Designed to be used in a wide range of industries, flat ribbon cables have gained widespread popularity thanks to their benefits and specific applications. When space is limited, they become very handy and useful. For example, the telecommunications industry uses flat ribbon cables to keep things in an organized and well-ordered manner. This cables come in a range of widths and pin arrangements that allow them to be used across many different devices and systems.
Their superior signal immunity is one of the advantages. In the computer space, flat ribbon cables are used most often to connect internal components such as hard drives, CD (or other optical) drives and floppy disk drive to a motherboard. The way these are designed they produce the least of EMI and hence prevent data corruption. The added data rate that can be extracted when using high-performance cabling is worth scrutiny. In fact, a study by the IEEE noted flat ribbon cables generally offer as much as 30 percent reduction in CMV to signal DCR over round cable constructions for enhanced SI performance at HDI frequencies (1).
What about an application in the medical field where its flat and trustworthy connections can be a deal-breaker? They can be found in your devices, from an ultrasound machine to patient monitoring system because of the flexible and tough cable. Using flat ribbon cables in medical devices provides for intricate, lightweight designs that help enhance patient care and device utility.
Flat ribbon cables are cost-effective - Molex and TE Connectivity This allows for a lot of customizations, even at an inexpensive cost. In dollar terms, a plain flat ribbon cable could well be in the range of $0.10 - 0.20 per foot but these are normally used for meso-quantity production runs if they do not have twisted pair content etc (twisted pairs cables historically cost more).
These cables are also used in the aerospace industry, where dependability and space-saving dimensions are of high priority. Where space and weight are critical (as in the case of satellites and other spacecraft), these cables ensure reliable connections that take up minimal room. For example, NASA employs flat ribbon cables to link a range of sensors and instruments on its Mars rovers in order to keep them functioning amidst highly adverse conditions.
The great inventor, Thomas Edison famously stated "The value of an idea lies in the use of it". It's a thought most readily epitomised by the speed with which flat ribbon cables were adopted in many industries. The innovative design and lifestyle engendering use cases are irreplaceable in today's technology.
For more overview on flat ribbon cables, visit Flat Ribbon Cable.