Custome MDR Cables
- 14, 20, 26, 36, 50, and 68-position MDR options
- MDR-to-MDR, MDR-to-IDC, and labeled flying-lead constructions
- Wiring built from your device manual, schematic or approved sample
- Shield and drain termination defined for the actual installation
- Metal shell and latching hardware options subject to mating-port review
- Custom branch lengths, conductor IDs, and panel-routing requirements
- 100% continuity and short-circuit inspection
- Prototype and repeat OEM production support
Custom MDR Cable Assemblies for Industrial Equipment
MDR connectors are found on many kinds of industrial hardware, from servo systems and I/O modules to imaging and proprietary control equipment. The plug may be recognizable, yet the electrical assignment behind it can be entirely device-specific. We therefore treat every MDR project as an interface-matching job, not a catalog-cable guess.
Tell us what the cable connects, the MDR position count, the second-end interface, and the required length. A drawing is ideal, but a device manual, clear photographs, and a known-good sample can also move the project forward. We will organize the details into a manufacturable cable specification your purchasing and maintenance teams can reuse. For adjacent high-density formats, the SCSI cable collection provides a useful visual starting point, but the equipment documentation remains the authority for the interface.
Specifications
| Item | Available Configuration |
| Connector | MDR / Mini Delta Ribbon family |
| Position count | 14, 20, 26, 36, 50 or 68 |
| Cable ends | MDR-to-MDR, MDR-to-IDC, flying leads, or approved mixed interface |
| Pin map | Straight, crossed, paired, grouped, or device-specific |
| Conductors | Size and construction selected for current, flexibility, and termination needs |
| Shielding | Overall foil, braid, combined shield, drain wire or application-defined design |
| Hardware | Latch, screw or shell arrangement matched to the mating equipment |
| Length | Custom; branch and breakout dimensions stated separately |
| Marking | Wire numbers, branch labels, customer P/N and lot identification available |
| Inspection | Continuity, open/short, and pin-assignment verification |
Learn more about what to consider when buying an MDR cable.
MDR-to-MDR Cable Assemblies
Each model family can be reviewed for gender, locking hardware, cable exit, wiring, and shield termination.
MDR Flying-Lead Assemblies
Choose an MDR connector at one end and identified conductors or terminals at the other. This format is useful for cabinet wiring and maintenance replacements when you document every wire number and termination point.
MDR50-to-IDC50 Assemblies
For servo and industrial control connections, MDR50-to-IDC50 assemblies are available with an approved pin map. IDC keying, strain relief, cable orientation, and pin-1 position must be shown on the drawing.
Give Us the Equipment Context
“MDR50 cable” still leaves several important questions unanswered. A servo controller, camera interface, and test fixture may share the same shell but use different wiring. Sharing the equipment models and functions up front lets us ask useful questions and keeps the quotation tied to your application.
Clear Wire Identification Saves Service Time
For flying-lead assemblies, specify numbered sleeves and an end-to-end termination schedule. A technician should be able to replace the cable without tracing fifty conductors inside a live cabinet. We can match labels to your terminal plan and customer part number.
From One Sample to a Repeatable Part
If the only reference is an old cable, we can use it as the starting point and document the result. The goal is not merely to reproduce one piece; it is to create an approved drawing, inspection method, and labeling scheme that support future orders.
That Makes an MDR Quote More Reliable
Send the equipment model at both ends, MDR position count, connector gender, retention method, cable length, and order quantity. Add the pin schedule, signal names, or a manual page whenever they are available. For flying leads, include the terminal type, strip length, conductor IDs, and the point from which each branch is measured.
If your drawing calls for a flat internal connection rather than an MDR shell, compare it with our SCSI Ribbon Cable options. This can help distinguish a true MDR-to-IDC harness from two unrelated cable requirements.
No. MDR is used across several industrial interfaces. Confirm the device models and pin assignments.
Potentially, yes, when the wiring and electrical compatibility are documented. A connector adapter is not automatically a signal converter.
Yes. Please provide the terminal schedule, wire identification format, stripped length, and terminal requirements.
