Board to wire connectors for 2.54mm

[raptor1956]

I've just spent an hour or two perusing Digikey and Mouser's connectors and boy does my brain hurt!  What I'm looking for is a connector pair with one part soldered onto a PCB with through holes at 2.54mm spacing.  The other connector that mates to it would then have the wires going to my component.  Ideally I should use a bit wider spaced connectors for higher current but since the max current is at 5A 2.54mm is just barely acceptable and since this is more for testing purposes and the PCB I have is 2.54 spacing then 2.54 it is.  So, perhaps I can get some recommendations for connector pairs with 2-pin and 4-pins.  Just to repeat, I need one side to solder onto a PCD with 2.54mm spacing and the mating connector with the wires.  Preferably the pins can be crimped with needle nose even if there's a purpose built crimper -- not sure I want to shell out $100USB+ for a limited use crimper. 

Thanks in advance...


Brian

[mariush]

Pretty hard to get 5A ... maybe 2-3A but that's also pushing it.

Ignoring the current requirement...


For 2pin and 4 pin , you can probably also go with 2.5 mm connectors. The 2pin connectors should definitely fit inside, and if the holes in the pcb are large enough the 4pin connectors will also fit.

There's always the classic IDC connectors (like the IDE cables or USB cables that go in headers) with 2 rows of pins, and configurable number on positions. The benefit is also that some connectors can be press-fit, so for example you get a 10pin plug (2x5) and a 10wire ribbon cable and the ribbon cable will simply be pressed in the contacts when you push the cap of the connector in.
See for example Harting SEK 18 series , Amphenol T812 etc

Look at the classic "Dupont" connectors, the ones you see in computers for headers like power_on, reset, hdd led etc ...you can easily find ready made cables for them. A bunch of companies make these connectors, see Molex KK , AMP / TE Connectivity Ampmodu MTE series , Ampmodu mod iv...

[rdl]

I like IDC connectors. They can get close to your 5 amp requirement with 26 gauge ribbon cable and you could possibly just use more than one conductor for higher power. Other possible drawbacks to your needs are that they need two row header pins on the board and I don't think you will find them with less than 6 conductors (2x3). They are very easy to use, almost snap together, and can be assembled with a vise or for smaller ones, just pliers or channel-locks. Place ribbon cable in body, squeeze on the cover, fold over the cable and snap on the strain relief.

Here is a starter search for some 3M at Mouser (other brands are available):

http://www.mouser.com/3M/Connectors/Headers-Wire-Housings/_/N-ay0loZ1yzvvqx?P=1yy34wzZ1z0wxp6Z1z0zp4dZ1ytkn06

[DaJMasta]

+1 to just using more conductors.  Yes, connectors rated for power are available and are good choices for durability, making sure the right thing is plugged in and with the right polarity, and all sorts of other reasons, for just testing things out on something you're going to be using yourself, adding extra conductors means sharing the current (also a concern with the wires used to connect 2.54mm pins) and reducing contact resistance.

If you have a place to drill a hole or something, you can also just use a decent sized solid core wire (maybe 20 gauge?) and run a little jumper to a different connector - something like your standard barrel jack would handle that current and could be mounted in just a hole if you've got the wire jumpers.

If this is going to be a product made in the thousands and this connector is available to the end user, you're probably much better off finding a different connector, but on the small scale, there are a bunch of potential workable options depending on your constraints (Like if you only have one pin for power and ground and can't add more, the jumpers to a different connector is probably the way to go).

[ejeffrey]

Pluggable terminal blocks are great for this type of prototype/one off application because they are dead simple to get right and usually don't require any tooling.  If you want, you can put one of those crimp-on pins for use with screw terminals.  This is nice to do if you are using stranded wire, but this is not necessary.  It can also be crimped with a $10 tool available at any hardware store rather than a $100 special purpose tool.

[ssashton]

I think you want something like the connectors from JST.

Clicky Here https://www.jst.co.uk/products.php?cat=30

 The lower image, JST PHD have been used for power in commercial products I've opened but 5 amps would need 2 pins.



For my own stuff I don't like crimping all the pins of the plug so for high power stuff I use terminal blocks like the Phoenix PTSA.

[Monkeh]

You want to do 5A per contact and crimp with a pair of pliers? No. Just no.

Use a screw terminal.