Electrical Connectors

Electrical connectors are devices that join electrical circuits together. Male connectors plug into receptacles, jacks, and outlets. Female connectors contain sockets to receive other devices. Gender changers convert female connectors to male connectors, and vice versa. A wide variety of electrical connectors are available. Many categories are based on shape (e.g., cylindrical, square, keystone) and smallest contact size. Contacts range from as small as 0.50 mm or 0.0197” to as large as 5.08 mm or 0.20”. Some electrical connectors are water resistant or designed specifically for underwater use. Others are hermetically sealed, resistant to moisture and oils, or suitable for cryogenic applications. Electrical connectors can include shielding against electrostatic discharge (ESD) and filtering for electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). Common sizes for electrical connectors are standard (size 16 contacts), miniature (size 20 contacts), subminiature or high-density (size 22 contacts), and micro-miniature (size 24 contacts).

Computers use many types of electrical connectors. Edge card connectors are embedded devices that mate with the edges of single-sided or double-sided printed circuit boards (PCBs). Electrical connectors fit ribbon cables, coaxial cables, batteries, and power supplies. Strip connectors have one or more rows of contacts. Internal computer connectors link devices such as microprocessors and random access memory (RAM) slots. Other computer connections require universal serial bus (USB), Centronics, D-subminiature, or header connectors. Small computer system interface (SCSI) connectors are parallel devices that connect peripherals to computers. IEEE 1284 connectors also use a parallel port protocol. Specialty electrical connectors are used with smart cards, devices that are embedded with a microprocessor and/or memory chip. Electrical connectors are also used with personal computer (PC), CompactFlash^®, and IEEE 1394 (FireWire^®) cards. CompactFlash is a registered trademark of the CompactFlash Association. FireWire is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

Electrical connectors are used in a variety of non-computer applications. Banana plugs are slender, slightly bulged metal prongs that attach to the stripped end of speaker cables. Audio and video connectors are a broad category of devices that includes digital video interface (DVI) connectors. DIN connectors are high frequency, multi-pin, electrical connectors that meet standards established by Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN), a German national organization for standardization. Specialty electrical connectors are used in automotive, radio frequency (RF), and microwave applications. Circular and cylindrical connectors protect electrical connections from environmental damage and are well-suited for military and aerospace applications. Elastomeric connectors are made of pliant strips of flexible material with insulating and conductive elements. Modular and registered jack (RJ) connectors are widely used in networking and telecommunications. Phone jacks (female) and phone plugs (male) are used for telephone installations. Micro connectors and nano connectors that exhibit contacts with a pitch of 0.05” (micro) and 0.025” (nano), respectively. High pressure high temperature (HPHT) connectors are also available.

There are a number of termination options for electrical connectors. Crimping compresses or deforms a contact wire barrel around a conductor. Wire wrapping requires the use of a special tool to wrap a stripped or unstripped wire around a terminal post that contains a series of sharp edges. Insulation displacement connectors (IDCs) force an insulated conductor into a restrictive slot, slicing through insulation. In PCB solder or solder pin termination, electrical connection is made by soldering wires or pins onto a printed circuit board. With solder cup terminations, soldering the connector onto the mounting location creates an electrical connection. Through hole technology (THT) mounts components on PCBs by inserting component leads in the board and then soldering the pins on the other side. Other termination options include cage clamps, screws, lugs, and quick-connect tabs.

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• DIN Connectors
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Part Numbers for Electrical Connectors