# Source: https://learn.adafruit.com/calipers/other-measuring-tips.md

# Calipers

## Other Measuring Tips

## Measuring Connector Pitch
We use our calipers to verify component sizes, sometimes these numbers are in the datasheet but once in a while we have a part for which the datasheet is incomplete or we just want to verify. If you're measuring a dense connector, its a good idea to measure over a large number of pins and then average.

For example, on this 37-pin FPC (flex circuit board) I'm measuring between the center points (as far as I can manage) of the two outer pins.

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/000/861/medium800/hand_tools_tftpitch.jpg?1396766503)

Remember that for a&nbsp; **N&nbsp;** pin connector, there are&nbsp; **N-1&nbsp;**'gaps' (a common-enough confusion that it has its own name, the&nbsp;[fencepost-error](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-by-one_error)&nbsp;) so divide&nbsp; **35.68mm&nbsp;** by&nbsp; **36** &nbsp;= 0.99mm. Since we're eyeballing the center points of the connector, this should be rounded up to a&nbsp; **1mm** &nbsp;pitch. Sometimes the number should be rounded up/down in imperial so if it seems off, check other units.## Measuring Pin-to-Pin Distance
A nice trick you can do with digital calipers is zero'ing out the origin. For example, lets say we have a connector with pins, we want to measure the pin distance. First measure the pin thickness.  
![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/000/862/medium800/hand_tools_pinthickness.jpg?1396766508)

Zero it out.![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/000/863/medium800/hand_tools_pinzero.jpg?1396766513)

Now you can measure on the outer edges of the pins and it will automatically subtract one pin thickness.![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/000/864/medium800/hand_tools_pinpitch.jpg?1396766523)

In this case there are 4 pins, so divide&nbsp; **11.92mm&nbsp;** by 3 to get&nbsp; **3.97mm** , which we'll round up to&nbsp; **4mm** &nbsp;since we know its a metric part.- [Previous Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/calipers/step-and-relative-measurements.md)

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