Custom Connector Development (ODM): How It Works

3 situations lead to a custom connector: a footprint or height the catalog does not have, a discontinued part whose product still ships, and a design where the tooling must belong to the supplier. These are the cases the KINGCONN ODM series exists for — designed in Taoyuan, produced in Suzhou, tooling made and owned in-house under a quality system registered to ISO 9001:2015.

When the catalog cannot solve it

Situation	What is happening	What to send
A footprint or height the catalog does not have	mechanical or electrical needs fall outside the catalog	the engineering drawing, or the mating side plus board constraints
Discontinued but the product still ships	the original supplier stopped, the board cannot change	the original part number, drawing or a physical sample
Tooling must belong to the supplier	no subcontracting, traceable quality responsibility	the specification and a volume estimate

How a project runs

Stage	What happens	What you get
1. Evaluation	is existing tooling enough / cost to modify / cost and lead time for new tooling	all 3 answers together, not just "yes we can"
2. Drawing sign-off	footprint, mating interface, materials and electrical	the tighter the mating interface, the faster the quote
3. Samples	from production tooling, not a prototyping service	you validate real parts before volume
4. Production	designed in Taoyuan, produced in Suzhou, ISO 9001:2015	the same system as the catalog families

The evaluation answers 3 questions at once rather than just confirming feasibility, because the cost and lead time of tooling is usually what decides whether the project happens at all.

ODM work

Custom connector development: parts built to customer drawings and footprints.

Second source for a discontinued part

For a discontinued connector — or any part you want quoted, using the second source finder — the goal is that your board does not change: same footprint, same mating interface. Send the original part number or drawing to service@kingconn.com.tw; where existing tooling covers it, supply comes from catalog capacity, and where it does not, the custom route above applies. Existing cross-references are listed in the cross-reference table.

FAQ

When should a connector be custom rather than catalog?

3 cases: a footprint or height the catalog does not have; a connector that is discontinued while the product still ships; and a design where the tooling must belong to the supplier. Standard interfaces (USB, SD, RJ45) start from the catalog — go custom when height, pin count or mechanism does not fit.

What do you need to start an evaluation?

Any 1 of: the engineering drawing of the part you need, a sample of the original connector, or the mating side plus board constraints (footprint, height limit, current and temperature). The tighter the mating interface is defined, the faster the quote.

What does the evaluation answer?

3 things together: whether existing tooling already covers it, the cost to modify tooling, and the cost and lead time of new tooling. Not just "yes we can" — that does not help you schedule.

Are samples prototypes or production parts?

Pre-production samples come from the actual tooling, not a prototyping service, so what you validate is what volume will deliver.

Is a second source for a discontinued part also custom?

It depends. The goal is always that your board does not change: if existing tooling covers it, supply comes from catalog capacity; only if it does not does the custom route start. Send the part number or drawing to service@kingconn.com.tw — see the continuity guide.