Good Plug/Sockets
John Board
Posts: 371
G'day,
I'm designing my first board to be manufactured, and I'm trying to figure out what plugs/sockets are best to use. I've never extensively used plugs/sockets before, always using screw terminals to secure wires (which doesn't work too well when you have 18 wires you need to screw in).
Preferably it would be a 1-way socket (can only get plugged in one way), comes in a variety of sizes, (2-8 pins), and the pin spacing is the standard 0.1" It is also required that they have to be PCB mount (surface mount as well would be cool, but I don't want to streach it :P). I've been poking around myself, and found some stuff, but it's not really been suitable - so I thought I should ask the "techsperts".
Ohh, and the cheaper the better!
Thanks,
-John
P.S. Can anyone suggest a PCB manufacturing company, I've had OSH Park suggested, but what else is out there? (I'm using DipTrace)
I'm designing my first board to be manufactured, and I'm trying to figure out what plugs/sockets are best to use. I've never extensively used plugs/sockets before, always using screw terminals to secure wires (which doesn't work too well when you have 18 wires you need to screw in).
Preferably it would be a 1-way socket (can only get plugged in one way), comes in a variety of sizes, (2-8 pins), and the pin spacing is the standard 0.1" It is also required that they have to be PCB mount (surface mount as well would be cool, but I don't want to streach it :P). I've been poking around myself, and found some stuff, but it's not really been suitable - so I thought I should ask the "techsperts".
Ohh, and the cheaper the better!
Thanks,
-John
P.S. Can anyone suggest a PCB manufacturing company, I've had OSH Park suggested, but what else is out there? (I'm using DipTrace)
Comments
Though I buy locally in Taiwan, Pololu also sells the black plastic system. I have my own crimper and I cut wires to length and reconfigure cables to custom arrangements that I find are quite handy.
Here is a link at Pololu that you can take a look at. I still have a large inventory of the white plastic alternative. I suppose I could send you some if you want to look at that. I also have crimp ends for that.
Screw terminals eat up a lot of board real estate unnecessarily. And there are times that a good wiring harness can save the cost and trouble of making another circuit board... just juggle the pin out sequences.
BYW, the white plastic system takes up more space that the black plastic. I mostly use female-to-female cables with simple standard 0.1" space pins on the board, sometimes I use 90 degree bent pins.
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/category/70
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1930
Neither are MOLEX or AMP products which are both expensive and complex.
Sorry, but neither Maplin or Pololu seem to clearly explain all the system components. And I don't have brand names for either of these as I buy them in packages labeled in Chinese.
It looks like you can get everything you need at Pololu for the black plastic version...
http://www.maplin.co.uk/0.1-series-socket-housing-1490
http://www.maplin.co.uk/0.1inch-series-straight-plug-pcb-header-1487
http://www.rapidonline.com/cables-connectors/crimp-2-54mm-pcb-connection-system-63798/
Itead Studios is cheaper than OSH Park but Itead Studios' quality is (much) poorer than OSH Park. I use both depending on what I need the board to do.
I try to use IDC connectors when possible. The 2x5 connectors seem to be pretty common. Ten strand ribbon cable is also pretty common (I think AVR boards use this size a lot).
The "black plastic system" Loopy mentioned such as Pololu is selling is very similar to the Molex SL connector system (AMP has their version). There are more types and styles in this system than you would believe. At the price Pololu is selling them, theirs must be Chinese imports and not actual Molex brand. Molex and AMP are a little more expensive, but if you need keyed/polarized, right angle/left angle, latching/locking, IDT or whatever, they have it.
For a start though, the Pololu stuff looks like a win, especially since they sell the wires with the terminals pre-crimped. They also ship worldwide and take PayPal.
and sometimes I use connectors from this page
The Pololu cable has a female ending that completely surrounds the square pins of generic headers. The white product just pushes against one side.
