Programming adapter from 10 pin to 6 pin for AVRs

This is the last one of my ‘Things that make life easier’ series, I published in the last few days.
It’s very simple, but most of the time the simple things are the most helpful.
I always used the big 10 pin jack for programming my AVRs because my programmer also had the 10pin jack.
With the time lapse module for the rollei camera a new requirement came up: Space. I wanted to make it as small as possible, so I changed from 10pin to a 6 pin jack.
10 pin to 6 pin for AVRs
This is how to make a working connection between a 10pin and a 6pin jack.
You need one of each jack (6pin and 10pin) and a 6-wire flat cable.

Step 1 Pin assignment

Before we start it is important to obey the pin assignment of the two jacks as they differ a bit.
Take a look at the pin assignments of the first pictures and the colors of the flat cable in the second picture.
That gives us:
RED           MISO
Orange      VCC
yellow        SCK
green         MOSI
blue           Reset
violet          GND

Step 2 Prepare the flat cable

It is difficult, if possible at all, to buy a 6 wire flat cable. So first of all take a 10wire flat cable and trim off four wires. I chose to rib off brown and the grey, white and black ones.
Then make a clean cut between the individual wires for about 4cm on one end of the cable. Make sure not to cut into the isolation of the wires!

Step 3 Reorder the wires

The 6 pin jack is crimped straight to the cable, but at the 10 pin jack we have to make a trick to get the wires in the right order.
So first remind yourself on step 2 and which color is assigned to which function, we get for the 10pin jack the sequence:
1    Mosi        green
2    VCC        Orange
3    not connected, free
4    GND        violet
5    Reset      blue
6    GND        violet
7    SCK        yellow
8    GND       violet
9    Miso        red
10  GND       violet
As we only have one violet wire, we can choose which pin we would like to take. They are interconnected in the 10pin jack of the programmer anyway.

Step 4 Fix the wires

It is very difficult to arrange all 6 wires to the right position in the 10 wire jack before closing it. So we do a little trick.
Take some sticky tape and place it face up on the table. Now we start sorting the wires one by one and stick it on the tape. When there is a gap, we insert a spare wire.
If you have all wires in the right order close the sticky tape and keep them in place. Once you finished this, get the aligned wires into the 10-pin jack and slowly close the housing.

Step 5 Close the brackets

If all wires seem to be o.k. close the two parts with a pair of pliers. Be careful not to damage the jack to much. There are also special tools for this. After the jack is closed, cut off the excess part with the sticky tape and add the stress relief brackets.

Step 6 Use it

Before you connect the programmer and an PCB you should measure if all contacts are established in the right order.
Once you have done this: GO and use it.
If you did it wrong, like my first version: Do it again… 😉
For more Detail: Programming adapter from 10 pin to 6 pin for AVRs


About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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