What is a connector? What are the three basic functions?

What is a connector? Connector is a part that our Electronic engineering technicians often contact; Its function is very simple: to establish a communication bridge between shielded or independent circuits in the circuit, circulate the current, and complete the setting of the circuit. Connectors are an indispensable part of electronic products, and when observed along the current channel, one or more connectors will always be found. The ways and structures of connectors vary greatly. There are various forms of connectors depending on the application object, frequency, power, and application scenario; For example, the connector for lighting is very different from the connector for hard drives and the connector for igniting rockets. But no matter what type of connector, it is necessary to ensure that the current flows smoothly, continuously, and reliably.

The basic characteristics of connectors can be divided into three categories: mechanical performance, electrical performance, and environmental characteristics.

1. Mechanical performance In terms of connection function, insertion force is an important mechanical performance. Insertion force is divided into insertion force and extraction force, with different requirements for the two. In relevant specifications, the requirements for insertion force and minimum separation force are relatively high, indicating that the insertion force is low, and too small a separation force can affect the stability of contact.

Another important mechanical property is the mechanical life of the connector. Mechanical life is actually a durability indicator, referred to as mechanical operation in the national standard GB5095. It takes one insertion and one pull-out as the cycle, and takes whether the connector can normally complete the connection function after the specified insertion cycle as the evaluation basis.

The insertion and extraction force and mechanical life of connectors are related to the coating quality at the contact position of the contact structure and the sorting accuracy of the contact parts.

2. The key electrical properties of connectors include circuit resistance, insulation resistance, and resistance strength.

① High quality electrical connectors with high circuit resistance should have low and stable circuit resistance. The circuit resistance varies from a few milliohms to several tens of milliohms.

② The insulation resistance takes into account the insulation performance indicators between the electrical connector contact and the contact and shell, and its magnitude ranges from 100 megohms to 100 megohms.

③ Electrical strength or voltage resistance, material compression resistance, refers to the ability of a connector contact or contact to withstand the rated experimental voltage between the contact and the shell.

④ Other electrical performance.

Interference signal leakage attenuation refers to the interference signal shielding effect of the comment connector, and interference signal leakage attenuation refers to the interference signal shielding effect of the comment connector, usually detected in the operating frequency range of 100mhz~10ghz.

For RF coaxial connectors, there are also electrical indicators such as characteristic impedance, insertion loss, reflection coefficient, voltage standing wave ratio, etc. Due to the development of data technology, a new type of connector, namely the high-speed signal connector, has emerged to connect and transmit high-speed data pulse signals. Therefore, in terms of electrical performance, in addition to characteristic impedance, some new electrical indicators have also emerged, such as crosstalk hysteresis.

3. Common environmental characteristics include temperature resistance, humidity resistance, vibration, and impact.

① At present, the maximum working temperature of the connector is 200 ℃ and the minimum working temperature is -65 ℃. Due to the heat and temperature generated by the current at the contact surface, it is generally believed that the working temperature should be equal to the sum of the working temperature and contact temperature. In certain specifications, the maximum allowable temperature for connectors under rated operating current is clearly specified.

② The invasion of moisture-proof moisture can affect the insulation performance of connection h and rust metal parts. The standard for constant damp heat test is a relative humidity of 90%~95%, a temperature of 40 ± According to product requirements, the test time should be at least 96 hours. The alternating damp heat test is more stringent.

③ Salt spray resistance: When connectors work in environments containing moisture and salt, the surface treatment layer of their metal structures and contactors may produce electrochemical corrosion, which affects the physical and electrical performance of the connectors. In order to evaluate the environmental capability of electrical connectors, salt spray testing was specified. This involves hanging the connector in a temperature controlled test chamber to form a salt mist atmosphere, with an exposure time required by product specifications of at least 48 hours.

④ Vibration and shock resistance are the main characteristics of electrical connectors, and are important indicators for detecting the robustness of mechanical systems and electrical contact stability of electrical connectors. There are specific provisions in the relevant test methods. Impact testing requires peak acceleration and electrical continuity interruption time.

⑤ Other environmental characteristics of electrical connectors include sealing, low voltage, etc. according to usage requirements.

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