I buy long cables with fitting on both end and then cut them in half or shorter. That saves 50% of the crimping and provides me with a lot of varied colored wire.
The crimper I use is generic... wasn't made for the fitting, but it works. If I am seriously concerned about good connections I tin the ends of the wires before crimping.
I guess the white ones are called JYK.
Mounting wires directly to the board by through hole or surface mount do tend to wear out from cable moment, unless something is done to restrain them. I just gob a bit of epoxy over the wire after I finish soldering. I keep a pair of tubes handy, some card stock for mixing small amounts and toothpicks for application.
If the SMT connector does not have any "through hole" support,
stitching a few pads with vias should keep it from ripping the copper clad of the laminate.
It's no more difficult to make a cable using Molex or AMP parts than it is with any other brand.
The cable is as simple or as complex as you need it to be.
That's the first cable I ever made. All Molex parts, no headache and only one shopping trip.
Those DuPont jobbies: -1
the plastic 'tabs' are flimsy and the contacts can push out.
If you cannot commit to a proper crimping tool then just bag the whole idea.
For 1st run prototypes I order from inside DipTrace, but this is from a CA-based company and may not be good for you. If you're very certain about your layout do look into http://www.goldphoenixpcb.com -- great quality at low cost; though you may end up with more boards than you need!
You are missing the following details:
What will these connectors be carrying? My answer may differ based on the signal. For general purpose, I like IDC-type for keyed (one-way) connection.
http://www.futurlec.com/ConnIDC.shtml
http://www.futurlec.com/Tools-Crimping.shtml (IDC crimper at the bottom of the page)
How many boards do you plan on making? 10? 1000? more? Again, for general purpose (2-sided with quantities in the 10's), I like working with Sitopway.
http://www.sitopway.com/en/index.php ... Kevin is very helpful ... sales@sitopway.com
I have also used http://www.pcbcart.com/ with good results ... their on-line quote system gives you some insight into how to tweak your costs based on size, quantity, and features.
Do you want just a PCB to be built, or do you want a full-service contract manufacturer to build the circuit? I previously worked in this field, but I have not been a customer. Futurlec and others offer a spectrum of services.
http://www.futurlec.com/BoardAssembly.shtml
Congratulations on designing your first PCB. Diptrace is a fantastic and well-supported product. I was delighted to discover this software about 5 years ago - it now has better features than the professional software that I was using 10-15 years ago.
Thanks very much for all the help in PCB Manufacturing companies and plugs/sockets!
Just as a quick side note about mounting the sockets on the PCB (there was one response saying I shouldn't), I really don't have much of a choice, and it would defeat the purpose of having them all together. At the moment, I need something that is easy to plug together, is secured in one place, and is small (the most important part).
As for the extra details, it's really only for once off PCB manufacture - prototyping. The signals going through the connectors I don't foresee exceeding 3A (at the very most, average should be around no more than 1A), and at 3.3v-5v.
I'll look into all these options, and thank you all again! I like the sound of the molex connectors, although I don't like the sound of lots of crimping :P
Thanks again,
-John
I recall the Pololu prices were actually pretty good for the crimp terminals and housings. However, I get my pin headers, crimp terminals and housings in massive quantities from Newark and find the prices very low compared to DigiKey. I use p/n 2226TG for the crimp terminals. I don't have the other part numbers handy. Just search and sort by price. You can probably also get pin headers even cheaper from aliexpress.
Lastly, I *LOVE* the Engineer PA-09 crimp tool from Japan. For the first ~300 I used needle nose and had to solder in the wires. I'm now using the Engineer tool and it is faster, less tedious, and much more reliable.
All my pin headers are PTH and reliable. I use OSHPark. The quality and customer service is outstanding.
