Suggestion for single pin connectors - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2019, 09:03:02 pm
content: My project incorporates one of those LM2596 adjustable buck converters in the power supply section (why? because they are cheap, the two different batches I've gotten all have worked, and I already have enough wires running around under my model railroad that I don;t want to have a 5V bus, a 12V bus, and maybe more - just one, and for boards that need lower voltage, use these modules to drop the voltage). I measured and created a footprint to put on my PCB, got the samples, works perfectly. So far, the only thing I have to make them removable are male and female pin headers. The male parts are fine, you can snap off singles without breaking every other one, but breaking a strip of the female ones almost always ruins the last one, so getting 4 individual ones off a strip will probably cost at least 4 in wastage.I suppose I could just solder pins to the buck boards, and solder them directly to my PCB, but I'd like to be able to unplug them and swap in another, but that requires some other sort of pin and socket. Any suggestions? Or just forget it and solder directly, since it's only 4 pins to desolder to remove one if I have to. The male header pins work perfectly for this, the plastic stands the buck board off the main board very nicely.

author: MagicSmoker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2019, 10:54:52 pm
content: At the most general level, I'd say check out the pin and pin receptacle offerings from Keystone and, especially, Mill-Max:https://www.mouser.com/manufacturer/mill-max/

author: jhpadjustable
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2019, 02:30:34 am
content: Assuming you mean 2.54mm pin headers, get a crimp kit and some housings and male/female pins from Aliexpress. It's a small investment in your future model railroading happiness.

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2019, 03:11:41 am
content: I second the 2.54mm headers.Here is an example PCB I did for the Tortoise Slow Motion Machines to change direction and bring out the switch contacts.

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2019, 07:54:56 am
content: The 40-pin strips of female headers are so cheap that losing half the pins from cuts in isn't a problem. Still cheaper than the alternatives.But if you really want single-pin breakable headers, check out machined pin headers. They can be had in breakable strips in both genders.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2019, 03:52:58 pm
content: The 3 pin connectors (and I will be getting a crimp tool) are all over the place - my board is designed to drive RC servos which use that 3 pin connector. I don't want wires to the buck board with it then just flapping around in the breeze, and it's a little rectangular board with 2 holes for the input connection on one end, and 2 holes for the output connection on the other. Image attached of a typical one. The two big holes are for mounting, on mine these are not connected to either input or output, but I'm not using any extra hardware to hold them on, I figure the 4 pin connections are good enough to hold it in place. The footprint of those 4 pins isn't anything I recognize, but at least the designers did line them up horizontally and vertically.Definitely right about how cheap the snap off 40 pin strips of pins and headers is. I may investigate the machined headers, or maybe I will just solder male pins to the buck board and then solder that to my board, the heck with socketing it.