fuses not to protect the devices, but the cables - replacing cables can be a lot more expensive, because of dismantling, re-assembling...



                          So analyze your setup from these points of view. Protect as much as possible. Prioritize.






                          share|improve this answer









                          $endgroup$
















                            3












                            3








                            3





                            $begingroup$

                            You do not provide many details, so I will be generic.



                            You should consider safety. Safety for the device, safety for the cables, safety for the users (people).



                            Applied to electricity networks, inputs are male and outputs female. In this way you make sure you cannot have a direct link to the electricity supply - which can be accidentally touched by people. You cannot easily create a short-circut.



                            On the other hand, we (sometimes) use fuses not to protect the devices, but the cables - replacing cables can be a lot more expensive, because of dismantling, re-assembling...



                            So analyze your setup from these points of view. Protect as much as possible. Prioritize.






                            share|improve this answer









                            $endgroup$



                            You do not provide many details, so I will be generic.



                            You should consider safety. Safety for the device, safety for the cables, safety for the users (people).



                            Applied to electricity networks, inputs are male and outputs female. In this way you make sure you cannot have a direct link to the electricity supply - which can be accidentally touched by people. You cannot easily create a short-circut.



                            On the other hand, we (sometimes) use fuses not to protect the devices, but the cables - replacing cables can be a lot more expensive, because of dismantling, re-assembling...



                            So analyze your setup from these points of view. Protect as much as possible. Prioritize.







                            share|improve this answer












                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer










                            answered Feb 4 at 9:54









                            virolinovirolino

                            1313




                            1313















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