Swappable control panel w/ IDE cables and DB connectors

[nomad]

Hello, I asked a question on modular control panels a few months ago about how to connect a minipac to a cp.  Someone reccomended that I use IDE cables and a DB connector.  I plan to have an IDE cable from my minipac connected to a DB connector.  I then want use an IDE cable for my control panel.  I then want to hook that up to a DB connector that would fit in the DB connector that is connected to the minipac.  However, I am not sure how to connect the IDE cables to the DB connectors.  I also want to confirm that IDE cables require quick disconnects that are larger than the ones normally used one projects.  In my prior thread, froggerman reccomended that I use a quick disconnect for 26 guage cable.  Pretty much, I just want to know how to connect IDE cables and DB connectors?  I also want to know what guage an IDE cable is?  (I apologize for the confusing post)

[Crazy Cooter]

To summarize/clarify... I think this is what nomad means:

MINIPAC___IDE wire___DB> <DB___IDE wire___Control Panel

FYI: What are DB Connectors?
http://www.coffeycountyks.org/Terms/2461HTML-695.html

Don't you just solder the wire onto the DB connector (or do you push the wire in)?  I don't know what you mean by "quick disconnects".  I'd imagine the male DB would go on the cab.  That should protect the pins.

[paigeoliver]

Best way to do swappable control panels is to forget all about the minipac and use a JPAC and use jamma cables.

If you are willing to do a little custom hackery then you can even feed your trackball connections in through the JAMMA harness as well.

Bad way to do that would be to hack the JPAC, good way would be to get a JAMMA fingerboard and solder up your trackball connections to some of the unused pins and stick that between the jamma harness and JPAC.

[nomad]

Don't you just solder the wire onto the DB connector (or do you push the wire in)?  I don't know what you mean by "quick disconnects".  I'd imagine the male DB would go on the cab.  That should protect the pins.

Thanks for summarizing my plan.  By quick disconnects, I mean the quick disconnects that would connect to the IDE cables that are attached to the buttons (see below)

 DB       IDE cable     q. discon.   button
   |          |                |                |
  \/         \/               \/               |
  ]--------------------=[_]]   <---

I am just wondering what size of quick disconnect I should get for a quick disconnect hooking up to an IDE cable.

Thanks for the advice paigeoliver.  That's an excellent idea, and in retrospect, I probably would do that if I did not already have a minipac.

[neuromancer]

Why not use parallel cables? They already have the DB connectors soldered on. Unless your individual modules need more than the 20 or so pins in a || cable. You can get 50 and 68 pins in a SCSI cable, but they start to cost.

IDE cables have very thin guage wire, so if anything you would need smaller disconnects on the button end, not larger.
Either that, or add a short piece of thicker braided wire into the connector before you crimp it.

Bob