VHDCI (Very High Density Cable Interconnect) 68-pin connector is a high-density electrical SCSI connector, specifically designed for compact, high-pin-count applications that require reliable data transmission. It is different with common 1.27mm pitch HPDB 68 pin connector or MDR 8 pin connector. We will delve into its physical structure, electrical characteristics, application scenarios, and future development trends.
Ⅰ.Introduction of VHDCI 68 Pin Connector
1.1 Definition and Basic Structure of 68 Pin VHDCI Connector
VHDCI (Very High Density Cable Interconnect) 68-pin connector is a high-density electrical connector that adopts a dual-row pin arrangement, with 34 pins in the upper row and 34 pins in the lower row, totaling 68 pins. Pin pitch of the connector is 0.8mm, which allows it to be more compact than traditional SCSI connectors while maintaining the same number of pins. Pls check related solder type VHDCI 68 pin male connector pinout on related drawing.
Physically, VHDCI 68 pin connector is very similar to the mini-Centronics interface. VHDCI 68 pin male connector is usually used to make related VHDCI 68 pin cables, and VHDCI 68 pin female connector (socket) is mounted on equipment. This design enables four wide SCSI connectors to be accommodated within the space of a single PCI card slot, making it highly suitable for applications with limited space but requiring high bandwidth.
1.2 Historical Development and Standards of 0.80mm Pitch 68 Pin VHDCI Connector
0.80mm pitch VHDCI 68 pin connector was introduced as part of SCSI-5 architecture. It is also referred to in the industry as "SCSI-4" and "SCSI-5," though these terms are not officially standardized. VHDCI 68 PIN SCSI-5 connector is fully backward compatible with earlier SCSI standards while offering improved performance characteristics.
Development of 68 Pin VHDCI SCSI connector was driven by the need for higher-density connections as SCSI technology evolved to support wider data buses and higher transmission rates. It provides a solution for systems requiring the 16-bit-wide data path of SCSI-5, while minimizing space requirements.
1.3 All types of VHDCI 68 pin Connector
We can classify VHDCI 68 pin connectors by its gender. Generally, VHDCI 68 pin male connector is a plug-type connector to make related VHDCI 68 pin cable assembly, while VHDCI 68 pin female connector is a socket-type connector, typically mounted on the circuit board or chassis of a device. The details are as follows:
Cable-end connectors: It has two types VHDCI 68 pin male connector, one is solder type VHDCI 68 pin male connector, other type is I.D.C type VHDCI 68 pin male connector.
If make standard VHDCI 68 pin SCSI-5 Cable assembly,which are used to connect two devices with female VHDCI ports, such as external storage arrays .we usually use I.D.C type VHDCI 68 pin male connector to make it. It is convenient to make cable with straight connection of VHDCI 68 pin pin layout.
If make VHDCI 68 pin Cable assemblies with mixed connectors, such as MDR 50/68/100 SCSI connector or HPDB 50/68/100 SCSI Connector, we usually use solder type VHDCI 68 pin male connector. It is more convenient to make cable wit customized pin layout.
Device-side connectors: Although most device side SCSI Connector is female, but it still exists two types 68 Pin Male VHDCI 68 pin connector on device. Others are female connector. There are following VHDCI 68 female connectors in the market:
Clamp PCB type VHDCI 68 pin male Connector
Right angle VHDCI 68 pin male plug-in connector, such as HDRA-EC68LMDT Right Angle VHDCI 68 Pin Male PCB SCSI Connector.
Right angle DIP type VHDCI 68 pin female connector
Vertical type VHDCI 68 pin female connector
SMT type Vertical VHDCI 68 pin female connector, repalcement of Molex 73776-0201 VHDCI 68 pin female connector.
Clamp PCB Through Hole Mount VHDCI 68 pin female Connector
Dual-stack right angel VHDCI 68 pin female connector
Ⅱ.Physical and Mechanical Specifications of VHDCI 68 Position Connector
2.1 68P VHDCI SCSI Connector Dimensions and Geometry
68 pin 0.80mm VHDCI SCSI connector is highly compact compared to traditional SCSI connectors. With an overall width of only 3.2 cm, it occupies significantly less space than 4.5 cm-wide HD 68-pin SCSI connector and 6.5 cm-wide low-density 50-pin connector. This compact size is achieved through its 0.8 mm pin pitch, which enables higher pin density.
Common cable-end 0.80mm SCSI-5 68 pin VHDCI male connectors feature a nickel-plated zinc alloy housing, providing EMI shielding and mechanical durability. The housing design includes screw mounts for secure connection, ensuring the connection remains stable even in high-vibration environments.
2.2 68P VHDCI SCSI-5 Connector Pin Arrangement and Contact Design
68 pins VHDCI connector are arranged in two parallel rows, 34 pins in upper row and 34 pins in lower row. This dual-row configuration allows for a balanced layout, maximizing signal integrity while maintaining mechanical stability. The pin arrangement closely follows Centronics interface pattern, which is simplifying wiring design.
