Need "higher density" terminal block

If you look closely in the Digi-Key catalog, Weidmuller has some compact pluggable terminal blocks in both male and female versions so they can be used as an in-line disconnectable terminal strip. Put the terminal strip to male plug end in your RT and the terminal strip to female plug end on your cable.

Either Weidmuller or AB have stuff if you can fit a small piece of DIN rail. For instance

Pete Keillor

Europa strips?

Eby might have something

Cheers

I actually found something, McMaster items 7606K21 and 7606K29, they have a .25 distance between centers, good enough for me, though I will double check again tonight.

I need 6+1+2+2=11 connections.

I have a CNC rotary table with a little box containing a terminal block for the wires (tach, and resolver). To use it on my CNC mill, I would need to use more wires, such as for a home switch, more wires to interface to a resolver than currently etc.

The existing box has a terminal strip, but I need something like 3 more terminals. I do not want to just deal with a wire nut mess inside, or soldered mess, so: is there such a thing as a "high density terminal block" with, say, 4-5 contacts per inch or something like that.

I looked on mcmaster and digikey and did not find anything

Thanks

Reply:

Depends on the wire gauge. You could get a terminal block like telco's use. An IDC connector for larger wires.

...

It isn't clear if you are connecting wire to wire or wire to board. Besides the approach Pete mentioned (using small PC board for ad hoc wire to wire interconnects) you could install items like below on

Also see "PC mount screw-clamp blocks with terminals on 5mm (0.197") centers. Interlock two or three position blocks to provide strips of any required length." at

What is wrong with the old telephone wiring block?

The pluggable headers I noted do not require a PC board, they directly mate. I've seen them used this way in some commercial equipment recently also.

There are many terminal blocks for DIN rail with pitch of 5-6mm made by Weidmuller, Entrelec or Phoenix Contact.

If you need more density there are multilevel contact blocks like

You can get about 10-12 contacts per inch for AWG 26 to 16 and up to 17A with this.

DIN rail is too wide to go there.

Do a search for europian barrier strip

Pretty sure most of them have the terminals per inch you are looking for.

Even the 15mm mini DIN rail variety?

ABB/Entrelec supplies terminal blocks only 33mm wide and 5mm pitch like this (look at the datsheet PDF):

Those have spring contacts and cable entry from the top, there are also screw contact ones at 39mm wide with lateral cable entry but still 5mm pitch

What is wrong with a using small connector with crimp pins? You can usually get two-row ones which will do nicely for the number of terminals you need -- depending on maximum current to be carried. A DA-15 would likely be sufficient for your purposes.

Especially considering that you will not be keeping the rotary table on the mill full time -- so the ability to unplug the cable at the table should be quite handy.

Enjoy, DoN.

This is a great idea. Is there a connector where both sides can be crimped. male and female

Can you use the round military-style connectors? Mouser carries a reasonable stock of them, but you might want to get the crimper from eBay.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

If you're moving away from screw-terminal style receptacles...

Look at the Molex "Mini-Fit Jr" series if you need moderate current capacity (up to 9 A). Typically the load side is a PC-mount but they do have free-hanging (in-line) crimp mates as well. These are polarized and latching connectors.

If you're really cramped for space and if these aren't power connections, look at the JST PH series. They're 2 mm pitch and rated up to 2 A (using AWG 24). Also polarized and latching. Used a lot in consumer goods, they also have the benefit of being pretty inexpensive.

Replying in rec.crafts.metalworking though the article is cross-posted and I'm leaving that active.

Of course! Lots of styles. How much current is the worst case into that rotary table? This will determine which crimp terminals are most suited for the purpose.

I suggested a DA-15 (like the DB-25, and often mis-called "DB-15") above. Those are available with either solder-tail or crimp pins. For high quality, you use machined barrel contacts, for somewhat lower quality, the pins formed by rolling sheet metal. The two use different crimper styles.

AMP is one maker of the connectors, and two series of pins, one for 24-28 Ga. The other for 24-20 Ga.

The crimper which I prefer for these pins is made by AMP and the number is "90312-1". New, the price is frightening.

eBay auction # 170578967003 has one which is complete (it still has the pin holder which you can see as projections on the head).

The search string which I used was:

AMP 90312-1

This auction (# 260707956976) has a good close-up view of the head end with the pin nest showing -- but is somewhat more expensive.

This one (# 290513618611) is missing the pin nest, and is too expensive for one missing that.

Looks as though four of the current five auctions have the pin nest -- better than last time I looked.

The pins and connector bodies (and backshells for those which you will cable mount) you can get from the usual suspects like Digi-Key, Newark, Mouser and the like. (Or, you can sometimes find them at hamfests. I tend to watch for them and keep a working stock of the sizes which I use regularly, but this does not work when you need them quickly. :-) When you order the pins and bodies, order the insertion/extraction tool as well -- you will likely need it soon enough.

You know that this can also be used for making RS-232 cables as well -- they use the same pins -- just a different size body and backshell. So *don't* sell this one when you are done -- you *will* need it again. And the range of prices suggests that you won't get the kind of killing you did with the hydraulic crimper anyway. :-)

If you need smaller -- there is a High-Density version of the

I've filled the stamped numbers for the size ranges with the same color paint which is used on pins of the same size. Blue for

If you need heavier wire than 20 Ga for your rotary table, you need a different connector series -- and will have to find the proper crimper yourself too.

Good Luck, DoN.