Katlax Enterprises Pvt Ltd — Industrial Circular Connectors

    D-Sub Connectors

    D-Sub connectors are standardized rectangular electrical connectors widely used for data transmission in industrial and computing applications. Our D-Sub accessories provide reliable signal integrity and robust connections for control systems, instrumentation, and communication networks. Engineered with PVC cable materials for durability and flexibility, these components ensure consistent performance in demanding industrial environments. Trusted by engineers across automation, telecommunications, and manufacturing sectors for their proven reliability and standardized interface compatibility.

    All products certified to international standards
    TUV RheinlandCE MarkingUL ListedUKCARoHS CompliantREACH Compliant

    TECHNICAL REFERENCE

    Everything you need to know about D-Sub Connectors

    D-Sub Connectors — Industrial Serial and Multi-Conductor Interconnect

    The D-subminiature connector (D-Sub) is one of the oldest and most widely deployed connector families in industrial control — originally standardised in 1952 and still the dominant interface for RS-232, RS-422, RS-485 serial links, motion controller I/O, legacy CAN bus, and any application requiring 9 to 62 pins in a low-profile rectangular housing.

    Katlax manufactures the full D-Sub portfolio at our Gandhinagar facility — DB9, DB15, DB25, DB37, DB50, and DB62 pin counts in standard, high-density, and combo (mixed signal + power) variants. Available terminations: solder cup, IDC (insulation-displacement contact), crimp, and PCB-mount. Pre-terminated cable assemblies are built to drawing through our wiring-harness team.

    D-Sub Pin Counts and Variants

    Variant Pins Typical use
    DB9 (DE-9) 9 pins RS-232 serial, legacy CAN bus, mouse/serial peripherals
    DB15 / HD-15 15 pins (standard) / 15 pins (high density) VGA, game port (legacy), motion controller I/O
    DB25 25 pins Parallel printer port (legacy), RS-232 with full handshake, motion controller breakouts
    DB37 37 pins RS-449 serial, instrumentation, motion controllers with high I/O count
    DB50 / DB62 (high density) 50 / 62 pins SCSI legacy, motion controller and PLC dense I/O bus
    Combo D-Sub Mixed signal + power + coax Custom interconnects combining low-voltage signal with high-current or coaxial connections

    Technical Specifications

    • Current rating: 5 A per contact standard (signal); up to 40 A on combo high-current contacts.
    • Voltage rating: 250 V AC/DC standard; varies by contact spacing.
    • Operating temperature: −55 °C to +125 °C standard.
    • Contact plating: Gold flash standard; 30 µ" gold for high-reliability applications.
    • Housing material: Steel shell with chromate plating; stainless-steel options for marine.
    • Mating cycles: 500 minimum (5 A signal contacts); 200 minimum (40 A power contacts).

    Termination Methods

    • Solder cup: The original termination — wire stripped, tinned, soldered into a cup contact. Best for field repairs and prototype work.
    • Crimp: Insertable crimp contacts using a hand or pneumatic crimp tool. Faster than solder; rework-friendly.
    • IDC (insulation-displacement contact): Ribbon cable termination by mass-pressing — fastest assembly for high-volume production. Used extensively in legacy SCSI and PLC backplanes.
    • PCB-mount: Direct solder to circuit board with through-hole or right-angle pins. Used for panel-mount equipment ports.

    Common Applications

    • RS-232 / RS-422 / RS-485 serial: Legacy PLC programming, instrumentation, point-of-sale, building automation panels.
    • Motion controllers: Galil, Aerotech, Delta Tau, ACS controllers — DB25 / DB37 / DB62 break out servo command, encoder feedback, and digital I/O.
    • Legacy CAN bus: J1939-style DB9 connectors on diagnostic ports.
    • Test and measurement: Oscilloscope rear ports, GPIB-to-D-Sub adapters, custom instrumentation.
    • Defence and aerospace: Mil-spec D-Sub variants for aircraft and ground-vehicle electronics.
    • Industrial computers: Panel PCs and embedded PCs with retained DB9 / DB25 ports for legacy peripherals.

