5 ms·

My recollection is that these were called Molex connectors in the 1980s. Are DuPont connectors different in some way, or were the names used somewhat interchang

by kens 6y ago

My recollection is that these were called Molex connectors in the 1980s. Are DuPont connectors different in some way, or were the names used somewhat interchangeably?

martijnvds 6y ago
I've only heard "Molex" used for the connectors for power on (pre SATA) hard disks.
- jeffbee 6y ago
  There is a certain subculture where "a molex connector" is the pre-SATA computer disk power connector, but Molex makes a million connectors and the Molex catalog is an inch thick so it never made much sense to me. Another reason it doesn't make sense is that Amphenol and others make compatible 2-piece connectors. If you want to sound like an informed person, don't use "molex connector" that way.
  - olyjohn 6y ago
    I don't think it makes you sound uninformed... Most places you go into for PC components will know exactly what a "molex connector" is in relation to PC hardware. When building a PC, knowledge of Molex brand connectors isn't all that relevant. It's like asking for a Kleenex instead of a tissue. Or back in the day, when you needed to make a copy of something, using the Xerox machine was quite a common term, even though Xerox made more than one machine, and most machines probably weren't made by Xerox.
    - serf 6y ago
      >It's like asking for a Kleenex instead of a tissue. that'd be the case if Kleenex made hundreds of variations, and the variations had no cross-compatibility with one another. People that want a 'molex connector' want, usually, an AMP style press-lock 4 pin connector... unless they don't -- they're looking for a molex MiniFit extension to reach their GPU... unless they don't -- they want a vintage Molex asymmetric 4 pin for an old legacy device. 'Molex' is more ambiguous, imo, than you give it credit for.
      - glandium 6y ago
        Kleenex makes toilet paper, too. Technically, that can be used instead of tissue, but that's not great.
        olyjohn 6y ago
        To be fair, wiping your ass with nice soft tissues is a way better experience.
    - Gibbon1 6y ago
      I did a lot of embedded/industrial stuff since the early 80's. There are a dozen connector families that will plug into an unshrouded hearer, 0.1" on center with 25mil square posts. Every industry/company tends to refer to whatever common type they are using by the company name.
  - inopinatus 6y ago
    I’m from the same generation, so if you say “Amphenol connector” without further qualification then I’ll assume you’re referring to a 25-pair microribbon. Unless the context is printers, in which case you obviously mean a 36-pin Centronics.
    - daniellarusso 6y ago
      IEEE 1284 is what I remember when stocking the printer cables on peghooks.
  - jstanley 6y ago
    What name would you suggest people use instead? I accept your point, but I don't think you will look particularly informed if you ask for a "pre-SATA computer disk power connector", and the other person says "oh, a Molex connector?", and you say "yes but I don't know which one".
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - garaetjjte 6y ago
      Ironically, it wasn't even Molex product originally, but AMP (now known as TE Connectivity). 350211-1 header and 1-480424-0 plug. (but as others makes compatible clones, "pre-SATA disk power connector" is probably fine)
    - tomc1985 6y ago
      I've been building computers since the turn of the milennium and I've always heard them called molex connectors So... informed? To who? Professional engineers?
analog31 6y ago
Long ago, if you mentioned "Molex" to someone like a TV repairman, they'd be thinking of larger pins and housings, around 0.2 inch spacing. Naturally, Molex now covers a phenomenally wide range of offerings, but searching Google Image for "molex connector" brings back some fairly consistent connector types for the first page of hits. It could be a case where a brand name carries a historical association that isn't accurate any more.
annoyingnoob 6y ago
There are a lot of connectors that get generically called 'Molex connectors'. Molex makes a ton of products.
- mkipper 6y ago
  Yeah, from my professional experience, "Molex connector" is normally used as a quick way to refer to a specific connector in your project that's made by Molex (assuming you're also using other connectors not made by them). I wouldn't normally associate it with a particular connector, although I understand it's a pretty commonly used that way in the PC community.
rm445 6y ago
Different connectors. Molex connectors and the Molex company are still around. Not ruling out that you've heard them called the wrong thing, there's a bewildering array of connectors.
aidenn0 6y ago
Molex SL connectors are mostly compatible with these, but different. The page mentions them.

