The Mating Cycle of Cable Assemblies

When you think about your cable assemblies, mating cycles are probably the last thing on your mind. However, mating cycles are extremely important to cable assemblies; specifically, they are important to the connectors used in your cable assembly. So what is the mating cycle of your cable? And why does it matter?

What is a Mating Cycle of a Cable Assembly?

Mating cycles are, at their most basic, the number of times you should be able to use the connection on your mating assembly. Some assemblies use connection that can be “mated” thousands of times, plugged-in and unplugged over and over without doing significant damage to the connection (although any connection will experience wear and tear over time). Some connectors are only meant to be mated to their corresponding connection maybe a dozen or more times because they are meant to have a more permanent connection for whatever application they are fulfilling.

Why Does the Mating Cycle Matter?

When you are requesting a custom cable assembly, you’ll want to make sure you are choosing a connector that has an appropriate mating cycle for your application. For something such as a computer peripheral, a USB connection is a great choice. The mating cycle of a standard USB cable is 10,000 cycles or more (a cycle being plugged and unplugged), so it can last through thousands and thousands of uses. If your cable is meant to stay in place, there may be other connectors with shorter mating cycles that offer you a better connection option but fewer cycles.

How Do You Choose?

If you aren’t sure which connector is right for your cable assemblies, it’s best to work with a professional. Our cable assembly engineers can help you determine which connector options are best for your application. They will get the details they need from you and then recommend the best option based on your needs and budget. This is a great way to create a cable assembly that meets your need from start to finish.

If you are in need of a custom cable assembly, talk to our team today. You can give us a call or contact us through our website. One of our experienced and knowledgeable team members will get back to you with the information that you need in order to start your cable assembly order. We encourage unusual cable assembly requests because we know that we can help fulfill them!