A cable harness quotation can identify the correct connector family and still leave the connections ambiguous. A drawing without its viewing direction, or a wire list based only on color, gives the supplier room to interpret the circuit differently from the buyer.
Before comparing prices, agree on three linked records: the exact connector drawing, an oriented cavity view and a connection table with stable wire identifiers. This guide explains how to review that package. Use the custom cable assembly RFQ checklist for the wider material, length and environmental requirements.
Separate connector identity from circuit identity
A cavity number identifies a contact position in a particular connector. A wire ID identifies a conductor in the harness documentation. A signal name describes its intended circuit function. They serve different purposes and should occupy separate columns.
Assign each connector an assembly reference, such as P1 or P2, then give its complete manufacturer part number, mating counterpart, contact reference and keying variant. Keep the housing designation separate from whether its fitted contacts are pins or sockets. Do not infer either from the word “male” in a quotation.
For example, TE's Universal MATE-N-LOK specification describes cavity identification on the wire end of plug and cap housings, while its headers have cavity identification on the mating end. Sections 3.4 and 3.5 therefore show why the location of numbering must be checked for the actual component. This is a family-specific example, not a convention for every connector. TE application specification 114-1010, Rev V2.
Label the view before discussing left and right
Every connector view should identify the assembly reference, the face being viewed and a physical orientation feature. Specify whether the reader looks into the mating interface or into the wire-entry side; show the latch, key or other named datum in a defined position.
Turning a connector around changes its appearance, but does not change the identity of a cavity. A position that looks leftmost in one view may appear on the opposite side in another. Verify the numbered manufacturer view instead of renumbering positions from a photograph.
Molex's Custom Cable Creator explicitly labels its pinout views as wire-entry views and shows the latch. It also separates connection selection from wire-color selection. These are useful examples of documenting orientation and mapping as distinct decisions. Molex Custom Cable Creator.
Ask the supplier to return an annotated view, including the document number and revision used. If its drawing and the buyer's drawing use different views, compare the named cavities after resolving the orientation. Do not approve an unexplained instruction to “mirror the connector.”
Retain the manufacturer's cavity identifiers exactly, including letters and leading zeros where used. If the sample's markings are unreadable, resolve its identity against the exact manufacturer drawing before approving a mapping; do not assign new cavity numbers from visual position.
Use a connection table that survives a color change
Specify each connection by both endpoints: connector reference plus cavity identifier. Include the wire ID, approved wire reference, color or stripe description, and any branch or splice reference. Define abbreviations in a legend.
Molex drawing SD-100153-1000 provides an example of a pinout table with endpoint pin numbers, descriptions, wire identification and explicit unconnected entries. Its mating-end views are labeled, and its note gives pin numbers priority over descriptive names. That supports the documentation principle; the drawing's particular high-speed wiring arrangement is not a template for another harness. Molex cable assembly drawing, sheet 2.
For your RFQ, make the approved connection table the authoritative record of the intended harness connections, using the manufacturer's cavity identifiers. It does not redefine those identifiers or override component restrictions. Resolve conflicts with illustrations before release. Retain wire IDs when an approved color substitution occurs, and revise the affected material and marking records. Do not treat a color as permission to change a circuit's function.
For a branch or splice, identify the junction and every connected endpoint explicitly. An intentional shared connection must be distinguishable from an accidental duplicate; a simple one-wire-to-one-wire table is insufficient if the actual harness includes branches.
An unused position also needs a defined state. Distinguish an empty cavity, an installed but electrically unconnected contact, and an unterminated spare wire. Where a sealing or keying accessory is required, identify it separately using the applicable manufacturer's instructions; “NC” alone does not specify the physical assembly.
Request evidence that can be checked against the sample
On small screens, swipe or scroll sideways to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table and use the arrow keys.
| RFQ record | Evidence to request | Hold point |
|---|---|---|
| Connector identity | Full housing, contact and mating references; drawing revision | A family name or photograph alone leaves the exact variant unresolved |
| Cavity orientation | Numbered view with named face and latch or key position | Viewing direction is absent or conflicts with the source drawing |
| Connection mapping | From/to cavity table with stable wire IDs | A row is missing, duplicated or assigned to an unintended endpoint |
| Unused positions | Defined contact, wire and accessory state for every unused position | “Spare” or “NC” has no assembly definition |
| Wire identification | Approved wire reference, color legend and marking requirement | A substitute changes identification without an agreed revision |
| Document control | Matching revisions for drawing, wire list, inspection record and approved deviations | Documents describe different assembly configurations |
Use photographs to confirm readable markings and orientation on an identified sample. They support the controlled drawing; they do not establish an undocumented connection hidden inside a bundle.
Worked RFQ comparison: three replies to the same drawing
The following is a fictional documentation exercise. It represents no customer, supplier product or test result. Assume the buyer has already approved two six-position connector variants and their numbered views. The simplified mapping for harness H-027, revision C, is:
On small screens, swipe or scroll sideways to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table and use the arrow keys.
| Wire ID | From cavity | To cavity | Illustration-only color |
|---|---|---|---|
| W01 | P1.1 | P2.4 | White |
| W02 | P1.2 | P2.5 | Blue |
| W03 | P1.3 | P2.6 | Black |
In this exercise, P1.4–P1.6 and P2.1–P2.3 are explicitly empty, with no contacts or wires. This is not a recommendation for a sealed connector. Wire ratings, functions and service suitability are outside the example.
Reply A repeats the colors and offers a connector photograph without a cavity view or endpoint table. Place it on hold: the supplier has not provided enough information to compare the mapping.
Reply B provides correctly identified views but connects W01 from P1.1 to P2.6. Reject that mapping revision because it conflicts with the specified P2.4 destination. A matching white wire does not resolve the discrepancy.
Reply C returns all three required connections, accounts for the six unused cavities, and identifies revision C throughout. It can proceed to sample and commercial evaluation for this mapping scope. That decision does not approve electrical ratings, crimp quality or complete equipment suitability.
This method separates missing evidence from a documented mismatch and from a documented match. Record the affected row and required correction so the next reply can be reviewed without repeating the whole discussion.
Release one agreed drawing package
Before approving the sample, have the responsible reviewer reconcile the connector views, wire list and assembly identification against the agreed revision. Ask how the supplier will associate its inspection records with that configuration. A test report cannot settle an unresolved question about which connection the buyer intended.
Keep detailed electrical testing in the separate harness continuity, insulation-resistance and hipot report guide. For subsequent substitutions, use the first-article and change-control guide to define what needs renewed approval.
Buyer FAQ
Is a photograph enough to quote a replacement harness?
It may support an initial discussion, but exact connector references, oriented cavity views and an agreed connection table are needed to remove mapping assumptions. Identify unknowns before treating the quotation as technically complete.
Does P1.1 always connect to P2.1?
No. The required circuit determines the connection table. Identical position counts do not establish a straight-through mapping, and the drawing must define the destination of each populated position.
Can wire colors change without changing the harness function?
Possibly, subject to the application's requirements and approval. Keep the electrical mapping explicit, review identification implications, and update the controlled wire and marking records before accepting the substitution.
What information helps obtain a comparable price and delivery offer?
Provide the agreed drawing revision, component references, wire requirements, quantity, sample scope and required document package. Ask bidders to separate unresolved deviations and commercial assumptions, including any drawing or sample approval milestone affecting delivery.
Send the pinout package with your inquiry
Use the OEM / ODM sourcing page for the broader project discussion, then Send a pinout drawing RFQ with the oriented views, connection table and unresolved questions. Request written confirmation of the offered configuration and commercial terms.
Technical sources checked on 11 September 2026.