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PCB Sockets – Making an individual connection

16 Feb 21

    16 Feb 21

    PCB Sockets – Making an individual connection

    Do you want a single male-to-female connection? Do you need to mate to a PCB with minimal space? Is your replaceable module not a standard pitch of terminations?

    You’ve found the right product – Individual PCB Sockets from Harwin. With multiple design and size choices in Throughboard two-piece or SMT single-piece, we have a product to complete your design. These sockets will mate with straight-sided terminal pins or can also be used to plug in replaceable odd form components, such as relays or sensors.

    Each type of PCB Socket designs has its own advantages, so this article will cover some comparisons to help you select the best choice for your needs.

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    Throughboard Two-Piece Sockets

    Two-piece sockets consist of an outer Brass shell holding an inner Beryllium Copper contact clip with 4 or 6 contact fingers. The brass shell provides strength and protection for the clip, and the clip contact fingers provide the mechanical force to make a positive electrical contact on the mating pin.

    With a design similar to Datamate and M300 high-reliability contacts, these sockets are great for applications with a more durable and vibration-resistant requirement.

    Typically, this throughboard design is soldered to the PCB on the underside, opposite to the entry point. Some designs include a knurl feature on the body, to improve mechanical retention in the PCB before and after soldering. There are also open-ended designs available for use with longer mating pins.

  • Proven 4-finger and 6-finger designs maintain electrical contact through high vibration and shock
  • Beryllium Copper for improved temperature range: -55°C to +125°C
  • Mating pin sizes of Ø0.50mm, Ø0.80mm, Ø1.00mm or Ø2.00mm
  • Robust and durable, up to 1,000 mating cycles

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    SYCAMORE Contact: 3-Beam SMT Single-Piece Socket

    A single piece socket is formed from a continuous strip of Beryllium Copper, incorporating three contact fingers and the SMT wings within the design. These designs are supplied in tape and reel, ready for volume automated placement.

    By using automation during PCB assembly and combined with the lower material use, these designs can be more cost-effective than their two-piece counterparts. The weight is much lighter, and the height above the PCB is lower.

  • 3-beam design achieves 500 mating cycles
  • Beryllium Copper for improved temperature range: -50°C to +125°C
  • Top & bottom entry variations
  • Mating pin sizes of Ø0.8mm to Ø1.9mm (over two socket sizes)
  • Watch the video: see the SYCAMORE Contact in action

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    Twin-Beam SMT Single-Piece Socket

    Sockets are made from Phosphor Bronze, with two contact fingers and a central opening through the material surface for the mating pin. This gives you the lowest above-PCB height of the three designs, at just 0.2mm (material thickness).

    These designs are also supplied in tape and reel, ready for automated placement. A simple cost-effective PCB socket, ideal for static equipment installations.

  • Top entry designs for mating pins of Ø0.8mm to Ø1.8mm (over two socket sizes)
  • Operating temperature range: -40°C to +105°C
  • Lightweight, ultra-low profile

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    Applications & Markets:

  • Aviation – Avionics, guidance systems, radar, flight controls, HUD (Heads-Up Displays)
  • Industrial – Handheld and portable monitoring equipment, production line controls, drive units
  • Metering & Measurement – Heat and gas sensor units, fire detection, smart meters, flow regulation systems
  • UAVs – Autopilot systems, flight controls, datacoms, GNSS receivers, inertial measurement
  • Motorsport & EV – Electronic management systems, telemetry, cockpit systems, Energy Recovery Systems (ERS), battery management

    • Design Resources:

    123Terminal pin mating with a SYCAMORE Contact for a single point of connection

    Not sure of the right product?

    If you would like to talk to someone about which product would be the right fit for your requirements, contact one of our Experts for assistance.

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    Written by: Rob McDowell

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