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I'm trying to build a device made up of several other devices all connected using USB A cables. The amount of room on the cables taken up by the "human sized" ends requires a larger enclosure than I want to use. Other than purchasing raw USB connectors and soldering them myself, where can I purchase cables with minimal ends?
I've tried the google approach, Mouser, etc.
One option you have would be to use a straight circuit board with appropriate traces, if the minimalistic approach is your objective. I have what is described on Gearbest as a USB flashlight:
It is a 1.92 mm thick piece of circuit board that fits well into the USB port of my powerbank. The price for five is US$1.13 from gearbest. This is one example.
Additional searching has discovered a link to a site called eLabBay which sells prototype boards that are a bit more bulky than the USB flashlight:
You would be able to ignore the header pins and cut away the wings to further reduce the profile, if needed. At bit more expensive at US$6.48, but it's also just another example.
There are circuit board services which will produce boards from your design. In larger quantities, I'd expect the prices would be better than this last one, but requires that you create a design. I did a quick search for "pcb service" and the first return showed ten pieces for five dollars and that was only one entry. There may be others at lower prices.
Of course, all of this does require that you perform the soldering, but it's not as finicky as doing so with typically stock small gauge USB wire.
