Pin Header & Connector Pitch Reference
Quick-reference for pin header and connector pitches — 0.1", 2.0 mm, 2.54 mm, JST, Molex, Micro-USB, USB-C.
| CONNECTOR | PITCH (mm) | PITCH (in) | COMMON USE | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.54 mm header (0.1") | 2.54 | 0.100" | Arduino, Raspberry Pi GPIO, DIP, breadboard | Universal hobby standard |
| 2.00 mm header | 2.00 | 0.079" | Digikey Micro-Fit adjacents, compact hobby | Denser than 2.54, still hand-solderable |
| 1.27 mm header (0.05") | 1.27 | 0.050" | SWD/JTAG, mikroBUS, dense | Fine-pitch — care with hand-soldering |
| JST XH | 2.50 | 0.098" | LiPo balance, low-voltage battery packs | 3 A max, polarized |
| JST PH | 2.00 | 0.079" | LiPo main power (small drones, dev boards) | 2 A max, polarized |
| JST SH | 1.00 | 0.039" | Small sensors, Adafruit Feather, tiny power | 1 A max, extremely fine |
| JST ZH | 1.50 | 0.059" | Battery packs, compact sensors | 1 A max, polarized |
| Molex PicoBlade | 1.25 | 0.049" | iPod/iPhone internal, dense signal | 1 A max |
| Molex MicroFit 3.0 | 3.00 | 0.118" | PC internal power, industrial | 8.5 A max |
| Molex Mini-Fit Jr | 4.20 | 0.165" | PC power (ATX 24-pin), high-current | 13 A max |
| Micro-USB | 0.65 | 0.026" | Legacy USB device | 5-pin, board-side pitch |
| USB-C | 0.50 | 0.020" | Modern USB | 24-pin reversible, board-side pitch |
| SIM card | 2.54 | 0.100" | GSM modules | 6-contact standard |
| MicroSD | 1.10 | 0.043" | Storage, ESP32/Pi | 8-contact push-push |
Pitch = centre-to-centre distance between adjacent pins. 2.54 mm (0.1") is the universal hobby standard (Arduino, Raspberry Pi GPIO, DIP ICs, breadboards).
Fine-pitch series (0.5–1.27 mm) require SMD footprints and careful hand-soldering. JST and Molex families each have their own dedicated crimp housings — pitch alone doesn't tell you a housing is compatible; check the family name too.
What is cable pitch?
Pitch is the centre-to-centre spacing between adjacent pins in a connector. It determines the footprint dimensions on the PCB and which cable/wire gauge fits. Two connectors with the same pitch aren't necessarily interchangeable — the housing family (JST XH vs JST PH, Molex Micro-Fit vs Mini-Fit) matters too.
JST family cheat-sheet
XH (2.5 mm) — LiPo balance leads. PH (2.0 mm) — small LiPo main power. SH (1.0 mm) — tiny sensors, Feather boards. ZH (1.5 mm) — battery packs. All are polarized. Housings and pins from different series don't interchange.
Molex family cheat-sheet
PicoBlade (1.25 mm, 1 A) — small signal. Micro-Fit 3.0 (3 mm, 8.5 A) — PC internal power. Mini-Fit Jr (4.2 mm, 13 A) — ATX PSU. Pitch scales roughly with rated current per pin.
Frequently asked
- What is cable pitch?
- The centre-to-centre distance between adjacent pins in a connector. Determines PCB footprint dimensions and which cable/wire fits.
- What is a 4-pin Molex connector used for?
- Depends on the family. Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 4-pin is common for internal PC/industrial power. Mini-Fit Jr 4-pin is the classic PC peripheral power connector.
- How to connect a wire to a circuit board without solder?
- Use a screw terminal (typically 5.08 mm pitch), a spring cage terminal, or a crimped JST/Molex housing mating with a board-mount header.
- Is 2.54 mm the same as 0.1 inch?
- Effectively yes. 2.54 mm = 0.100 inches exactly. This is the classic through-hole pin header pitch used across virtually all hobby electronics.
Picked the connector? Name it in the description, for example a 1x6 2.54 mm header on the left edge, and PCBEditor puts it where you said.
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