Types of PCB Connectors

The type of PCB connectors used in a device can impact its performance, safety, and cost. Different connectors are suited for different environments and purposes, depending on how they will be mounted.

There are two types of connector mounting: through hole and surface mount technology (SMT). The former requires inserting the pins into drilled holes in the board, while the latter uses a soldered two-piece connector.

Pin Headers and Sockets

Pin headers and sockets are a vitally important type of PCB connector instrumental in allowing diverse connections to be joined to a printed circuit board using one block. These connectors come with a variety of characteristics and a wide array of uses.

A major characteristic of a pin header is its gender, which determines whether it mates with male or female connectors. Many also possess the ability to only connect in a single direction, which is called polarity or keying. These characteristics help reduce incorrect or accidental connections.

In addition, pin headers may come with plastic walls that help to create a studier and more secure unit besides averting incidences of pins bending. These can cover a single side, two (generally opposed) sides, or all four sides of the connector. They also come in a range of different angles, such as right-angled or parallel to the PCB surface.

Another common variation of the pin header is known as a machine-pin header, which gets formed by tooling instead of stamping and folding sheet metal. These headers have a spherical cross-section that helps them to fit more readily into round printed circuit board holes, which provides an enhanced electrical connection and longer lifespan. They also come in a wide array of pitch options, with the most popular being 2.54mm and the standard breadboard-compatible 0.1″ pitch.

D-Sub Connectors

D-sub connectors are a staple of industrial electronics. These circular connections are found in devices such as telecommunications systems, industrial machinery, and automotive electronics. They provide a stable and reliable connection for bus signals, as well as power and pcb connector types grounding. They are also available in a wide range of pole counts, variants, and housing sizes.

D-Sub connectors consist of a male connector, commonly called a plug, and a female connector with corresponding sockets. The pins in the male connector mate with the sockets in the female connector to establish electrical connections. They are often plated with gold or nickel to reduce resistance, increase conductivity, and prevent corrosion.

Depending on the application, D-Sub connectors can be either standard or high density. The number of pins or sockets is indicated by the shell size, which is usually followed by letters and numbers. For example, a standard D-Sub connector has a row of nine pins, while a high density D-Sub has a row of 13 pins.

D-Sub connectors are a common choice in the aerospace industry because of their robustness and ability to withstand harsh environments. These connections are also useful in robotics and automation equipment because they can handle multiple signal types. For example, they can transmit motor control signals for machine control or sensor data for monitoring and diagnostics.

Board-to-Board Connectors

Board-to-board connectors connect two printed circuit boards without a cable. They are used to accurately interconnect PCBs in a stackable manner, and offer many options for orientation and relative distance between the connectors. They also come in a variety of shapes and heights to accommodate differing space constraints, signal transmission speeds, power requirements and more.

Both male and female pin headers and sockets are available for board-to-board connections. They can be configured with straight pins or bent at 90 degrees for a right-angle connection. They can be shrouded in plastic to create a keyed header or elevated on the PCB PCB Connector Types Supplier surface for taller components. They can be polarized by having a raised surface on one side to match a notch in the mating connector.

The majority of board-to-board connectors have a copper alloy base with different finishes to improve conductivity and protect against corrosion. They are typically plated with either matte or bright tin. This plating process increases the connector’s reliability and durability while reducing its cost.

The most important aspect of working with board-to-board connectors is ensuring that the footprints you are using for your design have pin-outs that match the ones in the mating connector’s silkscreen. It’s also a good idea to check that there is enough clearance between the connectors to ensure that the board can be tested and debugged easily. This can be checked with the design rule checks built into your PCB tool of choice, but it’s also a good idea to keep in mind the dimensions of the board and the other components around the headers, to avoid unexpected obstructions.

Header Connectors

The header connector entails an electrical component instrumental in allowing diverse connections on a PCB to get joined through a single connection block. They are typically soldered on a circuit board’s surface. They come as metallic and tough components that establish an electric current or signal transmission task.

These electrical parts have two portions, a male and a female. The male portion has pins that insert into a socket portion known as the female. Both of these come as through-hole devices (THD / THT) or as surface-mount devices (SMD).

They feature an array of contacts in a repetitive pattern. They also have a pitch that denotes the distance from one contact’s center to the same of the next. This aspect proves vital because plenty of contact families appear similar but may differ regarding their pitch. As a result, it becomes difficult to determine whether the purchased headers match with the mating connectors.

These connections are normally characterized by the number of mating cycles they can stand. They can vary from a few thousand to tens of thousands, depending on the technology and intended use. In addition, some have a square notch cut out on one end that prevents the header from being placed on the board polarized the wrong way. This feature helps avert incidents of the pins bending.