PCB sockets

Mickster · 2020-04-02 13:22

I am looking at creating a PCB that accepts plug-in modules but I want the PCB female receptacles to be flush with the PCB as opposed to the protruding female headers.

Is this something that is standard for PCB manufacturers and if so, what are they referred to as? I can't seem to find this.

Publison · 2020-04-02 14:12

Something like this?

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/te-connectivity-amp-connectors/322-HCS6P2-100/A100586CT-ND/2233065

idbruce · 2020-04-02 15:20

Something like this?

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/te-connectivity-amp-connectors/322-HCS6P2-100/A100586CT-ND/2233065

Very very interesting

Mickster · 2020-04-02 15:56

Publison wrote: »

Something like this?

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/te-connectivity-amp-connectors/322-HCS6P2-100/A100586CT-ND/2233065

Oh, perfect! Now I'm excited.

Many thanks, Jim.

Tubular · 2020-04-02 22:33

There are also female headers that mount on the reverse side of the PCB, and the male pins first pass through the front of the pcb before making contact with the female header which is on the other side. I think they call it 'through entry'.

The Parallax P2ES accessory boards use this technique, eg you can see it here most clearly (the other accessory boards do it too)
https://www.parallax.com/product/64004-es

Mickster · 2020-04-03 11:38

@Tubular

Yeah, never seen those before.
So they have a couple of locators for alignment and are retained by the solder tabs(?) Neat!

Mickster · 2020-04-03 16:47

So I decided to tear apart the unit that I wanna copy borrow from:

Bottom side and top side. They are 2-row through hole headers but the PCB is drilled for 1-row in each case.
Awesome, these things cost nothing.

@Tubular, many thanks. I still have a use for the other single sockets as well.

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_BPDEgx

Duane Degn · 2020-04-04 17:56

Mickster wrote: »

Awesome, these things cost nothing.

Interesting connectors. Thanks for sharing the link and photos of the board you're borrowing from.

Mickster · 2020-04-04 20:49

Duane Degn wrote: »

Mickster wrote: »

Awesome, these things cost nothing.

Interesting connectors. Thanks for sharing the link and photos of the board you're borrowing from.

Oh in that case, I'll show you what I'm up to.
I have a new system that I developed over the past year but it's all on proto-boards. To put it out in the market, I need professional packaging.
I want to use the Tibbo format but not their MCU so in this case I am replacing it with the MM+ Explorer 64.

It wouldn't take much to modify it for a Flip module

WBA Consulting · 2020-04-05 04:38

I really like that motherboard idea, especially if you can leverage add-on hardware already out there.

You gotta love pass-thru headers. I have seen many on boards I have made over the years where stacking multiple boards into a small space becomes crucial. For wave soldering, the style we have used have removable plastic pegs in the holes that get popped out after soldering. They prevent the flow of soldering from entering the contact area during wave. If need be, I can track down the part numbers.

Cluso99 · 2020-04-05 06:26

Parallax have used those connectors on the P2 expansion modules. There are just the holes 2x5 with the connector surface mounted on the top. The pin headers just go through from the pcb underneath through the top pcb then into the sockets attached to the top of the top pcb.

Mickster · 2020-04-05 12:53

Many thanks, guys.

We think that we have found the exact same as shown in the pictures (attached).

@"WBA Consulting"
I know that I'm not the only one who is constantly dreaming up ideas for Prop based products but project boxes, to me, scream "hobby-jobby".

Applications are there, coding is just a matter of doing it but not everyone wants to reinvent the interfaces.

Gotta do a P1 version. Ideal MCU for this concept.

Tibbo seems happy to sell pieces-parts sans motherboard so what the hey.

Heck, the @Cluso99 co-pro is a perfect fit.

These shells are like a bridge shape so no problem to link two or more together to bring out more I/O

frank freedman · 2020-04-05 19:00

You got my curiosity up. (still alive, no genetic relation to cats...) but you may want to take a look at the molex connector https://molex.com/pdm_docs/sd/872630893_sd.pdf Digikey # WM14373CT-ND looks like what you want but surface mount so 1/2 number of drill operations. This actually looks like what TIBBO used. Had to do a quadruple take on the pictures but it looks like they used these but only drilled one of the rows of holes even though the connector has two. Perhaps they could not find a single row connector like this that would work without flexing.

Publison · 2020-04-05 20:08

I thought the whole purpose of the OP was to NOT have protruding female headers.

frank freedman · 2020-04-05 21:15

Don't see a way around it from all of the comments shown. Seagate used these for years to connect the PCB to the head electronics in their older SCSI drives. Even the last one from OP showing the PDF shows a 5mm thick part on the surface mount side. My last comment was based on examination of the TIBBO board he had posted. My question would be are the holes drilled out to allow for longer leads through the headers? The TIBBO site appears to be installing modules on the header side. Also all the TIBBO modules I looked at had two rows of pins on them. Perhaps I misread his intent when he was pointing out the holes and how they were placed. Do any modules have longer pins that would pass further through the PCB? Don't know.

But if he wanted to go completely flush to the component side of the board, he could try this:
https://keyelco.com/category.cfm/Micro-Pins-Jacks/Micro-Jacks/p/459/id/466/c_id/806

Be expensive and maybe labor intensive.

Publison · 2020-04-05 21:46

frank freedman wrote: »

But if he wanted to go completely flush to the component side of the board, he could try this:
https://keyelco.com/category.cfm/Micro-Pins-Jacks/Micro-Jacks/p/459/id/466/c_id/806

Be expensive and maybe labor intensive.

Yup. Same type I posted in the second post.

Mickster · 2020-04-05 22:50

Strangely enough, the Tibbo site doesn't show the Tibbit(module)'s pins.
They are regular header pins and the Tibbit shell has enough standoff that the socket solder protrusions don't present a problem.

@"frank freedman"
Regards 1-row, 2-row, I had the exact same thought; rigidity or availability.
I am thinking availability because the 1-row is soldered on both sides.

Single row:

https://uk.farnell.com/wurth-elektronik/61301015721/connector-rcpt-10pos-1row-2-54mm/dp/2827899?st=Bottom entry header

Double row:

https://uk.farnell.com/wurth-elektronik/613024216921/connector-rcpt-24pos-2row-2-54mm/dp/2827962?st=Bottom entry header

Thanks again, guys.

PCB sockets

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