Wire-to-board connectors are a special type
of electrical connectors that use mechanical assembly as an interface to join
electrical circuits.
What to look for in a wire-to-board connector?
Wire-to-board connectors are classified based on
following attributes:
· Pitch size
· Physical construction
· Resistance to vibration
· Size
· Insulation between pins
· Resistance to entry of contaminants
· Contact resistance
· Resistance to pressure
· Ease of connecting and disconnecting
· Reliability
· Lifetime
Most of the well-recognized wire-to-board connector manufacturers provide a simple keying
mechanism in connectors that prevents the connection of wrong pins. Moreover,
it does not allow the user to insert the pins in wrong orientation. This makes
sure that the wire is inserted properly and will not fall out of the board.
The connectors must be easy to identify visually,
easy to assemble and should be inexpensive. They should have a simple wire to
board mechanism, vertical and horizontal headers and a mechanism to avoid wrong
mating. Sometimes, an equipment manufacturer willfully chooses a connector
design just because it is not compatible with equipment from other sources;
this allows the manufacturer a control over what may or may not be connected.
It is interesting to know that, despite a wide variety of connectors available
in market, a single wire-to-board connector is not good enough to meet the
requirements of different electrical appliances with varying specifications.
Molex and JST wire-to-board
connectors
Molex connectors were pioneered by Molex Connector
Company. They were widely acclaimed in the market and served as a standard for
early electronic connectors. Their pitch size ranges from 1.25mm to 5.08 mm for
which current rating ranges from 1A AC,DC to 5A AC,DC, voltage rating from 150V
AC,DC and wire from 28-32 AWG to 16-24 AWG respectively.
JST connectors are manufactured by Japan Solderless
Terminal Manufacturing Corporation and are commonly used in consumer products.
They are available in pitch size range of 0.8 to 3.96. These connectors are
available in the current rating ranging from 0.5A to 7A AC,DC, and voltage
rating ranges from 30V AC,DC to 25-V AC,DC. In addition, the wire size ranges
from 32-36 AWG to 18-22 AWG.
Molex and JST are two most popular manufacturers of wire to board
connectors whose
products are used and liked over the entire globe. Both manufacturers offer a
large assortment of creative and cheap electrical connectors that help a great
deal in solving many engineering problems. They produce high quality items that
show high resistance to vibration, heat and other environmental factors. These
connectors are considered the best in the market and are often used not only
for domestic and small-scale projects, but also for commercial and large-scale
projects where it is not possible to compromise on quality.
Resource
box: Molex and JST are two most popular wire to board connector manufacturers who offer inexpensive, innovative and high quality
electrical equipment.