Durability Testing of IDC Connectors for Automotive Applications

There is increasing interest in IDC (Insulation Displacement Crimp) connectors for automotive applications. This is precipitated by continued pressure on improving productivity and increasing use of electronic circuitry within the automobile. IDC terminations allow for automated harness manufacturing and can reduce the total number of required interfaces. But without established testing standards, it is difficult for application engineers to predict long term reliability of an IDC connector.

This paper establishes a testing procedure that effectively enables an engineer to evaluate end-of-life performance of an IDC connector application.