I noticed the more professional logic analyzers have these nice spring loaded connectors that can be pushed onto a wire or a header pin without wearing out (much). Anyone knows where to buy these without filling the pockets of Tek or Agilent?
There are a couple of different varieties. One type has a "J" hook (retractable) while the other is more like a pair of "" (i.e., grabs from both sides instead of just one side).
The micrograbbers ("J") can be found (in various qualities) for as little as $1 ea. Of course, if you need 160 of them (plus returns) it gets a bit pricey, regardless. :<
Often, its more economical to pick up an old analyzer "surplus", discard the electronics and just save the cables! :-/
Actually I'm not looking for the grabbers but for the connectors with which you usually connect the grabber to the probe. I want to make some flying leads sets.
This Ebay item looks very much like what I want to make:
Grab a bag or two of Molex P/N 16-02-0102 or one of its siblings (search term on Digikey "C-Grid" for other platings and wire sizes) and crimp up your own. Cover with a piece of shrink tube and you're there. These fit great on standard 0.025 posts without needing any other housing.
EDAC hermaphrodite contacts, part# 516-120-500-300, are a good gender-neutral choice... any connector/clip/probe on a pigtail to such a connector can connect to any other connector or probe. I've had a jar of these handy for a while, but haven't started converting my multiple drawers full of test leads.
Alas, I don't know any supplier of locking insulated hermaphrodite one-position connectors, that would be PERFECT.
Oops: I muffed the part number, should be EDAC 516-290-500 for solder-hole, 516-290-590 for crimp.
Something like this?:
I have those now but they wear out very quickly.
Interesting. I have a bag with dozens of leads of various lengths and colors with those connectors on either end and the only ones that aren't snug any more were "sacrificed" intentionally by forcing them onto DB-style pins when nothing else was readily available. I love them for interconnects within and between dev/proto/breadboards since the shrink sleeve eliminates (mostly) the chance of a free end making a fatal connection.
You can buy this stuff in *rolls* -- i.e., one connector every 3 or 4 inches, IIRC. Awful expensive way of making jumpers of 4" multiples, though :-/
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