What is the current or signal connector?
Connectors are also called joints and sockets in China. Generally refers to electrical connectors. That is, a device that connects two active devices to transmit current or signal.
The male and female ends can transmit information or current through the connecting wire, which is also called a connector.



1. Improve production and assembly process
Connectors simplify the assembly process of electronic products. It also simplifies the mass production process of products;
2. The product is easy to repair
If an electronic component fails, the failed component can be quickly replaced after the connector is installed;
3. The product is easy to upgrade
With the advancement of technology, products equipped with connectors can be more convenient to replace old components with new and more advanced components;
4. Improve the flexibility of product design
The use of connectors enables engineers to have greater flexibility when designing and integrating new products and composing systems.



The basic performance of the connector can be divided into three categories:
That is mechanical performance, electrical performance and environmental performance. Another important mechanical property is the mechanical life of the connector. Mechanical life is actually a durability (durability) indicators in the national standard GB5095 it called mechanical operation. It takes one insertion and one extraction as a cycle, and whether the connector can normally complete its connection function (such as contact resistance value) after the specified insertion and removal cycle is used as the judgment basis.

1. Mechanical performance As far as the connection function is concerned, the insertion force is an important mechanical performance. Insertion and extraction force is divided into insertion force and extraction force (extraction force is also called separation force), the requirements of the two are different. There are provisions for maximum insertion force and minimum separation force in the relevant standards. This shows that from the perspective of use, the insertion force should be small (there are low insertion force LIF and no insertion force ZIF structure), and if the separation force is too small, it will affect the reliability of contact. The plug-in force and mechanical life of the connector are related to the contact structure (the magnitude of the positive pressure) the coating quality (the sliding friction coefficient) of the contact part and the dimensional accuracy of the contact (alignment).


2. Electrical performance The main electrical performance of the connector includes contact resistance, insulation resistance and dielectric strength.
① Electrical connectors with high-quality contact resistance should have low and stable contact resistance. The contact resistance of the connector varies from a few milliohms to tens of milliohms.
② Insulation resistance is an index of the insulation performance between electrical connector contacts and between the contacts and the housing. Its magnitude ranges from hundreds of megaohms to several thousand megaohms.
③ Dielectric strength or withstand voltage, dielectric withstand voltage. It characterizes the ability to withstand the rated test voltage between the connector contacts or between the contacts and the shell.



④ Other electrical properties.
Electromagnetic interference leakage attenuation is to evaluate the electromagnetic interference shielding effect of the connector, and it is generally tested in the frequency range of 100MHz~10GHz.
For radio frequency coaxial connectors, there are electrical indicators such as characteristic impedance, insertion loss, reflection coefficient, and voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR). Due to the development of digital technology, in order to connect and transmit high-speed digital pulse signals, a new type of connector, namely high-speed signal connector, has appeared. Correspondingly, in terms of electrical performance, in addition to characteristic impedance, some new electrical indicators have emerged:
Such as crosstalk (crosstalk), transmission delay (delay), time lag (skew) and so on.

3. Environmental performance Common environmental performance includes temperature resistance, humidity resistance, salt spray resistance, vibration and shock resistance.
① Temperature resistance At present, the maximum working temperature of connectors is 200℃ (except for a few high-temperature special connectors), and the lowest temperature is -65℃. When the connector is working, the current generates heat at the contact point, causing temperature rise. Therefore, it is generally believed that the working temperature should be equal to the sum of the ambient temperature and the temperature rise of the contact. In some specifications, the maximum temperature rise allowed by the connector under the rated operating current is clearly specified.
② The intrusion of moisture resistance will affect the insulation performance of the connector and corrode metal parts. Constant humidity and heat test conditions are relative humidity 90%~95% (according to product specifications, up to 98%) and temperature +40±20℃. The test time shall be 96 hours at least as specified by the product. The alternating damp heat test is more stringent.


③ When salt spray resistant connectors work in an environment containing moisture and salt, the surface treatment layers of their metal structures and contacts may produce galvanic corrosion, which affects the physical and electrical properties of the connector. In order to evaluate the ability of electrical connectors to withstand this environment, a salt spray test is specified. It hangs the connector in a temperature-controlled test box and sprays out a sodium chloride solution with a specified concentration with compressed air to form a salt spray atmosphere. The exposure time is specified by the product specification and is at least 48 hours.
④ Vibration and shock Resistance to vibration and shock is an important performance of electrical connectors, especially in special application environments such as aviation and aerospace, railway and road transportation. It is to test the robustness of the electrical connector's mechanical structure and electrical contact reliability Important indicators. There are clear regulations in the relevant test methods. In the shock test, the peak acceleration, duration and shock pulse waveform, as well as the interruption time of electrical continuity should be specified.

⑤ Other environmental performance is based on usage requirements: Other environmental properties of electrical connectors include air tightness (air leakage, liquid pressure), liquid immersion (resistance to specific liquids), low air pressure, etc.