How To Classify Industrial Connectors

Any electrical system must use current as a carrier for signals or energy, and from one conductor to another conductor through the contact between the conductors. The contact between this conductor and the conductor is called electrical contact, and the connector that completes this electrical contact task will cover the three "lifelines" : power, signal and data.

Visually speaking, a connector is a "bridge" that carries the role of current or signal connection. Although it is only a component, its role is crucial.

Military grade electrical connectors do not have a unified classification standard so far, new application fields continue to appear, and the structure is increasingly diversified. It is difficult to use a fixed pattern for classification and naming. Nevertheless, some basic classification principles are still valid. Let's first understand the prerequisites for connector classification.

1. According to the function of internal and external connection of electronic equipment, the level of interconnection is divided into 6 layers:
(1) Component to package interconnection;
(2) the interconnection of the package to the circuit board;
(3) Board-to-board interconnection;
(4) Component to component interconnection;
(5) interconnection of components to input and output interfaces;
(6) System-to-system interconnection.

2. Classified by structure:
Board-to-board connector;
Board-to-wire connector;
Wire-to-wire connector.

3. Classified by power:
Power connector (transmit power);
Signal connector (transmit signal);
High-frequency connector (transmits data).

4. Classified by shape:
Circular connector, mostly used in military equipment;
Hermetic rectangular connectors are widely used and developed rapidly.

Product model naming is the basis for user procurement and organization of electrical connector manufacturers. Throughout the connector industry, it follows two principles:

The first is the method of letter code and number, which strives to reflect all or main structural characteristics of the product in the model designation. The advantage is that it is easy to identify; the disadvantage is that the model may be longer and more complicated; and with the trend of miniaturization of the connector, the space for coding is getting smaller and smaller, and coding printing is becoming more and more difficult.

The second is a pure Arabic numeral combination. The advantage of this method is simplicity, easy management and printing.

It is foreseeable that these two methods will coexist for a long time and will continue to develop.