Often, yes, but a known-good sample or device documentation is safer. Damage can make continuity readings misleading.
Yes. The production specification can include customer part numbers, end labels, bag labels, and lot information.
Check physical mating, retention, cable routing, pin function, branch labels, and operation in the intended equipment.
Yes. An approved drawing and revision-controlled specification help keep later lots consistent.
Yes, subject to quotation. Give every pin count and length its own part number and quantity so the order and labels cannot be confused.
Yes, when the specified parts are available and suitable for production. State whether substitutes require written approval.
We can discuss drawing revisions, inspection records, and requested compliance documents during the quotation. Availability depends on the selected materials and agreed production plan.
Provide the cable part number, lot information, equipment used, photographs, and a clear description of the observed failure. Keep the affected sample available for evaluation.
How to Recreate an MDR Cable When the Original Drawing Is Missing
Legacy industrial cables often outlive their suppliers and paperwork. When an MDR assembly fails, the maintenance team may have only a worn sample and a machine that cannot remain idle. A disciplined review makes replacement far safer than ordering by appearance.
Identify the Position Count and Mating Hardware
Count the contacts from a clear front view and note whether the plug uses latches, screws, or another retention method. Photograph the equipment port and the cable end together if possible. Shell size alone is an unreliable guide, especially when a factory uses several MDR sizes.
Record the Function of Each End
Write down the controller, drive, camera, interface card, or terminal board connected at each end. Manuals may provide signal names even when they omit a cable part number. Those names help distinguish paired signals, grounds, shields, and unused contacts.
Treat Continuity Data as Evidence, Not the Whole Specification
A meter can show which contacts connect, but a continuity list may not reveal pair construction, shield termination, or conductor grouping. Open the sample only with permission, document the viewing direction, and keep the original available for comparison. If the sample is suspected of being faulty, do not treat every reading as correct.
Define Flying Leads So They Cannot Be Swapped
For terminal ends, specify conductor color, printed number, stripped length, terminal type, and branch length. A table should connect each MDR contact to one clearly identified wire. This makes incoming inspection and field replacement much easier.
Approve a First Article
For a proprietary pinout, a first article gives both sides a practical checkpoint. Confirm mating, cable routing, device operation, and label readability before releasing the full quantity. The approved sample and drawing then become the baseline for repeat production.
If your team has photographs and a working cable but no formal drawing, send what you have. We can help turn scattered information into a controlled specification while clearly marking anything that still needs customer confirmation.
Define Shield Connections Explicitly
The words “shielded cable” do not state where the shield and drain are terminated. Show whether the shield bonds to both connector shells, one end only, a separate terminal, or another point required by the equipment design. This detail matters for inspection and should not be left to shop-floor interpretation.
Decide How Substitutions Will Be Controlled
If the project uses an approved connector manufacturer, terminal brand, or cable construction, state whether alternatives are prohibited or require written approval. For repeat OEM work, a locked bill of materials or an agreed substitution process reduces the chance that a mechanically similar component changes mating, routing, or test results.
Build a Useful Acceptance Package
The appropriate records depend on your project. Some buyers need only the approved drawing and shipment inspection; others request a first-article report, continuity table, material declarations, or sample photographs. Discuss the documentation during quotation so the production and quality plan reflects the actual requirement. You can also review our quality control process before defining project-specific records.
Move From a Pilot Build to Repeat Production
Use the pilot build to confirm connector mating, latch operation, cable routing, wire identification, and device function. Collect all approved changes in the drawing rather than leaving them in email comments or on a marked sample bag. When the pilot is accepted, freeze the drawing revision, label format, and any critical BOM restrictions. Repeat orders can then reference a controlled part instead of restarting the reverse-engineering process.
Organize Mixed-SKU Deliveries
For projects using several MDR contact counts or branch lengths, assign a separate part number to every configuration. The outer carton, inner bag, and cable label should use the same identity. If the cables are delivered as machine kits, provide a packing list that connects each part number to its installation position. This makes receiving, line-side distribution, and spare-part storage much less dependent on visual comparison.
