2.54 mm 2×5 Box Header Footprint, Keying, and DFM Guide

2.54 mm 2×5 shrouded box header is a through hole package used for through hole assembly, also seen labeled 10-pin IDC header, 2×5 box header, AVR JTAG-style connector. A dependable footprint follows the exact orderable-device drawing rather than the family name: nominal body Often about 20 × 9 mm; series-specific, overall span Includes shroud, key notch, and optional strain relief, seated height Typically around 8–10 mm above board, pitch 2.54 mm in both axes, pin count 10 in a 2×5 array, and exposed pad Plated through-hole annuli.

Use the exact shroud outline, pin grid, locator features, and manufacturer's mating-view pin-one convention.

Typical uses include IDC ribbon cable, debug interfaces, internal wiring. The 2.54 mm grid is common, but shroud dimensions, notch direction, and locator features are connector-series data.

• The 2×5 grid is simple, but the polarized shroud makes a 180-degree footprint or cable error mechanically enforced rather than recoverable.
• The finished hole must fit the lead at maximum material condition plus insertion tolerance and plating; the drill file normally specifies the pre-plating tool size.

Reserve the full IDC plug and ribbon exit, show the notch on assembly documentation, and keep tall parts outside the latch or strain-relief envelope.

• Reserve the full connector or component envelope on both sides, include mating and wire-entry space, and keep copper clear of hardware and hand-tool access.

Hand assembly is rated easy. Fixture or fully seat the shroud before wave or hand soldering. Watch for key notch reversed relative to pin one and cable-side numbering.

• Confirm all ten holes and any locating pegs, allow wave-solder access, and provide global fiducials for accurate shroud placement.
• Choose annular rings from the fabricator's registration allowance and confirm whether slots, press-fit holes, or non-plated features need separate drill outputs.
• Account for wave or selective solder orientation, pallet access, thermal spokes, and bottom-side protrusion before panel release.

Inspection focus:

• Inspect seating and notch orientation, then continuity-map a keyed cable from pin one through all ten conductors.
• Inspect barrel fill, wetting around the lead, polarity, seating, and mechanical alignment; continuity alone does not prove a durable connector joint.

Common mistakes:

• Using a generic 2×5 unshrouded footprint can put the key notch opposite the intended pin-one side even though every hole aligns.
• Do not use nominal lead width as the finished-hole size or forget that plating reduces the hole after drilling.

1. Before approving 2.54 mm 2×5 shrouded box header, compare the exact orderable-device drawing with the library item: body range (Often about 20 × 9 mm; series-specific), terminal or lead span (Includes shroud, key notch, and optional strain relief), pitch (2.54 mm in both axes), pin count (10 in a 2×5 array), height (Typically around 8–10 mm above board), and exposed-pad definition (Plated through-hole annuli). Record the source drawing revision and every intentional courtyard, toe, heel, side, mask, or paste adjustment.
2. Treat the easy hand-solder rating as a prototype-planning input, not proof of production yield. Review key notch reversed relative to pin one and cable-side numbering with the assembler, confirm that fixture or fully seat the shroud before wave or hand soldering is compatible with the build, and require the S1 connectivity gate plus relevant S2 geometry checks to pass against the released footprint and selected fabrication profile.

Manufacturing gate checks:

1. S1Pad count, numbering, and schematic parity. Ten-pin map, shroud notch, cable exit, locator holes, finished-hole size, and mating-view convention must agree.
2. S2Finished-hole tolerance and annular ring. The lead must insert after plating while retaining enough copper for registration, solder fill, and mechanical load.
3. S2Finished-hole size and annular ring. Drill, plating, lead tolerance, and the remaining annular ring must agree with the fab capability.