FIELD GUIDESource-led reference
Port & Cable

PORT & CABLE · REPAIR & CHARGING

It looks like it fits.
Does it?

The smallest connectors can be the easiest to mistake. Identify the manufacturer and series first, confirm the exact mating pair, and verify the device-specific circuit last.

Explore four repair desks ↗

Begin with the part you need to identify

Eight checks before choosing a replacement

Read pitch, housing and contact identity, row arrangement, suffix, contact side and the opposite component as separate requirements. These are reference comparisons, not repair instructions.

  1. What does “2 mm JST” leave unidentified?
  2. Does every XH part use the ordinary populated spacing?
  3. Why do two six-circuit SH housings have different widths?
  4. Does a GH-style latch identify the housing and contact?
  5. Does “DF13 1.25 mm” specify the row arrangement?
  6. What does “Molex plug” leave unspecified?
  7. Are U.FL, MHF I and MHF 4 the same antenna connector?
  8. Does top contact mean top entry for a flex cable?

Power / Charging / Miniature repair

Know the part.
Check the whole path.

Twenty questions with documented leads, exclusions and unresolved requirements. Start with your task, then read the exact source.

Explore fourteen new visuals ↗

DC input

Mac charging

PC power

Miniature repair

Ribbon cables

PC control

IDENTIFICATION ORDER / READ LEFT TO RIGHT

  1. Find the exact series and manufacturer
  2. Match pitch, positions, key and latch
  3. Confirm housing, terminals and orientation
  4. Verify wiring, electrical limits and device requirements
01 / 01 · JST / HIROSE

Small wire-to-board series

PH, XH, SH and GH are distinct JST series. Hirose DF13 is another manufacturer-defined family. Housing profiles, terminal parts, entry angle and latch design must be matched to the named series, not to a generic "JST plug" description.

8 sourced study questions ↗02 / 02 · NOCTUA / MOLEX

Fans and compact power

Fan control and compact power housings are different questions. A PC fan header must be checked for control mode. Molex Mini-Fit Jr. and Micro-Fit 3.0 are different maker-specific systems; pitch alone says nothing about voltages, harness order or safe current.

2 sourced study questions ↗03 / 03 · TE CONNECTIVITY

Flat-flex ribbons & ZIF

A thin ribbon cable is not its own universal connector type. Inspect FFC/FPC pitch, contact count, exposed-conductor side and the connector actuator before selecting a replacement. This desk uses source-qualified TE product examples without pretending the site has ingested a universal FPC canonical record.

Manufacturer candidate research ↗04 / 04 · HIROSE / I-PEX / AMPHENOL

Miniature RF coax & antennas

U.FL, MHF I and MHF 4 are named connector families with their own receptacles, cable assemblies and manufacturer handling procedures. MCX, MMCX and SMA are different RF connector forms again; do not bridge families by eye.

7 sourced study questions ↗
ORIGINAL EDITORIAL COMPARISONS

Seven differences to recognize before replacing a part

Qualitative distinction between JST PH · 2.0 mm and JST XH · 2.5 mm. Same wire count is not an interchangeability test. Not to scale, no pinout, no mating approval.
PH / XH — one manufacturer, different pitchSame wire count is not an interchangeability test. Original conceptual evidence diagram only, not part-number geometry, a live-circuit test, or manufacturer-approved fit.
View wire references ↗
Qualitative distinction between JST SH · 1.0 mm and JST GH · 1.25 mm. Check lock, key and exact mate—not color. Not to scale, no pinout, no mating approval.
SH / GH — close looking, different retentionCheck lock, key and exact mate—not color. Original conceptual evidence diagram only, not part-number geometry, a live-circuit test, or manufacturer-approved fit.
View wire references ↗
Qualitative distinction between Micro-Fit · 3.0 mm and Mini-Fit Jr. · 4.2 mm. Nominal pitch cannot validate a power harness. Not to scale, no pinout, no mating approval.
Micro-Fit / Mini-Fit — different Molex familiesNominal pitch cannot validate a power harness. Original conceptual evidence diagram only, not part-number geometry, a live-circuit test, or manufacturer-approved fit.
View power references ↗
Qualitative distinction between 3-pin / DC control? and 4-pin / PWM signal. Actual header implementation determines control. Not to scale, no pinout, no mating approval.
Three wires / four wires — check control modeActual header implementation determines control. Original conceptual evidence diagram only, not part-number geometry, a live-circuit test, or manufacturer-approved fit.
View power references ↗
Qualitative distinction between Top-contact example and Bottom-contact example. Match exposed conductors, actuator, pitch & positions. Not to scale, no pinout, no mating approval.
FPC contact face — top versus bottomMatch exposed conductors, actuator, pitch & positions. Original conceptual evidence diagram only, not part-number geometry, a live-circuit test, or manufacturer-approved fit.
View ribbon references ↗
Qualitative distinction between Hirose U.FL and I-PEX MHF I / MHF 4. Series number and plug/receptacle pair are essential. Not to scale, no pinout, no mating approval.
U.FL / MHF — tiny does not mean equalSeries number and plug/receptacle pair are essential. Original conceptual evidence diagram only, not part-number geometry, a live-circuit test, or manufacturer-approved fit.
View rf references ↗
Qualitative distinction between MCX · compact snap and MMCX · micro-mini. Not U.FL, MHF or threaded SMA. Not to scale, no pinout, no mating approval.
MCX / MMCX — separate RF mate formsNot U.FL, MHF or threaded SMA. Original conceptual evidence diagram only, not part-number geometry, a live-circuit test, or manufacturer-approved fit.
View rf references ↗

Stop at uncertainty, not at a connector that seems close.

These illustrations are role contrasts, not contact diagrams, scaled physical profiles, wiring schemes, fabrication references or independent mating tests. A manufacturer series match alone does not certify polarity or interchangeability. Source-checked references continue to expand; public deployment remains unauthorized.

SOURCE-QUALIFIED FPC / REPAIR REFERENCE

Contact side is not entry direction.

Six entries distinguish board connectors, cable housings and exact actuator evidence. Includes two disclosed source conflicts and four new physical studies.

Read the field reference →

PC POWER / SOURCE-QUALIFIED REFERENCE

Same count is not a cable match.

CPU and PCIe roles, original and revised 16-contact identities, and exact-image requests that remain unresolved.

Open the power role and generation reference →

M12 POWER / SOURCE-QUALIFIED REFERENCE

Read the coding, end and cable separately.

Three configurable-assembly views, six source-qualified checks and explicit rating boundaries.

Open the M12 cable-end reference →

MAIN & AUXILIARY POWER / REFERENCE

One shape does not identify both ends.

ATX roles, PCIe six-position context and the identity of a named bare housing.

Open the power identity guide →