Connectors are an indispensable part of electronic equipment, and if you follow the path of current flow and observe, you will always find the presence of one or more connectors. A connector is a coupling device that connects electrical terminals to form an electrical circuit, enabling connections between wires, cables, printed circuit boards and electronic components, and is therefore widely used in electronic equipment.
The use of inappropriate connectors can lead to a variety of problems, including degraded performance, poor or easily disconnected connections, and may even trigger safety risks such as overloads or short circuits. In addition, mismatched connectors may also affect equipment compatibility and system stability, adding additional cost and time investment to solve the problem. Therefore, selecting the right connector is essential to ensure the proper operation of equipment and systems.
First, the connector selection considerations
With the application object, application environment, frequency, power of the different, the connector form and structure also varies greatly. The types of common connectors are more and more, that we choose the connector, what should pay attention to the problem?
1、clear demand
Before choosing a connector, it is important to clarify the needs. This covers the type of connector, specifications, performance parameters and application scenarios and other aspects of the detailed plan. For example, it is necessary to determine whether the board is used on the board connector, or designed to carry high-frequency signal transmission and high-frequency connectors? Or is it used for electrical equipment power connectors, or designed for data transmission and modular connectors? Once the needs are clear, they can be targeted to select the most appropriate connector.
2、focus on performance parameters
Performance parameters of the connector is to assess its quality and reliability of the important indicators. In the selection of connectors, you need to pay attention to the following performance parameters, mainly including the rated voltage, rated current, level of protection and so on.
Rated voltage, also known as the operating voltage, which depends on the connector used in the insulating material and the size of the spacing between the contact pair. Theoretically, the rated voltage of the connector should be the highest working voltage recommended by the manufacturer, but in fact, the connector can work properly below the rated voltage.
Rated current is also known as the working current. The same as the rated voltage, below the rated current, the connector can generally work properly. When there is current passing through the contact pair of a connector, due to the existence of conductor resistance and contact resistance, the contact pair will heat up, and failure will occur when the temperature exceeds the limit. Therefore, to limit the rated current is to limit the temperature rise inside the connector from exceeding the value specified in the design.
Connectors may be subjected to a variety of harsh environments in practical applications, such as humidity, dust and vibration. Therefore, we need to pay special attention to the protection level of connectors to ensure that they can maintain stability and reliability under specific environmental conditions. This protection is critical to the long-term performance of the connector, especially in industrial and outdoor applications, we must ensure that it can withstand a variety of adverse effects of the external environment to ensure the normal operation of the entire system.
3、choose high-quality materials
The connector's metal materials and insulation materials determine the connector's operating environment temperature. High temperatures will destroy the edge of the material, causing insulation resistance and voltage performance reduction; for metal high temperature can make contact with the loss of elasticity, accelerated oxidation and plating deterioration.
According to different corrosive environments, should use the corresponding metal, plastic, plating structure of the connector. Such as salt spray environment using the connector, if there is no anti-corrosion metal surface will make the performance deteriorate rapidly. And in the environment containing a considerable concentration of SO2, it is not suitable to use silver-plated contact pairs of connectors.
Environmental parameters are mainly ambient temperature, humidity, rapid changes in temperature, corrosive environments. Connector in the use, transport and storage process in the environment has a significant impact on its performance, so it must be based on the actual environmental conditions to select the appropriate connector.
Connectors may be affected by a variety of harsh environments in actual applications, such as humidity, dust and vibration. Therefore, we need to pay special attention to the protection level of the connectors to ensure that they can maintain stability and reliability under specific environmental conditions. This protection is critical to the long-term performance of the connector, especially in industrial and outdoor applications, we must ensure that it can withstand a variety of adverse effects of the external environment to ensure the normal operation of the entire system.
4、pay attention to the installation and maintenance
The termination method refers to the way the contact pair of the connector is connected to the wire or cable. At present, the main connection methods are crimping, welding, winding, piercing connection, screw connection and so on. Reasonable selection of the termination method and the correct use of termination technology is also an important aspect of the use and selection of connectors. It is necessary to understand the installation methods and precautions of the product to ensure proper installation and use. In addition, regular maintenance of the connector can extend its service life. Therefore, when selecting connectors, you can focus on information such as the maintenance cycle and maintenance cost of the product.
5、choose well-known brands and suppliers
Well-known brands and suppliers usually have high quality assurance and good after-sales service. When choosing connectors, you can give priority to the products of well-known brands and suppliers. This can reduce the risk of product quality problems and get better technical support and after-sales service.
Selecting the right connector requires comprehensive consideration of a number of factors, environmental parameters, electrical parameters and connection methods will affect the performance of the connector. Understanding your application requirements and selecting the right connector can improve the reliability of your project engineering and can have a great effect on improving the quality and service life of your products.
