[sdiy] Connectors

[Tony Clark]

>> Take a look at Amp (Tyco) receptacles and crimp-n-poke terminals.
>
> I'd love it if someone could point me in the direction of a specific part
> series and a specific low-cost crimp tool. I tried using some needle-nose
> pliers and solder to assemble what I think were Amp crimp-n-poke
> terminals,
> although I'm quite sure that that wasn't their official name. :-)

   They are referred to as MTA connectors and come in 0.100 (MTA-100) and
0.156 (MTA-156) flavors.  There is also a similar style connector by
Panduit, but you probably won't find them at most electronic retailers.
   While I use the MTA connectors quite heavily, I have not (as yet)
purchased one of the dedicated tools.  I find for just a few wires that
a small jeweler's screwdriver can be used to punch down wires into the
grooves.
   The trick here, and also if you plan to solder directly, is to first
pre-mount the connector.  This will stabilize the contact points and
also prevent excess solder from getting into places it shouldn't.

   The MTA connectors are great for stacking across in a straight line.
So if you do have literally 30 contact points, you can easily use 5
6-pin connectors (or any other combination) to fill up the line.

   Hope that helps,

   Tony

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Great Lakes Modular

        Custom Design, Engineering, and Manufacturing Services
                      www.greatlakesmodular.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------