68 positions contacts are gold-plated, making them more suitable for high-reliability applications, as gold offers excellent corrosion resistance and low contact resistance. The contact design ensures secure mating and reliable electrical connection, with each contact have a rated current capacity of 0.5 A.
2.3 VHDCI 68 Position Cable Specifications and Characteristics
VHDCI 68-pin SCSI shielded cables typically use 28-30 AWG wires. For applications requiring high-speed data transmission, 30 AWG wires are common, while 28 AWG wires may be used in scenarios that demand higher current-carrying capacity.
Shielding is a critical consideration for SCSI 68 pin VHDCI cables, especially in high-speed applications. Many VHDCI 68 pin SCSI cord adopt a double-shielded twisted-pair structure with braiding to reduce EMI/RFI interference, which is helpful to maintain signal integrity and prevent crosstalk between different signal pairs. The overall cable diameter of the shielded version is approximately 0.38 inches (9.7 mm), with a recommended bend radius of 4.6 inches (117 mm).
III. Electrical Characteristics and Performance of 0.80mm 68 Position D-Shaped Connector
3.1 Signal Transmission and Data Rate
CHAMP 0.80mm 68 Position D-Shaped Connector is primarily used in SCSI-5 applications and supports Single-Ended (SE) and Low-Voltage Differential (LVD) signals. This dual compatibility makes it suitable for a wide range of systems, from older SE-based devices to new LVD systems that require higher performance.
In LVD mode, single stack VHDCI 68 PIN connector supports data transmission rate of up to 320 MB/s, which is maximum rate of Ultra-320 SCSI. This high transmission rate is achieved through differential signaling, where each signal is transmitted over a twisted pair. This differential signaling method provides better noise immunity and allows for higher data rates than single-ended signaling.
3.2 Power Supply and Current Rating
VHDCI 68-pin SCSI connector provides power connection when connect with devices. Standard configuration includes a +5V power line, typically using 30 AWG wire. The connector has a rated maximum voltage of 36V AC and a rated current of 0.5A per contact.
In SCSI applications, the power pins are used to supply power to peripheral devices, eliminating the need for a separate power connection. This integration simplifies wiring and reduces overall system complexity, making the VHDCI connector particularly suitable for multi-device installations such as RAID arrays.
3.3 Noise Reduction and EMI Shielding
One of the key advantages of SCSI VHDCI 68-pin connector is its excellent noise reduction and EMI shielding capabilities. Most VHDCI 68 pin male connector has a metal housing that provides a shielding barrier to prevent external electromagnetic interference. Additionally, standard 68ways SCSI 68 PIN VHDCI data cables use individually shielded twisted pairs, where each pair is enclosed in its own shielding layer, and the entire cable is further shielded.
IV. Application Scenarios of Ultra VHDCI 68 pin Connector
4.1 SCSI Storage Systems and RAID Controllers
The primary application of 0.80mm VHDCI 68-pin SCSI-5 connector lies in SCSI storage systems, particularly RAID controllers. 68 pin VHDCI connectors provide high-speed and reliable data transmission required by enterprise-level storage systems. Such as Adaptec SCSI 39320A-R PCI-X Ultra320 RAID Controller Card.
68 positions VHDCI connectors are typically used to connect RAID controllers to disk drives, storage arrays, and host bus adapters. Their compact size allows multiple connectors to be placed in a single PCI slot, which is crucial for multi-port applications with limited space.
4.2 Data Acquisition and Measurement Systems
VHDCI 68-pin connectors are widely used in data acquisition and measurement systems, especially those from National Instruments (NI). NI utilizes these connectors on many of its digital instrument models, including digital waveform instruments, digital pattern instruments, and high-speed serial devices.
0.80mm 68 pin SCSI-5 connectors offer high-density connectivity for data acquisition systems that require multiple input/output channels. For instance, Starte VHDCI 68 pin SCSI cable is suitable with NI 653X series, 654X series, 655X series, and 657X series devices. VHDCI 68 pin male to male cables feature 0.8mm 68-pin VHDCI connections and are available in options of unshielded cables or noise-reducing cable assemblies for enhanced performance.
4.3 Industrial Automation and Control Systems
In industrial automation, VHDCI 68-pin connectors are used to connect various control and monitoring devices. Their compact size and high pin count make them suitable for applications where space is limited but a large number of connections are needed.
VHDCI 68 pin female connectors are commonly used on PCBs of industrial equipment, such as breakout boards and custom load boards. They provide reliable connections for motion controllers, serial PCI-X cards, and other automation components. The robust structure of 68 pin VHDCI female SCSI connectors makes them suitable for harsh industrial environments where vibration and extreme temperatures are common. Such as Moxa CP-116E smart PCI Express multiport serial board.
4.4 Computer Graphics and Multi-Monitor Setups
VHDCI 68-pin connectors is also used in computer graphics systems, particularly in multi-monitor setups.Such as NVIDIA uses these connectors in the Quadro Plex VCS and Quadro NVS 420 as external PCI Express 8-lane interconnects.
