What kind of connector do I use for the Pi's GPIO pins?

Question

Does the Raspberry Pi have its own connectors for the 26 GPIO pins? If not what connectors do Pi users typically use for connecting these pins to peripherals?

Answer 1

You have a couple of options:

• Female to male jumper wires (for use with a breadboard),
• Alternatively you can add a set of female headers to the Pi and use the more common male to male jumper wires,
• You can use a floppy drive ribbon cable (because the cable has more pins than the Pi it will hang over the edge and prevent it from being used with a case/enclosure),
• You can make your own ribbon cable,
• Adafruit (and most other Pi suppliers) has a ribbon cable (also available in white though not linked) specifically made to fit the Pi that works with many of the available cases.
• They also offer a product called the Pi Cobbler which includes a cable, PCB and headers which make protoyping with a breadboard a breeze (this too is available in two styles)

For a more permanent installation I might use a ribbon cable and etch a custom PCB.

In the end which method you choose comes down to price, convenience, and how much you will be modifying your circuit.