FFC/FPC connectors terminate flat flexible cable (FFC) or flexible printed circuits (FPC) to a printed circuit board in a compact, low-profile format. They are common in displays, controls, printers, instrumentation, consumer electronics and embedded systems where conventional wire harnesses would consume too much space.
Connector families vary widely by pitch, circuit count, cable thickness, contact side, orientation and actuator style. Molex, for example, offers FFC/FPC systems across pitches from 0.20 to 2.00 mm with front-flip, back-flip, slider, non-ZIF and other retention mechanisms.
Select the connector from the flex-cable specification and PCB footprint together. A 0.50 mm, 20-position connector can still be incompatible if the contact side, cable thickness, insertion direction or latch style differs.
Pitch and circuit count are the first filters, but not the last. Confirm whether the exposed conductors on the cable face the top or bottom contacts when inserted and whether the connector is vertical or right-angle.
ZIF (zero insertion force) and low-insertion-force designs use an actuator to secure the flex after insertion. Flip-lock and slider mechanisms require different assembly motions and board clearances.
Check the accepted FFC/FPC thickness and any ear, notch or locking feature on the flex. Retention systems designed for eared or notched flex circuits may not work correctly with a plain cable.
For automated or high-temperature assemblies, verify surface-mount process compatibility, operating temperature, contact plating and mechanical retention. Molex notes that modern FFC/FPC families are designed around pitch, actuator, orientation and automated SMT requirements as much as simple circuit count.