My previous suggestion of IDC assumed no more than 1A. For signals that may be >1A but <5A, I have used the following for polarized connectors with 0.1" spacing and quick, simple tooling:
Wire side ... Amp 3-640441-8 (for 8-pin)
http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=3-640441-8virtualkey57100000virtualkey571-3-640441-8
PCB side ... Amp 640454-8 (for 8-pin)
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TE-Connectivity-AMP/640454-8/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMs%252bGHln7q6pm5E1Eb6qwPl2puYkhFXlsBg%3d
Tool ... Amp 59803-1
http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=59803-1virtualkey57100000virtualkey571-598031
Regards
I'm sure these mentions of solder on crimped parts were for personal prototypes and not anything intended for orbit, but I thought I'd point out NASA doesn't like solder mixed with crimping. See the bottom right of section 2.01 in their best practices manual.
BTW, there's a lot of good information in that manual.
Please forgive me, if that photo is indeed Molex... it is my preferred connector system. Having started the digital electronics after arriving in Taiwan in 1994, I am somewhat out of touch with what is what in the USA.
It Most Definitely Is.
http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/connectors-interconnects/rectangular-connectors-contacts/1442670?k=C-Grid
http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/connectors-interconnects/rectangular-connectors-housings/1442556?k=C-Grid
Thanks for the Digi-Key link to the connectors.
So what's a "proper crimping tool"?
Does it really take $345.26 to purchase a good crimping tool?
As you can see in the second link that I provided, they come in "one row" and "two row" versions.
You scoff?
That's the cost of tooling, DD.
Bad, intermittent, flakey, Smile connectors really perturb me: unacceptable.
Anyway, that's the only one that I could vouch for.
It's First Class or no boat.
Genuine Molex Quality - Made in Sweden. The results are the bee's knees (bees' knees?). Craftsmanship - it's worth it (to me.)
I bought the then official crimper, 11-01-0209, >15 years ago when it was around $200 (??), this new version looks like it's been ergonomically improved. Maybe you can find one of those on ebay someday. [I wonder if the die set is the same.] Maybe there's a Waldom variant (I don't know).
You can try fumbling with noodle-knees pliers, banging on them with a nail set, etc., but your results will (definitely) vary.
At that rate, it'd be better to just buy those ChiCom ("DuPont") hoodoos with the plastic tabs things. :zombie:
The following tool
http://www.ebay.com/itm/370845264222?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
purports to do what they calling "Molex Mini-Fit", but those are a different form-factor.
http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/connectors-interconnects/rectangular-connectors-contacts/1442670?k=Mini-Fit
http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/connectors-interconnects/rectangular-connectors-housings/1442556?k=Mini-Fit
(Have you guys seen SRLM's 'parts cabinet'?)
All I've ever used is the SL type. Sorry for any confusion.
Not at all. I've made lots of bad crimps by using the wrong tools. I remember seeing how expensive those crimpers were when I looked into these type of connectors several years ago. I wondered if using the right tool would make enough of a difference to make it worth the price.
Thanks for let me know about your experience with crimpers.
I'll probably bite the bullet and get the bee's knees version.
All these years I was trusting in DigiKey's calling them all C-Grid either way.
All I've used are the SL because you can buy two 4-circuit SL for less than one 8-circuit C-Grid (two-row), and they're "stackable".
Well, they both, Molex and DigiKey have them all stocked and talk about them like they're one and the same anyway. One big, happy family!
It's a win-win-win (you're in, too, DD).
It's important to strip the wires proper. The strands get crimped in their section of the contact and the insulation gets a crimp of its own in back, by way of a single close-release (ratcheting) process.
I like the PCB contacts for programming but I agree with NWCCTV, that particular solution seems expensive.
You can build your own contact only communication device with Pogo Pins.
I plan to use Pogo Pins to test the boards I'm making.
Of course there's also wireless. I'm a big fan of Nordic nRF24L01+ modules. Post #1 of my index has a link to a seller where you can get ten transceivers for $13 (I added the link to this post).
It's on my todo list to write a bootloader which will allow the Propeller to be programmed wirelessly with these transceivers.