by kens 6y ago

My recollection is that these were called Molex connectors in the 1980s. Are DuPont connectors different in some way, or were the names used somewhat interchangeably?

martijnvds 6y ago

I've only heard "Molex" used for the connectors for power on (pre SATA) hard disks.

jeffbee 6y ago
There is a certain subculture where "a molex connector" is the pre-SATA computer disk power connector, but Molex makes a million connectors and the Molex catalog is an inch thick so it never made much sense to me. Another reason it doesn't make sense is that Amphenol and others make compatible 2-piece connectors. If you want to sound like an informed person, don't use "molex connector" that way.
- olyjohn 6y ago
  I don't think it makes you sound uninformed... Most places you go into for PC components will know exactly what a "molex connector" is in relation to PC hardware. When building a PC, knowledge of Molex brand connectors isn't all that relevant. It's like asking for a Kleenex instead of a tissue. Or back in the day, when you needed to make a copy of something, using the Xerox machine was quite a common term, even though Xerox made more than one machine, and most machines probably weren't made by Xerox.
  - serf 6y ago
    >It's like asking for a Kleenex instead of a tissue. that'd be the case if Kleenex made hundreds of variations, and the variations had no cross-compatibility with one another. People that want a 'molex connector' want, usually, an AMP style press-lock 4 pin connector... unless they don't -- they're looking for a molex MiniFit extension to reach their GPU... unless they don't -- they want a vintage Molex asymmetric 4 pin for an old legacy device. 'Molex' is more ambiguous, imo, than you give it credit for.
    - glandium 6y ago
      Kleenex makes toilet paper, too. Technically, that can be used instead of tissue, but that's not great.
      - olyjohn 6y ago
        To be fair, wiping your ass with nice soft tissues is a way better experience.
  - Gibbon1 6y ago
    I did a lot of embedded/industrial stuff since the early 80's. There are a dozen connector families that will plug into an unshrouded hearer, 0.1" on center with 25mil square posts. Every industry/company tends to refer to whatever common type they are using by the company name.
- inopinatus 6y ago
  I’m from the same generation, so if you say “Amphenol connector” without further qualification then I’ll assume you’re referring to a 25-pair microribbon. Unless the context is printers, in which case you obviously mean a 36-pin Centronics.
  - daniellarusso 6y ago
    IEEE 1284 is what I remember when stocking the printer cables on peghooks.
- jstanley 6y ago
  What name would you suggest people use instead? I accept your point, but I don't think you will look particularly informed if you ask for a "pre-SATA computer disk power connector", and the other person says "oh, a Molex connector?", and you say "yes but I don't know which one".
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - garaetjjte 6y ago
    Ironically, it wasn't even Molex product originally, but AMP (now known as TE Connectivity). 350211-1 header and 1-480424-0 plug. (but as others makes compatible clones, "pre-SATA disk power connector" is probably fine)
  - tomc1985 6y ago
    I've been building computers since the turn of the milennium and I've always heard them called molex connectors So... informed? To who? Professional engineers?

analog31 6y ago

Long ago, if you mentioned "Molex" to someone like a TV repairman, they'd be thinking of larger pins and housings, around 0.2 inch spacing. Naturally, Molex now covers a phenomenally wide range of offerings, but searching Google Image for "molex connector" brings back some fairly consistent connector types for the first page of hits. It could be a case where a brand name carries a historical association that isn't accurate any more.

annoyingnoob 6y ago

There are a lot of connectors that get generically called 'Molex connectors'. Molex makes a ton of products.

mkipper 6y ago
Yeah, from my professional experience, "Molex connector" is normally used as a quick way to refer to a specific connector in your project that's made by Molex (assuming you're also using other connectors not made by them). I wouldn't normally associate it with a particular connector, although I understand it's a pretty commonly used that way in the PC community.

rm445 6y ago

Different connectors. Molex connectors and the Molex company are still around. Not ruling out that you've heard them called the wrong thing, there's a bewildering array of connectors.

aidenn0 6y ago

Molex SL connectors are mostly compatible with these, but different. The page mentions them.