Differences Between Connector And Terminal

First, conceptual difference between connector and terminal

1. Connector. It is a component often contacted by electronic engineering technicians. Generally refers to electrical connectors. That is, a device that connects two active devices and transmits current or signals.

Connector also refers to a positioning connector for connecting electronic circuits, which is composed of two parts, namely the plug-in and the connector, which can be completely separated in general. The difference between a switch and a connector is that the change of the contact state of the contact pair achieves the conversion purpose of the connected circuit, and the essential difference is that the connector has only two states: insertion and removal. The switch can realize the conversion of the circuit on the body, but standard power connectors cannot achieve the conversion on the body, and there is a fixed correspondence relationship between the contact pairs of the connector.

2. Terminal. It is an accessory product used to achieve electrical connection, which is industrially divided into the category of connectors. The terminal is used to facilitate the connection of the wires. It is actually a piece of metal sheet enclosed in an insulating plastic. There are holes at both ends to insert the wires. Terminals can be divided into WUK terminals, European terminal series, plug-in terminals, and so on.

Second, the difference between the scopes of the connector and the terminal

1. "Connector" is the first category, and the terminal is just one of the "connector" category. A connector is a wire-to-wire connection; a connector is a wire-to-board and box connection. It is often classified into one category in practical applications.

2. The terminal is part of the connector. Connector is a general term. In fact, the milspec connectors we commonly see usually include housing and terminal. The housing is mostly plastic, which plays a protective role, and the terminal is a metal, which plays a conductive role.

3. Connectors and terminals in the electrical and electrical fields:
A connector is commonly understood as a kind of thing that can be quickly connected with a single plug or twist without using tools.
Terminal, in plain understanding, is the kind of thing that requires tools, such as screwdrivers and cold press pliers, to connect two things together, and is generally used for power input and output.

Third, the difference between the practical applications of the connector and the terminal

Connectors are a subdivided field of electronic components, mainly used for the connection between circuits, including pressure-type electrical connectors. In industrial production, line connections can be said to be ubiquitous, so the range of use of connectors is of course very wide and is used in various industries.

Connectors are divided into many categories, such as rectangular connectors, mil dtl 38999 circular connector, stepped connectors, and so on. The terminal is a type of connector, which generally belongs to rectangular connectors. The use range of terminal strips is also relatively single. It is generally used in the field of electronics and electronics, and is used for internal and external wiring of PCB circuit boards, printed boards and power distribution cabinets.

The range of use of terminal is increasing, and the types are increasing. At present, in addition to PCB board terminals, the most widely used are hardware terminals, nut terminals, spring terminals, etc. In the power industry, there are special terminal strips, terminal boxes with various terminals, such as single-layer terminal, double-layer terminal, current terminal, voltage terminal, common terminal, breakable terminal, etc.

In general, "connectors" and "terminals" are different application expressions that belong to the same concept, and are named according to different actual applications.