Subject: PCB header pins & connectors for amateur?
From: "
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[email protected]
Date: 10/18/2004 7:36 AM Central Daylight Time
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Hi
Is there available a PCB header pin set, with matching socket which can
be assembled by an amateur without expensive specialist tools?
Regards,
Mark
Been there, done that. If you're on a tight budget, one thing you might try is
using standard .100" solid headers and Molex KK Series crimp terminal housings
with .100 crimp terminals. Yes, I know you need a custom hand crimping tool
for the crimp terminals ($180.00 USD), but a little deft use of a needlenose
pliers will allow you to fold over the sides of the terminal on the stripped
stranded wire and the wire insulation just like the tool, except without the
gas-tight crimp. You then use the tiniest bit of solder to solder the wire and
the terminal housing. If you're crafty, you can avoid getting solder all over
the place underneath, and it will fit into the housing nicely. If not, just
cut it off and try again. The key to this is not to have excess wire or a
solder blob hanging down beyond the crimp -- that gums up the action of the
terminal. Also avoid getting flux on the mating surface of the terminal.
The Mouser part numbers you would need for a 3-pin programming plug are:
538-08-52-0123 Crimp Terminals (3 ea.) $0.09 ea. (buy a few extra to
practice)
538-22-03-2031 .100" Verical solid header, 3-pin (1 ea.) $0.18 ea.
538-22-01-2037 .100" crimp terminal housing (1 ea.) $$0.25 ea.
As long as you use the phosphor bronze terminals with tin flash, you should be
good for at least a hundred reliable insertion/extraction cycles. Don't jam
the terminal into the housing. If it doesn't fit easily, you've either got it
backwards or you got excess solder under the fold of the terminal. Use an
xacto knife to push the little spring holder in to remove the terminal from the
housing.
By the way, the above parts don't have reverse polarity protection -- least
expensive solution here. If you're doing it yourself, be careful. If a
customer is doing it, go with the polarized housings and headers or use a
polarizing key and cut off one of the pins. Go to mouser.com and look for
yourself -- look up p. 807 of the current catalog.
Chris