DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector (2016)

This is an awesome story! We faced a similar problem trying to locate someone that could manufacture otherwise non-existent parts: a 28-pin card edge Super Nintendo expansion port connector. The only company we could find that would even consider it wanted $5000-8000 for the initial setup fee, and an MOQ in the thousands. It would have set us back around $15000, but our potential market is maybe 50-100 sales. In our case, we ended up finding a wider card-edge connector…

There were never DB-9 connectors; they were DE-9s. The "DB-this" and "DB-that" naming originated by ignorant analogy with the (correctly-named) DB-25 connectors that the DE-9s were replacing. Hint: The letter after the D is the size. DBs had room for two rows of 12 and 13 pins on 1/10 inch centers, on down to DE with room for only 4 and 5 pins with that spacing. Later, the DE shell was used with closer spacing for three rows of pins…

> I photoshopped that sucker, edited some key measurements, and that was what they used for the very expensive mold-making process. I work in manufacturing and this sentence made me feel so many feelings. Surprise that this worked, envy that this worked, remorse on how hard we try to make things precise AND THIS WORKED. Just so, so many feelings.

It's embarrassing that it's easier to get things made in China than in the US. I had some 5/16" paper tape manufactured for use in antique Teletype machines. I tried several US paper tape manufacturers. One quoted me $10 a roll, but made a good roll. One sent me a roll with rough edges that jammed in the machine. Most were uninterested, even for a large order. The US companies were really hard to communicate with, too. Getting emails answered…