    Hood and Backshell Options

    D-Sub connectors mount in a metal or plastic hood (sometimes called a backshell) that provides cable strain relief, EMI shielding contact, and mechanical protection. Hood options:

    • Plastic hood: Cheapest, lightweight; no EMI shielding.
    • Metal hood (zinc / chromate): Standard for EMI applications; jumper cable shield to the hood for full 360° shielding.
    • Straight or 45°: Cable exit angle to suit installation geometry.
    • Latching screws or thumb-screws: 4-40 UNC retention screws — captured or loose.

    Why Katlax for D-Sub

    Katlax supplies both bulk D-Sub connector components (for customers who terminate in-house) and pre-terminated cable assemblies built to drawing by our harness team. Every assembly is 100% continuity tested and ships with the test report. Manufactured to IPC/WHMA-A-620 with full conductor traceability.

    Certifications: ISO 9001:2015, IPC/WHMA-A-620, CE, plus self-declaration on RoHS and REACH. Lead times: bulk components 1–2 weeks; pre-terminated cable assemblies 3–4 weeks.

    QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

    Frequently Asked Questions

    QWhat does "DB9" or "DB25" mean?

    The letter after "D" indicates shell size — "E" for 9-pin, "A" for 15-pin, "B" for 25-pin, "C" for 37-pin, "D" for 50-pin. "DB" colloquially refers to the whole family but technically a 9-pin is "DE-9" not "DB-9". The shell-size letter is fixed regardless of pin count packed into that shell (high-density variants squeeze more pins into the same shell).

    QWhat's the difference between standard and high-density D-Sub?

    Standard D-Sub has uniform contact spacing — for example, 9 pins in a DE shell or 25 pins in a DB shell. High-density variants pack more pins into the same shell size by reducing contact spacing — for example, HD-15 packs 15 pins into the same DA shell that normally holds 15 standard contacts (mid-density). Used where pin count must increase but the panel cutout is fixed.

    QWhat pin counts are available on Katlax D-Sub?

    Standard: DE-9 (9 pin), DA-15 (15 pin), DB-25 (25 pin), DC-37 (37 pin), DD-50 (50 pin), DE-9HD, DA-15HD, DB-25HD, DD-62 (high-density 62 pin in a DB shell). Combo variants combining signal + high-current contacts and coax also available on request.

    QWhat termination options are available?

    Solder cup (original method, field-friendly), crimp (faster assembly, rework-friendly), IDC for ribbon cables (mass-press termination, high-volume), and PCB-mount through-hole or right-angle (direct circuit board termination). Pick based on assembly volume and rework tolerance.

    QAre D-Sub connectors RoHS compliant?

    Yes — all Katlax D-Sub connectors are RoHS-compliant by default. Lead-free solder cups, lead-free plating on contacts. RoHS / REACH self-declaration available with shipments.

    QCan D-Sub carry high current?

    Standard D-Sub signal contacts are rated 5 A per contact at 250 V. For higher current, use combo D-Sub variants that mix standard signal contacts with high-current contacts (rated up to 40 A) or coaxial contacts in the same shell. Custom combo configurations are quoted to drawing.

    QWhat's the difference between male and female D-Sub?

    Male (pin) inserts go into female (socket) receptacles. Convention is the same as M-series: cable side is typically male; equipment side is typically female. On serial cables, DTE devices (PC) historically used a male DE-9 while DCE devices (modem) used a female DE-9 — but the convention is not always honored across vendors.

    QShould I use a plastic or metal hood?

    Use a metal hood (zinc with chromate or stainless steel) anywhere EMI matters — which is most industrial applications. The metal hood lets you tie the cable braid shield to the hood, giving a full 360° shield enclosure. Plastic hoods are for low-EMI environments or where weight matters.

    QCan Katlax pre-terminate D-Sub cable assemblies?

    Yes — our wiring-harness team builds D-Sub cable assemblies to drawing. Specify pin-out, cable type, conductor count, length, and shield termination. 100% continuity-tested per IPC/WHMA-A-620. Lead times: 3–4 weeks for pre-terminated assemblies; 1–2 weeks for bulk connector components.

    QWhat's the typical mating-cycle rating?

    500 mating cycles minimum on standard 5 A signal contacts; 200 minimum on 40 A combo contacts. Gold-plated contacts (30 µ" gold) for high-reliability applications can extend cycle life significantly — specify gold plating in the order if your application requires frequent mating.

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