Can you find PCB mount connectors for all the connector types you use?
If so make a little PCB with the two or more connector types on it
and the correct wiring in between. Fisrt, though, find a box that
will fit the board and connectors, nibble out holes and you've got a
professional looking adaptor. Basically, an adaptor box. Easy as
pie. Or for stationary equipment, you can build a connector panel.
Lots of options.
Of course, there is no substitute for having the right connector on
the main PCB in the first place.
--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Dale Mosby" <dale@a...> wrote:
>
> I have made some boards using the toner transfer method with fairly
> good results. Something closely related is the matter of getting
> cables connected to a printed circuit board. I would very much like to
> hear of good ways to build nice cables and connectors that are "clean"
> and approach the looks and durability of commecial cables.
>
> I work with amateur (ham) radio and many of the new radios use RJ45
> plugs for the microphone. I do have a good crimp tool for RJ45 use and
> make my own cables for home networking. I have constructed a couple
> cables to connect to such radios, ending up with a short stub of cat 5
> wire coming from the RJ45 plug then converting to some shielded wire
> for audio and flexible cable for the other signals. I end up with
> something that works, but is nowhere near as nice as the commercial
> cable.
>
> I suspect that there must be some injecting molding machine (at a cost
> of a few million, no doubt) that creates all these nice cables that
> come with commercial equipment. My current solder and heat-shrink
> methods don't approach the quality of my PC boards and seem the "weak
> link" in the homwbrew process.
>
> What solutions have others found for nice cables & connectors?