Flexible Flat Cable

Flexible Flat Cable (FFC) can refer to any cable that is both flat and flexible. However, it is most commonly referring to the very thin cable used in small electronics like laptops and cell phones. FFC is a miniaturized form of ribbon cable.

Typically, FFC is comprised of an extremely thin and flexible plastic substrate with metallic conductors bonded beneath a laminate. Often, the ends of the cable have a stiffener added, so they can be used in ZIF (zero insertion force) and LIF (low insertion force) sockets.

Specifications

 * Pitch: The spacing of the conductors. Common pitches are 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.25mm, 2 mm. Some FFCs can have different pitches between conductors, but it is uncommon.
 * Exposure Length: The length of the electrical contact that has been exposed at the termination of the cable.
 * Stiffener: Extra material attached to the exposed length of the cable to facilitate ZIF or LIF connections.