ATI Technologies (now part of AMD) employed VHDCI 68 pin female connectors on its FireMV 2400 graphics card to transmit two DVI and two VGA signals. By placing two connectors side by side, the FireMV 2400 is able to support four monitors in a low-profile form factor. Similarly, the Radeon X1950 XTX CrossFire Edition uses a pair of these connectors to provide higher inter-card bandwidth than the PCI Express bus itself.
V. Strengths and Limitations of 68 contacts VHDCI Connector
5.1 Main Advantages Compared with Other Connectors
High Density
Accommodate 68 pins within a compact width of 3.2 cm, more space-efficient than traditional 68-pin SCSI connectors.
High-Speed Performance
Supporting Ultra-320 SCSI and LVD signals, support data transfer rate up to 320 MB/s.
Dual Compatibility
Support both SE and LVD signals, making them suitable for a variety of applications.
EMI Shielding
Metal housing and shielded cable structure provide excellent protection against electromagnetic interference.
Mechanical Durability
Screw-mount design and robust metal structure ensure a safe and reliable connection in high-vibration environments.
Standardization
Compatible with other 68-pin SCSI connectors, ensuring wide industry acceptance and interoperability.
5.2 Limitations and Considerations
Cost
Due to complex design and manufacturing requirements, VHDCI 68 pin connectors and cables are often more expensive than simpler connector types.
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Complexity
High pin count and differential signal requirements can make system design and troubleshooting more complex.
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Physical Size
68 pin VHDCI connectors require a significant amount of onboard space, compared with USB or Thunderbolt applications.
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Specialized Applications
Primarily designed for SCSI applications and may not be the best choice for other types of systems where different protocols or connector types are more common.
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Cable Management
Relatively large diameter of shielded VHDCI 68 pin cables can make cable management challenging in systems with limited space.
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5.3 Compatibility with Other Connector Types
VHDCI connectors use the standard 68-pin SCSI-5 pinout, which makes them compatible with other 68-pin SCSI connectors.
VHDCI 68 pin Adapter SCSI cables are available for connecting VHDCI connectors to other types of SCSI connectors, such as the MD68 connectors used in some SCSI-5 applications. This adaptability makes it possible to integrate VHDCI-based systems with older equipment that uses different connector types. Such as Starte VHDCI 68 pin male to HD68 pin male SCSI Cable.
VHDCI 68 pin connector can be used to transfer audio and video signal by HDMI port, VGA port or DVI port. It is compatible with computer graphics systems, particularly in multi-monitor setups. Starte makes related VHDCI68 pin to 4 ports HDMI monitor Cable, VHDCI68 pin to 4 ports VGA Splitter Cable and VHDCI68 pin to 4 ports DVI adapter Cable.
In addition, the compatibility of VHDCI 68 pin connectors with SE and LVD signals ensures that they can work with a variety of SCSI devices, ranging from older SE-based devices to newer LVD systems that require higher performance. Such as Starte SCSI VHDCI 68 pin male to HD50 pin male Adapter Cable.
VI. Future Development and Alternative Solutions
6.1 Emerging Technologies and Potential Substitutes
With the advancement of technology, the market is moving toward smaller connectors with higher performance, which can support higher data rates. For SCSI applications, SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) has become the successor to parallel SCSI, which offers higher data rates and more efficient signal transmission.
SAS utilizes smaller and more efficient connectors, supporting data rates up to 12 Gb/s (approximately 1.5 GB/s) per channel. For example, Mini SAS HD (SFF-8643) connector and Mini SAS 4x (SFF-8088) connector. While occupying less space, these connectors provide higher density and performance compared to VHDCI 68 pin connectors.
For general-purpose of high-speed data transmission, USB-C connector and Thunderbolt connectors are becoming increasingly dominant in both consumer and professional applications. They are significantly smaller than VHDCI 68 pin connector and support much higher data rates (up to 40 Gb/s).
6.2 Current Industry Adoption and Trends
Despite the continuous emergence of new technologies, 0.80mm pitch VHDCI 68-pin connector still maintains a certain market presence. It will continue to be used in industrial automation, data acquisition systems, and some high-end storage applications. 68 position VHDCI SCSI connectors are widely employed in National Instruments' data acquisition products, and NI continues to support these connectors in its latest product lines.
In the storage industry, although SAS has largely replaced parallel SCSI in new systems, large number of VHDCI-based systems are still in use. The existence of these installed devices ensures that 68 pin VHDCI connectors and cables will continue to be manufactured and supported for a certain period.
6.3 Long-Term Prospects of VHDCI 68 pin Connectors
VHDCI 68-pin SCSI connector is likely to continue serving specific niche markets, where its unique combination of high density, mechanical durability, and SCSI compatibility is crucial. However, in the broader consumer and commercial applications, it may continue to be replaced by newer, more efficient connector technologies.
Long-term viability of VHDCI 68 pin connector will largely depend on the continued support from manufacturers and the sustained demand from specific industries, particularly in industrial automation, test and measurement, and legacy storage systems. As these industries transition to new technologies, the use of VHDCI connectors may gradually decline, but replacement parts and support will likely still be required for many years to come.