There are many types of industrial connectors, including sockets, connectors, headers, terminal blocks, etc., which are used to connect electronic devices and help transmit signals and power.
The material selection of industrial connectors is essential because they must have durability, reliability, safety, and efficiency to ensure reliable connections between devices. Therefore, industrial connectors usually use high-strength metal materials such as copper, aluminum, steel, etc. to ensure their reliability and durability.
In addition, the installation method of industrial connectors is also important because they can help electronic devices transmit signals and power, have characteristics such as durability, reliability, safety, and efficiency, and are an important part of electronic device connections.
The role of industrial connectors:
Industrial connectors are miniature coupling sockets and plugs whose pins directly connect printed circuit boards (PCBs) with power and signals. To prevent long-term oxidation, copper alloys are often used in industrial connectors to prevent electrical degradation.
In electronic manufacturing, if the PCB at the circuit board design stage takes up too much space, the device may be divided into two or more boards. Industrial connectors can connect power and signals between these boards to complete all connections.
Using industrial connectors simplifies the circuit board design process. Small circuit boards require manufacturing equipment that may not be able to accommodate larger circuit boards. Squeezing a device or product into a single or multiple boards requires consideration of power consumption, unwanted signal coupling, component availability, and the overall cost of the final product or device.
In addition, the use of industrial connectors can simplify the manufacture and testing of electronic devices. In the electronics manufacturing industry, the use of these connectors can save a lot of money because high-density PCBs have more traces and components per unit area. Depending on the investment in the complexity of the manufacturing plant, the device or product is better designed as multiple interconnected medium-density boards rather than a single high-density board.
By using through-hole technology, industrial connectors can connect the traces and components on the circuit board in the third dimension. For example, there are rarely single-layer PCBs between the two sides of a double-sided PCB, and multi-layer PCBs are usually less than 0.08 inches or 2 mm thick and have conductive inner surfaces that can carry current.
Industrial connector selection elements
The industrial connectors currently on the market have developed a wide variety of functions and appearances to handle a wide variety of devices. To ensure that the most appropriate connector is selected for the target application, engineers need to spend a lot of time selecting materials. In addition to considering basic electrical characteristics, cost, and appearance, engineers also need to understand the following selection factors to improve material selection efficiency.
1. Electromagnetic interference
When establishing signal connections, engineers may consider ambient interference, such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) from motor drives and noise generated by nearby equipment. These interferences may cause signal transmission loss or affect signal reliability. In this case, shielded connectors and more careful wiring can be used to eliminate these concerns.
2. Protection against intrusion of foreign substances
Engineers can consider whether the connector needs a corresponding “intrusion protection” level from the perspective of the intrusion of these foreign substances. For example, in the working environment, the connector may be exposed to dirt, water, oil, chemicals, etc. High and low temperatures can cause water condensation.
3. High density
To provide transmission “high-density products”, such as stackable connectors or high-density array connectors, consider using connectors that “reduce PCB size while increasing the number of I/Os”.
4. Fast and error-free connection
Installation often requires fast and error-free connection, especially when a large number of connections are required. However, some connection locations are difficult to reach, or it is difficult to see the shape after connection in low light conditions, and the fatigue of workers’ fingers will increase the connection failure rate. Using technologies such as push-pull pluggable connections can save time compared to using traditional threaded connections.
5. Mismatched connections
Another common problem is mismatched connections. Mismatched connections refer to the use of multiple identical connectors in the same location, with the mismatched connectors inserted into the wrong sockets. If the location space allows, wire coding can be added to distinguish specific cables or terminal connections. For example, circular connectors can provide standard orientations such as A, B, C, D, S, T, X, or Y. Using cable labels or color coding can also reduce mismatched connections.
Post time: Jun-26-2024