I have a PCB that has a very high density of parts and lots of traces (4 layer). Currently it has a 1mm pitch socket header on the board that plugs into a 1mm pitch header on an adapter board. The adapter board has a UART module on it that plugs into a standard USB connector. The 1mm pitch connector is used for TX/RX and ground. So just signals 3 pins minimum. No significant current. This connector (I found out the hard way) is very delicate with only 3 pins. Any torque at all on the adapter board bends the small header connector. Anyone have any ideas for a better connector? It has to be small because there is little room on the target PCB. Because layout is pretty much done, I would like to keep the connector in the same place (middle of the board) with a vertical interface. 0.1" on center headers are out of the question because there is simply not enough board space. Any ideas appreciated!

 

The JST SH series are very good, particularly if you use the right angle PCB connector but I have seen more of the evaluation boards using 1mm pin headers (not .1“) and they can be very sturdy. You can use a surface mount female or shrouded male on the PCB for very low profile but you might have to use a small PCB to terminate the cable because of the very small size.

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