Connector Selection Guide

Connector Selection Guide for Electronic System Designer

Type of connectors to choose from for your electronic project design. List of the commonly available connector footprint and dimension.

Connector Shortcuts List

Pluggable Screw Terminal
PCB header/housing connector
IDC Socket & Header Connectors
Flat Flexible Cable (FFC)
JST/Molex Connectors, Header & Housing
DC Barrel Power Plug & Socket
230Vac Power Plug, Connectors
PCB Power Connector
Card Edge Connector
PCB Spring Contact Pins
Crimp Terminal & Ferrules
Audio Connectors
Casing Enclosure Connectors
RF Connectors
D-Sub Connector
Computer Data Connector
Other Connectors

Shortcuts references to the popular brands.

Bare Wire Connector for PCB

Connector catalog reference from KaiFeng (download catalog pdf file here, 14.3mb)

1) 3.81mm Pitch Pluggable Screw Terminal (rating 8A) (3.81mm, 3.5mm)

2) 5.08mm Pitch Pluggable Screw Terminal

(rating 15A)

3) 5.08mm Pitch Screw Terminal (*)

fixed screw terminal connector

4) 2.54mm Spring-Cage Terminal (*)

spring cage connector Push-in vertical connector 10 positions

Pluggable Screw Terminal
Push-in spring connection
Spring-cage connection (KF141R-4P)
Push-lock spring connection (quick release lever)
Pluggable spring cage connection
Tool
tti-nz-series-slanted-wire-insert
WAGO 2059, WAGO 2060

WAGO push connector 2059 surface mount WAGO 2060 wire push in spring cage connector

reference from Phoenix Contact

5) Tool-less or tool free lever release wire terminal connector, Lever-Actuated Terminal Blocks

PLH 16 Power PCB Terminal Block with Lever
LPT 16/ 5-15,0-ZB
LPT(A) 2.5 Lever Push-In Terminal Blocks
SR99, SM99 Tool-free single pole terminal connector (7 color to choose from), low cost.

PCB Connector (header and housing/receptacle pins)

2.54mm header housing male female pins connection

2.54mm housing PCB mount (2 ways)

2.54mm housing PCB mount pins 2.54mm header pins

Single row female socket header housing (2.54mm spacing connector)

Single row male socket header housing (2.54mm spacing connector)

Single row female socket header pins (2.54mm spacing connector, straight PCB mount)

Single row male socket header pins (2.54mm spacing connector, straight PCB mount)

Double row female socket header pins (2.54mm spacing connector, straight PCB mount)

female header 2×5, 2×13, 2×20

Double row male socket header pins (2.54mm spacing connector, straight PCB mount)

male header 2×5, 2×13, 2×20

Doublesided turn-pins connector

Standard 2.54mm header pin dimension

Standard 2.54mm housing pin dimension

IDC Socket & Header Connectors

IDC socket (wire to board connector) 16pos IDC socket connector

IDC header connector (PCB mount), 20pos IDC header connector

IDC header connector with side locking latch IDC header connectorwith side locking latch

IDC connector with ribbon cables

Flat Flexible Cable (FFC)

***Note: Choose EVEN number of pins (is easier to buy stocks)

Choice of wires/pins pitch 0.5mm, 1mm, 0.625mm, 0.8mm, 1.25mm

Choice of FFC cable “SAME side” or “Opposite side” or “Solderable ends” (FFC cable jumpers)

Same Side

Opposite Side

Soldable end FFC cable

FFC cable with solderable end and a connector end

JST/Molex Connectors, Header & Housing

JST crimp connector series product selection
jst-connector-product-selection.pdf (file size 3MB)

small pitch SMD connector receptacle mini connector cable assembly drawing

For low profile PCB boards (signal or small power)

For Industrial Sensor

*** space saving connector suitable for smaller size board (AWG #32 to #26)

ZH Connector (1.5mm pitch), 1A 50V, (UL94V-0)

For Small Motor

*** suitable for typical PCB board use (AWG #24, or 7/0.2mm)

PH Connector (2.0mm pitch), 2A 100V, (UL94V-0)

For General Purpose (payment industry)

XH Connector (2.5mm pitch), 3A 250V, (UL94-0)
Found to be used on Coin Acceptor (model: HS-636)

For Power

VH Connector (3.96mm pitch), 10A 250V, (UL94V-0)

For Vending Payment Industry (Coin/Notes Acceptor, Receipt Printer, POS, Self-Service Kiosk)

pcb mount connector for coin note acceptor molex male connector for coin note acceptor

Molex Mini-Fit Jr. Series Connector

DC Barrel Power Plug & Socket

DC barrel socket (PCB mount, OD-5.5mm ID-2.1mm)

For DC barrel socket, buy 2.1mm pin size to be safer. Most adaptor plug can handle 2.1mm as well as 2.5mm pin size.
For DC barrel plug, buy 2.5mm hole size to be safer. Most socket can accept both 2.1mm as well as 2.5mm hole size.

230Vac Power Plug, Connectors

PCB Power Connector

Power Barrier PCB mount connector (*)

Barrier mount terminal 9.5mm pitch for high current power

Snap-in Screw Terminal (PCB mount) (*)

Screw terminal tab PCB mount Screw terminal tab for PCB mounted - wire to board.
– M3 PCB Terminal
– PCB Screw Terminal
– PC Mount Screw Terminals (surface mount) (贴片焊接端子)
– M3 PCB snap-in screw terminal vert smdsurface mount Screw terminal snap-in surface mount smd
https://www.pemnet.com/fastening-products/pem-self-clinching-fasteners-new/